In an interview with the Sunday Times this week Waitrose’s managing director Steven Esom objected to the company being referred to as “the posh person’s supermarket”.

Esom stated that he liked to introduce himself as a “niche regional grocer” heading up a supermarket chain that prides itself on quality.

He stressed that Waitrose’s business is not about keeping transactions as cheap as possible it is about fostering “sustainable relationships” both with customers and suppliers.

The company’s 144 stores situated across the south of England have recently been added to with 19 Safeway stores purchased from Morrisons - an agreement enforced by the Office of Fair Trading this month.


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