Waitrose has confirmed that it will welcome customers through the door of its first Glasgow store on 12 November.

The retailer will start on site next month to convert the old Somerfield store on Byres Road in the city’s West End, to a Waitrose.

And this week will see meetings with all 70 existing Somerfield staff, when they’ll be offered the chance to join the John Lewis Partnership.

Recruitment will also start at the end of this month for up to 50 additional new jobs at the store.

Waitrose's local and regional sourcing team is now meeting a wide range of local producers and tasting products from around Scotland, to complement the 250 Scottish lines already offered by Waitrose’s two Edinburgh stores.

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Waitrose recently announced that it would be the first supermarket to develop a new, propane based refrigeration technology, which is HFC-free. The technology will be introduced at Byres Road to reduce the retailer's carbon footprint by 20 per cent. Waitrose will also source 100% of the store’s electricity from green sources.

The refurbishment project will also reflect the new design for Waitrose stores UK wide, with photography used to inspire customers with serving suggestions and seasonal window displays, highlighting seasonal products and local suppliers.

"Our Glasgow branch will look fresh and enticing, as well as having a real sense of the community in which it is trading,"said Waitrose Managing Director Mark Price.

"The new look for our stores, that customers will see reflected in our Glasgow branch, will have a strong focus on seasonal produce, as well as giving customers more information about where their food comes from and which farmers and suppliers produce it."

Waitrose will also launch a Waitrose Community Matters Initiative in the Glasgow store as soon as it opens, allowing customers to have a say in how £1,000 a month is spent on community and charity projects.

(GK/KMcA)