Waitrose weighs up cutting thousands of products to reinvent itself as the 'home of food lovers'

Waitrose is reportedly considering cutting its stock by 'about half' in a move that it hopes will reinvent the supermarket as the 'home of food lovers'. The middle-class retailer currently stocks more than 15,000 individual products, which has been a drawing point for customers in years gone-by. The store has become renowned for stocking ingredients which can be otherwise hard to track down. Yet many of those products could now be cut as Waitrose looks to address 'duplication' and offer shoppers an 'easier' experience. During a presentation with food and drinks suppliers earlier this year, it was revealed that 25 per cent of the products on the retailer's shelves accounted for less than three per cent of its sales. One supplier told The Times that it expects the number of food brands currently stocked at Waitrose to be cut by about half within months. A second, meanwhile, said they had been told the supermarket wanted 'more volume going through fewer lines'. Another told the publication: 'Waitrose historically had quite a lot of niche products because they want to offer something that is different to the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury's. Waitrose is reportedly considering cutting its stock by 'about half' in a move which it hopes will reinvent the supermarket as the 'home of food lovers' Waitrose's Christmas advert this year features Keira Knightley playing a bridge Comedian Joe Wilkinson, meanwhile, returns as a glum widower desperate to her earn her affection 'In order to get more affluent customers through the store, they offer (lines) that are a bit more niche. 'But if you accumulate a lot of niche suppliers that aren't delivering a lot of sales, then rationalising does make sense.' Just a couple of months ago, the store ranked last in a Which? Test looking at fresh food shelf life - finishing behind competitors Asda, Tesco and M&S. Which? sent 12 mystery shoppers to place identical online orders with Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose over a two-week period.They then calculated the number of full hours remaining between each delivery and midnight on the product's use-by date, giving an average shelf life for each supermarket. Fresh food delivered by Waitrose was found to have an average of just 7.7 days left to use. The high-end supermarket performed particularly poorly for a number of products, including scones, bread, fresh pasta sauce, fresh tagliatelle, hummus and pork sausages. In one notably striking example, two packs of Waitrose beef mince and a pack of chicken thighs arrived with a use-by date just one day after delivery.That might explain why Jason Tarry, the chairman of Waitrose's parent company, the John Lewis Partnership, is reported to be leading an overhaul for the supermarket which could cost as much as £1billion. He wants the retailer to be known as the 'home for food lovers', with a view to sites being upgraded to include bakeries, fresh food stations and counters. The supermarket has also launched new formats, including 'neighbourhood' stores which are smaller than its traditionally-sized outlets but larger than convenience stores. Waitrose now has more than 320 sites across the country.The company's Christmas advert this year featured A-lister Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson, with both reprising their roles in a follow-up to last year's ad. It shows the latter playing a glum widower, Phil, who bumps into Knightley at the cheese counter in their local Waitrose.A spokesman for the company said: 'We are growing sales and customer numbers and are confident there is headroom to build on this momentum by being absolutely focused on our strategy to be the home of food lovers.'This is about ensuring we have exactly what our customers want, a differentiated range focused on the quality and the values that set us apart, combining well-known brands with new and exciting ones that our customers will love.'Yet as Waitrose begins to alter its methods, its main rival Marks & Spencer has enjoyed a triumphant return to growth this year. Director of Product Development at M&S Food Kathryn Turner is pictured. The supermarket has seen a marked upturn in sales this year The retailer recorded pre-tax profits of £355million during the six months before September, which marked a £3million increase on the same period a year earlierThe retailer recorded pre-tax profits of £355million during the six months before September, which marked a £3million increase on the same period a year earlier. M&S is said to have leaned on its expanding food business to drive its recovery - after a cyber attack last year sent its website down and left its shelves bare. The incident wiped more than £100million from its profits, according to reports. The store has also placed a greater focus on attracting younger customers. Kathryn Turner, its Director of Product Development, has gone viral on social media. Her TikTok clips have been watched more than 50million times, and the supermarket is understood to credit her videos for an uptick in sales on a number of products including its mango grapes and unconventional strawberries and cream 'sando'.The company openly encourages staff to post about working for the company on their personal social media, having found success during the coronavirus pandemic. Stuart Machin, M&S Chief Executive, said of the figures: 'Our hard work over the last few years to create a strong balance sheet has built a firm financial footing from which to invest and we are confident in the opportunities ahead. 'Despite the onslaught of cost headwinds, we have remained focussed on our ambitions, and we are clear on our plan.'The supermarket's food department is attracting 1.5million more customers than it was a year ago. Bosses are said to be keen to establish M&S as a 'shopping-list retailer' by luring British families away from competitors. 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