Shell has announced that more than half of its 25 company-owned sites operated by Waitrose will transfer to a number of independent retailers, as the operating agreement comes to an end.
The 14 Little Waitrose branded forecourt stores will continue to stock 100s of mainly own-brand products from the supermarket group as part of the broader Shell and Waitrose partnership, when the new arrangement is in place towards the end of the year.
They will join 90 other Shell petrol stations currently being supplied by Waitrose, and using Little Waitrose signage, but run by dealers or Shell itself. The 227 affected staff will be covered by Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations.
Shell would not reveal who its new partners will be. The move, thought to give some cost-cutting benefits, is believed to be part of a wider review of Shell’s business, to optimise its operations and to explore new opportunities. It gives Shell the Waitrose format, but run by its appointed retailers.
”Our partnership with Waitrose remains strong,” said a Shell spokesperson. ”We will continue to work closely with Waitrose in various capacities. Our partnership is evolving, and we are exploring new ways to collaborate that benefit both our businesses and our customers.”.
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “We’ve been informed by our landlord, Shell, that they plan to transfer 14 Little Waitrose petrol stations to other retailers now our operating agreement for these sites has come to an end. This means that our Partners working there will transfer to the new retailers under TUPE. We’re working hard to support our Partners with the transition.”
