Shoppers in branches of Boots will soon be able to pick up Waitrose food as part of a push by the upmarket retailer into convenience shopping.

The two companies said they would trial the sale of “very selective product ranges” in each others’ stores, with Waitrose food in Alliance Boots stores, and healthcare ranges in Waitrose.

The trial is part of a wider move into the convenience sector that could eventually see the number of Waitrose’s standalone stores double, pitching the grocer famed for its quality against Marks and Spencer.

Financial Times, The Times, Daily Telegraph