Waitrose is accelerating the rollout of real-time inventory technology across its UK store estate after extending its partnership with Trust Retail through November 2031.
The supermarket first trialled the technology in March 2026 and it is now operating in eight stores. A wider deployment is due to begin at the end of September, with around 125 stores expected to be live before Christmas and the remaining Waitrose estate scheduled to follow by March 2027.
The system replaces inventory processes that relied on batch updates with a real-time view of stock. Transactions are reflected immediately across connected inventory and accounting systems, giving store teams a more current picture of product availability during the trading day.
For grocery retailers, more accurate inventory data can affect several commercially important areas at once. Better visibility can help stores identify gaps more quickly, reduce discrepancies between recorded and actual stock and support replenishment decisions at store level.
The rollout is also relevant as supermarkets continue investing in technology that links store operations more closely with digital ordering. Real-time inventory information can be particularly important where the same stock pool supports both physical shoppers and online fulfilment.
Trust Retail is part of Trust Payments. The five-year extension means its relationship with Waitrose will continue while the retailer moves the inventory platform from an initial trial into a large-scale estate deployment.
The next stage will be the rollout to approximately 125 stores before Christmas, followed by the remaining Waitrose estate by March 2027.
