UK retailer Marks & Spencer has announced that it is trialling fresh sushi counters in its stores, in partnership with London-based food chain Wasabi.
The counters will sell an extensive range of Wasabi products, with a focus on freshly-prepared raw sushi and hot meals.
The partnership will begin with a five store trial, four of which are in London, with all of the counters due to open before Christmas. This is part of the retailer's plans to develop and expand its offerings in the capital.
Growing Segment
Marks & Spencer says that this initiative has a dual function - offering customers healthy, freshly-prepared food, and improving the in-store experience with 'a touch of theatre'.
"Health, convenience and food on the move are all growing areas of our business and by working with an expert partner we know we can offer our customers the very best," said Andy Adcock, food director at M&S.
This is not the first partnership of its kind. Earlier this week Waitrose announced the launch of its 50th in-store sushi counter, in cooperation with Sushi Daily. In the last six months the retailer has opened more than 20 counters in its stores, and plans to add up to 25 more by January 2018.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.