Waitrose: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show
Waitrose Limited's person with significant control on the Companies House register is John Lewis Plc. In the year to January 2026 Waitrose Limited reported turnover of £7,767m.
- In the year to January 2026, Waitrose had turnover of £7,767m, up 6.9% on the year before.
- It made a pre-tax profit of £111m, keeping £1.43 of every £100 of sales.
- It employed an average of 44,900 people, with staff costs of £1,151m.
- Waitrose Limited is controlled by John Lewis Plc, according to the Companies House register.
- These figures are from Waitrose Limited's accounts for the year to January 2026, filed at Companies House on 14 May 2026.
- Registered name
- WAITROSE LIMITED
- Company number
- 00099405
- Status
- Active
- Incorporated
- 3 September 1908
- Registered office area
- Reading
- Industry code on the register
- 47110: Retail trade
- Accounts
- Single company accounts, this company only
- Accounts type
- Full accounts
- Latest accounts
- Year to January 2026, filed 14 May 2026
What does Waitrose do?
Waitrose is a UK supermarket chain selling food, drink and groceries, with a focus on quality and own-label ranges. It sells through its own shops and online grocery delivery. It began in Acton, west London, in 1904 and has been part of the John Lewis Partnership since 1937. Because the Partnership is owned by its employees, Waitrose staff are partners who share in its profits. It runs the myWaitrose loyalty scheme.
In brief: supermarket chain · own shops and online delivery · own-label ranges · employee-owned
Source: Spark Intel editorial, checked 24 September 2026. Official website: waitrose.com.
Who owns Waitrose?
The Companies House register records John Lewis Plc as the person with significant control of Waitrose Limited, company number 00099405. John Lewis Plc is itself company number 00233462.
That places Waitrose Limited inside a larger group. The accounts on this page are the company's own, not the wider group's.
The full ownership record is on the Companies House register. Control is given in the bands the register uses, not as exact shareholdings.
Who runs Waitrose?
The Companies House register lists 3 current officers for Waitrose Limited.
All 3 current officers
| Officer | Appointed |
|---|---|
| Jane Christina Cheong Tung Sing | 1 November 2021 |
| Andrew John Mounsey | 6 September 2024 |
| Jason Mark Tarry | 12 September 2024 |
Every current officer, with appointment dates, is on the Companies House register.
What did Waitrose file?
Waitrose Limited reported turnover of £7,767m in the year to January 2026. That was up 6.9% on £7,267m the year before.
It reported 44,900 employees.
It filed a pre-tax profit of £111m for the year, against a pre-tax profit of £138m the year before.
Staff costs came to £1,151m. That is an average of £26,000 a head. It ended the year with £71m at the bank and net assets of £718m.
| Measure | Jan 2026 | Jan 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £7,767m | £7,267m |
| Pre-tax profit | £111m (filed) | £138m (filed) |
| Employees | 44,900 | n/d |
| Staff costs | £1,151m | |
| Average staff cost per head | £26,000 | |
| Bank and cash | £71m | £67m |
| Net assets | £718m | £645m |
| Interest paid | £83m |
Read the accounts to January 2026 (PDF, Companies House) · every accounts filing
What do these figures mean? Turnover vs profit · Profit per £100 · Cash vs profit · Net assets
Are there any charges against Waitrose?
Waitrose Limited has registered 3 charges at Companies House, of which 3 are still outstanding. A charge is security a lender takes over a company's assets; one is satisfied when the lending behind it is repaid or released.
All 3 outstanding charges
| Charge holder | Created |
|---|---|
| Rmig Endowment Trust | 1 June 2006 |
| Chl Cache Holdings Limited | 19 May 1998 |
| Chartwell Land Development Limited | 27 July 1995 |
Each charge, with its holder and dates, is on the Companies House register.
How Waitrose compares
Of the 10 supermarkets, Waitrose is 7th on turnover, 5th on profit margin and 3rd on growth. Tesco keeps the most of every £100 of sales: £3.26.
| Rank | Supermarkets | Turnover | Profit per £100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tesco | £73,712m | £3.26 |
| 7th | Waitrose | £7,767m | £1.43 |
| + 8 more supermarkets ranked |
Ranked by turnover. Profit per £100 is pre-tax profit for every £100 of turnover, shown only where the profit is filed.
Waitrose files as Waitrose Limited, whose person with significant control is John Lewis Plc, with turnover of £7,767m in its latest filed year.
Questions about Waitrose
What does Waitrose do?
Waitrose is a UK supermarket chain selling food, drink and groceries, with a focus on quality and own-label ranges. It sells through its own shops and online grocery delivery. It began in Acton, west London, in 1904 and has been part of the John Lewis Partnership since 1937. Because the Partnership is owned by its employees, Waitrose staff are partners who share in its profits. It runs the myWaitrose loyalty scheme.
Is Waitrose bigger than M&S?
No, by turnover. Waitrose reported £7,767m in its latest accounts, against £17,274m at M&S. Our M&S v Waitrose page compares the two on profit, margin, growth and staff. M&S v Waitrose →
Is Waitrose bigger than Ocado?
Yes, by turnover. Waitrose reported £7,767m in its latest accounts, against £3,193m at Ocado. Our Ocado v Waitrose page compares the two on profit, margin, growth and staff. Ocado v Waitrose →
How does Waitrose compare with its rivals?
By turnover, Waitrose is 7th of the 10 companies in our battle of the supermarkets, behind Tesco. The battle ranks them on turnover, pre-tax profit, margin, growth and net assets. The battle of the supermarkets →
Who owns Waitrose?
The Companies House register records John Lewis Plc as the person with significant control of Waitrose Limited.
How much does Waitrose make?
Waitrose Limited reported turnover of £7,767m in the year to January 2026. It filed a pre-tax profit of £111m.
How many people work at Waitrose?
Waitrose Limited reported 44,900 employees in the year to January 2026.
Who runs Waitrose?
The Companies House register lists 3 current officers for Waitrose Limited. The full list, with appointment dates, is on the Companies House register.
- Figures come from Waitrose Limited's filings at Companies House, company number 00099405, for the period shown at the top of the page.
- These are single company accounts: they cover this company alone, not any wider group.
- Pre-tax profit is the figure the company filed, for both years.
- A figure the filing does not disclose is shown as n/d. A zero in the filing is treated as not disclosed, never as nil.
- Rounding: below £0.1m in thousands, from £0.1m to £2m to one decimal place, from £2m to the nearest million.
- Ownership is shown in the control bands the register of people with significant control uses, not as exact shareholdings.
- Officers' names and appointment dates come from the Companies House register. Job titles come from the company's own website. The description of what the company does comes from its website, or is marked Spark Intel editorial where it is written from stable, checked facts, with the date either way.
Spark Intel, “Waitrose: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show”, updated 6 November 2026. https://www.spark-intel.co.uk/companies/waitrose/. Figures from Companies House filings for WAITROSE LIMITED (00099405).
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