Booths Supermarket

Overview

Booths is a family-owned chain of high-end supermarkets operating 26-27 stores primarily in Lancashire, with additional locations in Yorkshire, Cumbria, Cheshire, and Greater Manchester. It specializes in locally and seasonally sourced groceries, fresh foods, wines, craft beer, and in-store cafés, positioning itself as a premium regional retailer often compared to Waitrose in the North. The company emphasizes customer service, community engagement, and employee welfare, including profit-sharing and share ownership schemes.

History

Founded in 1847 by Edwin Henry Booth as a tea shop in Blackpool, the business expanded under family leadership into multiple stores with cafés by the early 1900s and introduced employee bonus and share schemes. It transitioned to self-service in 1962 while retaining personal service, redeveloped stores in the mid-20th century, and doubled in size between 1990 and 2000. In 2005, it opened a central warehouse in Longridge, Preston, to support its own-label products.

Product Lines

Manufacturing

Booths produces its own-label range at its central warehouse and distribution centre in Longridge, Preston, handling manufacture and wholesaling in-house. It sources many products locally from regional suppliers and producers.

Notable Products

• Fair Milk - Own-label milk paying farmers above-market farm gate prices averaging 34.4 pence per litre.
• Booths Own-Label Products - Range recognized nationally for superior taste and quality.
• Local Specialties (e.g., Bells of Lazonby breads) - Regionally sourced breads and produce featured in stores.
• In-Store Roasted Coffee - Freshly roasted daily by long-term staff.

Reputation

Booths is regarded as one of the UK's leading regional supermarkets, praised for quality, local sourcing, and exceptional customer service, earning titles like 'Waitrose of the North' and rankings among top global food retailers. Professionals highlight its family ownership, employee-focused policies, and community ties as strengths. Some note its smaller scale limits national presence compared to larger chains.