Waitrose has acquired six stores and a regional distribution centre from Morrisons.

The shops will be converted into Waitrose stores by mid November. In four areas, Southport, Westbourne, Lymington and Southampton, the new shops will replace existing Waitrose stores. All Waitrose staff will be offered the chance to relocate to the new branch.

Steven Esom, managing director of Waitrose, said: ?Our strategy is to build a strong business with nationwide reach by consolidating our position where we are already well established and by expanding into new areas. Last month we opened our first stores in Scotland and today's announcement gives us a better and deeper trading position in the traditional Waitrose heartland.?

The new shops are located in Hexham, Northumberland; Eastbourne, East Sussex; Formby, Merseyside; Parkstone, Poole, Dorset; Lymington, Hampshire and Portswood in Southampton, Hampshire. The 600,000sq ft distribution centre is in Aylesford, Kent.

With a new shop opening in Bloomsbury, London later this month, the acquisition will bring the total number of Waitrose food shops to 182.