About Us
Strategy Company History Board Members' Biographies Pension Scheme Anti Corruption Property Group Tax Strategy Hong Kong Office Whistleblowing Statement Injunction
Investor Portal
Investor Portal Login
Sustainability
Energy & Climate Packaging, Waste & Water Diversity, People & Communities Sustainable Sourcing Healthy & Sustainable Diets Governance And Reporting
Media Centre
Corporate News News Archive
Suppliers
Supplying Morrisons Supplier Information GSCOP - Contact details and information for suppliers
Financial Archive
Annual Report Financial Reports Shareholder Information Presentations Investor Contacts
home Media Centre chevron_right Corporate News chevron_right Morrisons announces opening of first convenience store expand_more

News Morrisons announces opening of first convenience store

Published:08 July 2011

Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc (“Morrisons”) today announces that its first convenience store opened in Ilkley, Yorkshire at 1pm today.  The store, branded M-local, is the first of a three store trial to evaluate and refine Morrisons convenience offer.  A further two M-locals will be opened during the remainder of 2011.

Morrisons is known for excellence in fresh food and intends to make fresh food front and centre of its convenience offer, leveraging both our vertically integrated model and our skilled bakers, fishmongers and butchers to produce an offer that stands out. 

The key aspects of M-local are:

  • - More emphasis on fresh food:  A minimum 100 lines of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as strong presence for fresh meat, fish and bakery
  • - Skilled craftsmen and women: Most of the fresh food, including meat, fish and bread will be prepared by skilled craftsmen and women in local full-format Morrisons stores
  • - A new approach to fresh food pricing:  Unlike other convenience stores, there is no price premium on fresh products.   Our research indicates that M-local fresh products will be 4-11% cheaper than other convenience stores
  • - Ensuring Freshness all day long: Produce will move more quickly from preparation to sale than in other convenience stores because it will be prepared little and often at a nearby full format store

The first M-local convenience store is just under 3,000 sq ft and is a former college building that has been recently refitted. There will be new fresh products in the store such as freshly ground coffee, fresh orange juice, baked goods, and a salad bar.

Dalton Philips, Chief Executive of Morrisons, said:

 “Convenience is one of the fastest growing sectors of the market and developing our offer in this channel is a key part of our growth strategy.  We believe that convenient food doesn’t have to mean dull food.  The M-local offer will be different:  a greater emphasis on fresh food and, critically, the same competitive prices for fresh food in M-local as in Morrisons will really set us apart from the competition.  I’m confident that customers will find the M-local offer compelling and different and I look forward to hearing their feedback. “

Published 08/07/2011