Morrisons is laying the groundwork for a major recruitment drive for convenience stores across the south of England.
In moves first reported by The Telegraph, the supermarket is planning to open 250 more Morrisons Daily sites next year by offering convenience retailers the chance to convert to the franchise model.
It will allow the supermarket to expand into parts of the country where it is under-represented without having to heavily invest on store refits, according to the newspaper.
Morrisons would not expand on how the recruitment strategy would work operationally, or the types of convenience stores it was targeting, due to commercial sensitivity.
It said, however, that it would be pitching the strength of its own label and loyalty scheme to independent retailers in the hopes of luring them over.
“Morrisons has an incredible heritage with over 125 years of shopkeeping expertise,” said a Morrisons spokeswoman. “The Morrisons brand has a hugely positive impact on a new store which mustn’t be underestimated.
“We pride ourselves on the compelling own-brand range we offer franchises, driving quality and value to their customers, particularly in fresh categories like food to go. This coupled with an extensive branded range provides franchisees with adequate breadth and depth of range to drive an outstanding, consistent proposition.
“We also have a strategic partnership with Myton Food Group, packing and processing fresh meats and fish, savoury and sweet pies, fruit and veg, flower bouquets, bread and more across 18 sites. Our unique relationship means we’re proud to be British farming’s single biggest direct customer.”
Morrisons recently gave Daily franchisees access to its More Card loyalty scheme, meaning More Card members can now earn points on their purchases when shopping at their local Morrisons Daily convenience store.
“The Morrisons More Card is also a great USP for us,” the spokeswoman continued. “Morrisons independent retailers are the first in the sector to have access to a supermarket loyalty scheme and we know customers are really enjoying earning More Card points in their local Morrisons Daily franchise store.”
There are currently 1,700 Morrisons Daily convenience stores, including 700 that are run by franchisees. Morrisons had initially planned to open its 2,000th Morrisons Daily store by the end of 2025, but this target had been delayed to next year.
The latest recruitment drive for the south will put it on the right trajectory to meet its growth targets, Morrisons said.
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