Morrisons has set up a new recruitment strategy for 2026 as it seeks to onboard more retailers to its Daily franchise.
It has been initiated by head of wholesale, strategic projects and acquisitions Victoria Lockie, who has been in post since May.
She said it was about being selective in the quality of retailers who could “protect the Morrisons brand”, while focusing on internal processes that could help them “transition at pace”.
“It’s about quality, not quantity,” said Lockie. “A key part of our strategy is ensuring we are targeting the right retailers to join the Morrisons Daily family. 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.
“Our recruitment strategy needs to ensure potential sites have the right store space to showcase our offer to its full potential and are in the right location to drive an outstanding, consistent proposition.”
Lockie explained the business had a “strong and exciting pipeline” of retailers set to join Morrisons Daily, including a number of stores that had the capacity to push larger volumes.
She added that Morrisons’ data team had refined the recruitment strategy using in-depth analysis and insight to understand the needs of different store locations and demographics. “It’s not about one size fits all,” she added.
Lockie has also been spending time listening to existing and prospective retailers to understand what they’re looking for and how the business proposition can be improved, including in processing and branding. “It’s a collaborative approach,” she said.
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 has been delayed to next year.
“I’m 38 years into this industry, I feel like its in my DNA now,” said Lockie. “I’ve utilised that extensive experience in the sector and enabled Morrisons to strike new partnerships and bring Daily stores to more consumers nationally.”
Lockie highlighted the importance of addressing the challenges retailers were facing, including rises in operating costs, store crime, and unregulated tobacco shops selling illegal vapes and tobacco.
“All of these things create a challenging impact on their margins, so it’s really important that we support and work with the likes of governing bodies to try and and move that forward,” she added.
“But by having a brand that’s 125 years old, it helps retailers mitigate some of that,” she said. “Because it’s a trusted brand, with competitive pricing and strong own label, which is so important in today’s market.”
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