WM Morrison Supermarkets Plc operates as one of the United Kingdom’s largest supermarket chains, focusing primarily on food and grocery retailing across England, Scotland, and Wales. Founded in 1899 as an egg and butter merchant stall in Bradford’s Rawson Market, the company evolved through generations of family leadership into a major British retailer.
Headquartered in Bradford, United Kingdom, Morrisons engages in fresh food manufacturing, meat processing, grocery retailing, and property development through its subsidiaries. The company offers comprehensive product ranges including both branded and own-label items, emphasizing fresh food production and vertical integration strategies.
Through transformative acquisitions including the landmark 2004 purchase of Safeway’s 479 stores, WM Morrison Supermarkets expanded from northern England regional dominance to nationwide presence. The company continues adapting to competitive pressures through online shopping initiatives, convenience store formats, and store modernization programs targeting contemporary consumer preferences.
Key Stats
WM Morrison Supermarkets History
WM Morrison Supermarkets Founders
WM Morrison Supermarkets Acquisitions
WM Morrison Supermarkets pursued strategic acquisitions to expand geographic coverage and market share, with the transformative 2004 Safeway purchase representing British retail history’s largest integration challenge. The company’s acquisition strategy emphasized nationwide presence and complementary store formats addressing evolving consumer shopping patterns.
The landmark 2004 acquisition of Safeway, owning 479 stores concentrated in Scotland and southern England, transformed Morrisons from northern England regional operator to nationwide retailer. This deal encountered immediate difficulties when outgoing Safeway management changed accounting systems six weeks before completion, triggering profit warnings, poor financial results, and temporary reversion to manual systems.
The subsequent store conversion program represented British retail’s largest transformation, initially focusing on retained freehold properties exceeding 25,000 square feet with dedicated parking. Within weeks, Safeway carrier bags were replaced with Morrisons branding, and own-label products appeared throughout acquired locations demonstrating aggressive integration timelines.
Competition authorities required compulsory divestiture of originally 52 stores, reduced to 50 after fire destroyed one Sunderland location and a Leeds city centre lease ended. John Lewis Partnership’s Waitrose purchased 19 stores, J Sainsbury acquired 14, and Tesco bought 10 in October 2004, fragmenting Safeway’s former estate among competitors.
Morrisons sold 114 smaller Safeway Compact stores to rival Somerfield in a two-part deal worth £260.2 million, reflecting strategic decisions against entering convenience retail segments at that time. The company also divested Northern Ireland Safeway stores to ASDA and sold Channel Islands locations to CI Traders, which maintained Safeway branding until 2011 Waitrose acquisition.
Following the 2009 Co-operative Group takeover of Somerfield, Competition Commission requirements enabled Morrisons to purchase 35 stores from the combined entity, mostly trading under Somerfield fascia. These acquisitions represented Morrisons’ first significant convenience format expansion, targeting over 100 smaller supermarkets positioning stores within 15 minutes of every UK home.
WM Morrison Supermarkets Competitors
WM Morrison Supermarkets competes in Britain’s intensely competitive grocery retail sector against multinational supermarket chains, discount operators, and convenience store formats. The company faces pressure from established big-four rivals, aggressive German discounters, and upmarket grocers targeting diverse consumer segments across price points and shopping occasions.
| Competitor | Type | Market Position |
|---|---|---|
| Tesco | Big Four Supermarket | Market Leader |
| Sainsbury’s | Big Four Supermarket | Second Largest |
| ASDA | Big Four Supermarket | Third Largest |
| Aldi | Discount Supermarket | German Discounter |
| Lidl | Discount Supermarket | German Discounter |
| Waitrose | Premium Supermarket | Upmarket Grocer |
| Co-operative Food | Cooperative Retail | Convenience Focus |
| Iceland | Frozen Food Specialist | Discount Segment |
| Marks & Spencer Food | Premium Food Retail | Quality Focus |
| Ocado | Online Grocer | Digital Only |
WM Morrison Supermarkets Market Capitalization
As a publicly traded company listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1967, WM Morrison Supermarkets maintains market capitalization reflecting its position among Britain’s major grocery retailers. The company’s valuation fluctuates with competitive dynamics, strategic execution, and evolving British food retail market conditions.
WM Morrison Supermarkets Revenue
WM Morrison Supermarkets generates substantial annual revenue through grocery sales, fresh food manufacturing, and ancillary services across hundreds of UK locations. The company’s financial performance reflects competitive positioning in Britain’s grocery sector, consumer spending patterns, and effectiveness of strategic initiatives including online shopping and convenience formats.