Latest news with #RamiBaitiéh
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Morrisons shoppers are fuming about cafe menu change that's a ‘rip-off'
We reveal some other major changes that have happened at Morrisons this year ALL CHANGE Morrisons shoppers are fuming about cafe menu change that's a 'rip-off' MORRISONS shoppers have been left fuming over a "rip-off" cafe menu change. The supermarket has launched a new limited edition Birds Eye Chicken Shop menu which is available until July 20. Advertisement 1 Morrisons has launched a new limited-edition Birds Eye menu Shoppers can choose from three options including a Chicken Shop Ultimate Burger plate, which comes with an Ultimate Fillet chicken burger, chips, baked beans and drink for £8. There is also a similar option with Salt and Pepper Chicken Goujons instead for £8. Customers can double up the Chicken Goujons plate which comes with a pot of gravy as well for £15. The new limited edition options qualify for the Kids Eat Free deal, offering families a free kids menu meal with any one adult meal priced at £4.50 or over. Advertisement However, the menu shake-up has been slammed by shoppers who have branded it overpriced. Shoppers can buy two-packs of the Ultimate Fillet burgers on Morrisons' website for £4 - equivalent to £2 per patty. Meanwhile, the Salt and Pepper Chicken Goujons cost £4 when bought online. One shopper said on Facebook: "So you take from the shop floor and charge double in (the) restaurant." Advertisement Another joked: "Is that Birds Eye being flogged in the cafe at KFC prices." Meanwhile a third added: "Surely it's cheaper to buy the frozen chicken bits and cook them at home." Savvy ways to save at Morrisons Some shoppers are more understanding of the new menu prices though. One commented: "Yeah it's a rip-off but I suppose if you've got two kids who eat for free it makes it slightly better.." Advertisement Another chipped in: "Fiver for meal and £3 for drink is really good price don't know why people are complaining." A Morrisons spokesperson said its new Chicken Shop menu was a "great value meal that doesn't compromise on quality or flavour". They added: "With our ongoing Kids Eat Free deal, when purchasing one adult meal, a family of four can dine for as little as £15." OTHER MORRISONS NEWS It comes after a major cafe shake-up at Morrisons stores, with the retailer shutting 52. Advertisement Morrisons confirmed it would close the cafes in March, alongside 17 stores, 18 Market Kitchens, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters and four pharmacies. The 17 Daily convenience stores, located across the UK, closed in April and May. Post Office branches inside Daily stores were also forced to shut down between April 9 and May 14. Branches in Birmingham, Poole, Bath and Croydon, as well as Whickham, Brentwood and Kilmarnock shut over the roughly four week period. Advertisement Chief executive Rami Baitiéh said the closures would "reinvigorate" the company and allow money to be invested in other areas. He added: "In most locations the Morrisons Café has a bright future, but a minority have specific local challenges and in those locations, regrettably, closure and re-allocation of the space is the only sensible option." Morrisons has also quietly hiked menu prices in its cafes recently, with increases of up to 6.25%. The most up to date menu, published in October 2024, shows the price of its Ultimate Breakfast fry-up has increased from £8 to £8.50. Advertisement Full list of Morrisons Cafe closures Bradford Thornbury Paisley Falside Rd London Queensbury Portsmouth Great Park Banchory North Deeside Rd Failsworth Poplar Street Blackburn Railway Road Leeds Swinnow Rd London Wood Green Kirkham Poulton St Lutterworth Bitteswell Rd Stirchley Leeds Horsforth London Erith Crowborough Bellshill John St Dumbarton Glasgow Rd East Kilbride Lindsayfield East Kilbride Stewartfield Glasgow Newlands Largs Irvine Rd Troon Academy St Wishaw Kirk Rd Newcastle UT Cowgate Northampton Kettering Road Bromsgrove Buntsford Ind Pk Solihull Warwick Rd Brecon Free St Caernarfon North Rd Hadleigh London - Harrow - Hatch End High Wycombe Temple End Leighton Buzzard Lake St London Stratford Sidcup Westwood Lane Welwyn Garden City Black Fan Rd Warminster Weymouth St Oxted Station Yard Reigate Bell St Borehamwood Weybridge - Monument Hill Bathgate Erskine Bridgewater SC Gorleston Blackwell Road Connah's Quay Mansfield Woodhouse Elland Gloucester - Metz Way Watford - Ascot Road Littlehampton - Wick Helensburgh Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Metro
25-06-2025
- Business
- Metro
Morrisons is making a 'modern' change to Market Street after 40 years
Market Street has been a staple in Morrisons supermarkets since the concept was first introduced in 1985. The aim is to give the stores a 'market feel', with stalls offering different products like meat, fish and deli items. These are run by expert butchers and fishmongers who are on hand to provide advice, cut and weigh items and package them up. However, in recent months Morrisons has made several big changes to its supermarkets, including closing 35 meat and 35 fish counters, in addition to the loss of 13 florists, four pharmacies and 52 cafés. And the changes look set to keep on coming as the retailer works to 'modernise' Market Street, with the most recent one being a switch in the way the meat selection is cut and displayed on the counters. Instead of bigger joints and cuts of meat on display in the butchery counter at Morrisons, the meat will be cut each morning to pre-packaged sizes, so shoppers can help themselves to what they want. If a customer is keen for something of a different size, butchers are still able to cut meat there and then on request. However, it's worth noting that there will also be a 'slight' reduction in the hours butchers are working, so they might not be around all day long. A spokesperson for Morrisons said: 'Our customers can still enjoy traditional meat counter products, which our butchers can cut to size and help with what they may need. 'Alongside this, we are moving at pace with the modernisation of Market Street as part of our Morrisons Magic programme, and following successful trials, we've begun to roll out flatbeds in our butchery departments. These showcase the same range, with the freshness and quality that Market Street is renowned for but with a more modern and contemporary look. 'They offer both the convenience of self-service for customers that prefer it and the traditional individual service from an in-store butcher.' They added that customer reaction to the change has been 'very positive' so far. In March, Morrisons revealed there were a 'number' of areas where the cost of operations are 'significantly out of line with usage, volumes or the value that customers place on them'. So they proposed changes, including the aforementioned closures of various services. Rami Baitiéh, Chief Executive of Morrisons said changes were 'necessary' to 'renew and reinvigorate' the retailer. He added: 'Market Street is a beacon of differentiation for Morrisons and we remain committed to it. But as we modernise we are making some necessary changes to the areas of the model which are simply uneconomic. In some stores where we are closing counters or Cafés, we plan to work with third parties to provide a relevant specialist offer. More Trending 'Although these changes are relatively small in the context of the overall scale of the Morrisons business, we do not take lightly the disruption and uncertainty they will cause to some of our colleagues. We will of course take particular care to look after all of them well through the coming changes.' When it comes to Market Street, the retailer has an initiative, known internally as 'Morrisons Magic' and according to Freshtalk Daily, it involves refreshing the Market Street areas and offering more ready-to-cook options like foil trays of marinated and breaded fish or meat, alongside deli selections. There will also be a number of promotions running on Market Street counters. Currently, More Card holders are being offered a 10% discount on products from the butchers, fishmongers, bakery, deli, salad bar, cake shop, oven fresh section and pie shop. View More » This offer is available every Monday throughout the summer and will be automatically applied at the checkout. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: I tried M&S' new Punishment Juice — this cheeky product could backfire MORE: All the food and drink banned on EasyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 and TUI flights MORE: Eating dinner after 9pm is just plain wrong (unless you're drunk) Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
Telegraph
22-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Morrisons orders head office staff to work full time
Morrisons has ordered staff working in its head office back to their desks five days a week as the supermarket battles to revive its fortunes. The supermarket is understood to have told its employees based at its headquarters in Bradford that they must work a full five-day week after abandoning a policy which allowed staff to work compressed hours. Previously, staff were required to work 37.5 hours over four and a half days under a flexible working week pilot which the supermarket kicked off in 2020. The decision to revert back to five day weeks, which came into force this month, comes as bosses step up a drive to reinvigorate the supermarket as it loses customers to rivals including Aldi. Rami Baitiéh, who took over as Morrisons chief executive in late 2023, has been spearheading a turnaround effort. Last week, the supermarket said sales grew 4.2pc to £3.9bn in the 13 weeks to April 27, versus a year earlier. Mr Baitiéh said the figures showed it had 'bounced back strongly' after cyber issues in November. However, data from Kantar showed Morrisons' share of the grocery market dipped to 8.4pc in May compared to 8.6pc a year earlier. The head office changes are expected to help Morrisons cope with mounting competition from rivals as they step up a price war. Both Asda and Tesco have said they are expecting profits to take a hit this year as they invest heavily on price cuts. A spokesman for Morrisons said the head office changes would improve customer service and make sure its shelves are better stocked in stores. They added: 'In the context of a relentlessly competitive UK grocery market and widespread increased cost pressures, we have taken the difficult decision to ask our head office colleagues to move their working pattern from 4.5 days to a full five day week.' Staff will still be allowed to work both from home and the office during the week, and individuals may be able to work flexibly if they need to do so. It marks the latest shake-up of Morrisons' office working policy. In 2020, the supermarket introduced a four-day working week for head office workers, saying the change would 'make Morrisons a place where more people will want to join and stay'. Under the scheme, head office workers were asked to work on Saturdays once every four weeks. However, last year, Morrisons said it was changing its requirements following complaints from staff over having to work over the weekend. As part of the update, head office staff switched to a four and a half day week and were not asked to work any Saturdays. Morrisons' rivals have also scaled back flexible working policies since the pandemic. Last year, Asda scrapped its pilot after managers said a 44-hour week over four days trial left them exhausted. Domestic & General, a household appliance specialist employing 3,000 people, said it had received similar feedback from staff following a test of a four-day week. However, a four-day working week policy has received support from some in the Government, with Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, previously saying: 'If you can deliver within a four-day working week, then why not?' The Government later said this would not be part of its policy plans. Meanwhile, last year, the UK's first medical trial of a four-day working week suggested that there could be benefits to compressing hours. In the study, conducted by the University of Sussex, the policy was found to make employees happier and healthier. However, the company involved in the trial, Thrive, opted against adopting a four-day week full-time after its business suffered. The study found that the policy created some problems 'at a business level, particularly when it came to providing customer service'.
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Morrisons has 'bounced back' from cyber attack, says boss
The chief executive of supermarket chain Morrisons has hailed the group's recovery from a cyber-attack. Rami Baitiéh said the grocery firm had 'bounced back strongly' since its technology provider, Blue Yonder, suffered a ransomware incident last November. Morrisons constructed a new warehouse management system to maintain its stock levels after the hack badly disrupted its operations. Its like-for-like revenue growth subsequently slowed to just 2.1 per cent in the quarter ending 26 January, compared to 4.9 per cent over the prior three months. However, the Bradford-based retailer reported that its comparable turnover increased by 3.9 per cent in the 13 weeks ending 27 April, while total sales expanded by 4.2 per cent to £3.9billion. Morrisons also revealed that its first-half underlying earnings before nasties climbed by 7.2 per cent to £344million. The group, which is owned by US private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, opened 42 franchise sites during the period, taking the overall number of Morrisons Daily convenience outlets to above 1,700. Alongside this, it began trials of several in-store schemes, introducing a new World Foods offer and a revamped fresh food counter concept, Market Street, that more closely resembles a farm shop. Baitiéh said: 'Against the backdrop of a challenging macro environment, with inflation driving subdued consumer sentiment, value remains at the forefront of customers' minds. 'Throughout the first half, we've worked hard on helping customers through these challenges with a rigorous focus on price, promotions and meaningful rewards for loyalty.' Morrisons further announced that it had raised its cost savings target to £1billion after surpassing its initial £700million goal during the last quarter. The company unveiled the original cost-cutting target two years ago to help finance price reductions for consumers struggling with inflationary pressures, caused mainly by soaring energy bills and supply chain disruptions. As part of these plans, Morrisons declared its intention in March to shut over 50 cafes, four pharmacies, multiple convenience stores and florists, and dozens of counters serving meat, fish, or hot food. About 365 jobs are at risk of permanent redundancy due to the closures, with the majority of those affected working in the convenience stores. Morrisons exited the convenience market in 2015 after selling its M local sites, but returned to the sector just months later with the launch of its Morrisons Daily brand. It currently holds an 8.4 per cent share of the UK grocery market, according to recent data from market research organisation Kantar.
Times
19-06-2025
- Business
- Times
Morrisons sales bounce back after cyberattack
Morrisons has hailed a bounce back in quarterly sales after a cyberattack disrupted trading earlier this year. The UK's fifth-largest supermarket, owned by the US private equity company Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, said like-for-like sales rose 3.9 per cent in the second quarter. That marks an improvement from 2.1 per cent growth in the previous quarter, when a ransomware attack at its supply chain software provider Blue Yonder severely disrupted product availability and forced price cuts across some lines. Total sales rose 4.2 per cent to £3.9 billion in the three months to early June and underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) climbed 7.2 per cent to £344 million for the first half of its financial year. The company does not disclose pre-tax profits. Rami Baitiéh, who joined Morrisons in 2023 with a mandate to revitalise the business, said the supermarket had 'bounced back strongly' from the cyberattack despite operating in a 'challenging macro environment'. Morrisons, which has about 500 supermarkets and some convenience stores, has struggled since it was bought by Clayton Dubilier & Rice in 2021 in a deal that added £6.6 billion of debt to its balance sheet. Since his arrival in 2023, Baitiéh has focused on improving in-store execution, simplifying product ranges, enhancing fresh food displays and refreshing Morrisons' shop environment to improve customer perception. 'Value remains at the forefront of customers' minds,' he said. 'Throughout the first half we've worked hard on helping customers through these challenges with a rigorous focus on price, promotions and meaningful rewards for loyalty.' Morrisons' More Card loyalty scheme has been a key part of this strategy, offering deeper discounts and personalised offers to attract price-sensitive shoppers amid high food inflation and dampened consumer sentiment. The supermarket also said that it had made strong progress on trials in its branches aimed at enhancing the shopping experience. These include a revamped 'market street' area with farm shop-style merchandising and a more curated range of added-value products, alongside a new world foods section designed to improve the appeal to diverse customer bases. Early customer feedback had been very positive, the company said. It is ramping up its presence in the convenience sector and opened 42 new franchise-owned Morrisons Daily shops in the quarter. That brings the total number of convenience sites to more than 1,700, an increase of 120 year-on-year, and further expansion is planned. Jo Goff, chief financial officer, noted 'broad-based progress' across the business. Cost savings are also on track, according to the company: it said that £58 million had been made in the quarter and more than £700 million had been achieved to date. The supermarket raised its cost-saving target to £1 billion by the end of 2026. To sharpen its retail operations, Morrisons said it had signed a new partnership with a global analytics provider to mine commercial insights from its data. The aim is to improve pricing, promotions and range decisions at a time when competition among grocers remains intense.
