Morrison Supermarkets PLC

More than 20,000 different products are displayed in Morrisons stores. As well as many favourite top brand names, there is an extensive own label range. Morrisons own brand products offer quality and value across the whole weekly shop. Around 55% of the volume of all products sold is Morrisons’ own brand.

Morrisons manage almost every aspect of commercial operation in-house. Farmers Boy, is Morrisons own purpose built fresh food factory, producing pizzas, pies, cooked meats and sausages, as well as packing cheese and bacon.

W Morrison Produce Limited buys, packs and distributes all the fruit and vegetables sold in their stores. Fresh produce is delivered into their temperature-controlled warehouses and packing plants in Cheshire and Yorkshire, for onward dispatch to Morrisons stores nationwide.

William Morrison, father of current chairman, Ken Morrison, founded the company in 1899. Ken Morrison was awarded a Knighthood in the 2000 New Year's Honours List, for services to food retailing.

From its origins as an egg and butter merchant in Bradford, West Yorkshire, Morrisons developed into market stalls and on to counter service. Progress was such that in 1958, a small town centre shop was opened.

In the 1960s, Morrisons was at the forefront of supermarket development, opening its first store, "Victoria", in Bradford in 1961. In 1967, Morrisons became a public company and was more than 174 times over-subscribed as over 80,000 investors tried to purchase shares.

Morrisons has since achieved a 35 year unbroken track record of sales and profit growth and in April 2001 joined the FTSE 100 for the first time. Morrisons philosophy is to offer outstanding value for money, unbeatable customer service and a pleasant shopping experience.

Morrisons are renowned for "no nonsense" approach to retailing, shunning hype and gimmicks in favour of plain selling. Morrisons are consistent and reliable in offering honest good value. It is "Morrisons Mission" to always deliver "The Very Best For Less".

There are 123 Morrisons supermarkets - from Erith in the South to Carlisle in the North, and across, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, East Anglia, the Midlands, Lancashire, Cheshire, and into Wales. 102 Morrisons sites have petrol filling stations and 110 Morrisons stores have customer cafés serving hot meals and snacks.

Morrisons is the country's fifth largest supermarket chain, with an annual turnover of over £3.9 billion. Over 3.25 million customers shop with Morrisons each week. Morrisons has a 5.9% share in the UK's grocery market and is Britain's fastest growing supermarket chain.

Morrisons aims to provide all their customers with the very best value for money on their weekly shopping, wherever they live. Uniquely, they have always charged the same prices in every one of their stores.

Morrisons have over 46,000 employees working in stores, distribution centres and head office support functions.

Source www.morrisons.plc.uk