Online sales surge 113% at Morrisons

MORRISONS saw online sales jump 113 per cent thanks to surging grocery deliveries in the latest lockdown – and is now hoping for an in-store boom as ‘something approaching normal life’ resumes.

Boss David Potts said there is ‘much to be positive about’ this summer after the UK’s fourth largest supermarket continued to see ‘robust’ like-for-like growth.

Sales in the 14 weeks to May 9 increased by 2.7 per cent overall, including the big online rise.

And the group also enjoyed growth of 21 per cent in its wholesale division, thanks to a new partnership it has formed with McColl’s.

It began supplying products to 230 more of the convenience store chain’s outlets in recent weeks.

Around 1.1 per cent of the like-for-like growth came from the wholesale arm, and the rest from its stores. With fuel sales included, which bosses said were almost back to pre-pandemic levels as motorists returned to the roads, sales were up 5.3 per cent.

Morrisons had to spend an extra £27million to cover for Covid-related staff absences and provide marshals in stores to ensuring social distancing.

But as restrictions ease, Mr Potts said: ‘Our forecourts are getting busier, we are seeing encouraging recent signs of a strong rebound of food-to-go, take-away counters and salad bars, and our popular cafes will soon fully reopen.

‘The nation has a summer of socialising and sport to look forward to and we’ll all be able to rediscover the joys of meeting up and eating well together.’