Morrisons to offer new and improved terms for independent partners

The supermarket giant currently operates around 1,700 Morrisons Daily c-stores, a large proportion of which are owned and operated by independent retailers.

From July, Morrisons has announced that all of its independent retail partners and operaters will have the opportunity to earn up to 6% volume rebate, rising from the prior 1.5% rebate cap.

Morrisons also reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the wholesale prices it offers franchise retailers will always be lower than the prices in its company owned Morrisons Daily c-stores.

Independent partners will also be able to benefit from the full breadth of Morrisons own brand range, including its premium The Best range, as well as offering customers a mix of branded products.

The retailer said it had recently invested heavily in its logistics network and its Swan Valley site, which in turn has led to the creation of a dedicated ambient distribution centre which it said had been “materially enhanced” to serve franchise customers.

Independent c-stores will also be able to begin offering customers the supermarket’s Morrisons More Card loyalty scheme from the summer, as it begins a phased launch.

Director for wholesale convenience Paul Dobson said: “We have made significant strides in recent months to strengthen our Morrisons Daily proposition and set ourselves up for future growth.

“Our new and existing franchise partners are pivotal to our overall success and the team and I have been out and about listening to feedback from them and their customers, seeing first hand what is working well and what we need to improve on.

“We’re excited to implement these enhanced terms for our independent retail partners and confident they will help us meet our ambitious growth plans for our Morrisons Daily estate.”

CEO Rami Baitiéh added that he saw the “potential for hundreds more franchise-owned stores” for Morrisons, as the supermarket looked to expand in the “growing and fragmented convenience market”.