Life isn't getting any easier for WM Morrison (MRW). The supermarket chain saw like-for-like sales, excluding fuel and VAT, fall 2.4 per cent in the third quarter, despite weak comparatives, blaming weak consumer confidence, heavy promotional activity and a lack of exposure to online and convenience for the poor performance.
But chief executive Dalton Philips says all this will change as the company enters these markets. An online offering through Ocado will begin deliveries across Warwickshire in January and will cover 50 per cent of UK homes, including London, by the end of 2014. A further 36 M Local convenience stores were added in the quarter, bringing the total to 69, of which half are in London and the South East. Morrisons expects to have 100 such shops running by the end of the year.
