Morrisons, the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket group, is set to open its first convenience store tomorrow in the Yorkshire town of Ilkley.
The new ‘M local’-branded outlet is the first of three that will trial the Bradford-based retailer’s convenience store format, which aims to offer local shoppers a quick and easy way of buying fresh food and other groceries from 6am until 11pm.
Morrisons chose Ilkley, one of Yorkshire’s most affluent areas, as the location of its first mini food store in order to test the concept with a smaller, wealthier audience than it usually attracts.
The convenience store, which has created 15 full and part-time jobs, will sell many of the group’s premium ranges including ‘The Best’ top tier range, and will be frequently stocked with deliveries from Morrisons’ larger, nearby supermarkets .
Miles Foster, area manager for Morrisons, said: “With our store at Ilkley we set ourselves the challenge of creating a convenience store that also offers great fresh food .”
“We believe that this store will serve families who are cooking from scratch, as well as people who want a meal that they can make in a hurry.”
Morrisons spokesman, Julian Bayley, added: “A lot of convenience stores have a very poor proposition where you will see some dusty old tomatoes priced more expensively than the full format stores. We will have a much better quality offer and much better value.”
Source : Supermarket.co.uk
