Morrisons is to invite customers to join its management meetings as the supermarket attempts to “start a new chapter” and return to “peak form”.
CEO Rami Baitiéh, who joined the grocer last November will unveil his full transformation plan in March, reported The Guardian.
The news follows the supermarket’s profits jumping 6.5% as it hit its sixth consecutive quarter of like-for-like sales growth, with Baitiéh adding that “listening to customers and colleagues will show us the way”.
“We are developing plans to reinvigorate, refresh and strengthen Morrisons and to start a new chapter.
“Since the pandemic, Morrisons has not been on peak form. Our market share has slipped slowly and consistently and [underlying] sales have been below the pack for a while.”
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Among other initiatives revealed by the former head of France’s Carrefour chain, a customer panel was proposed, designed to encourage shoppers back to the supermarket.
Baitiéh said that customers giving their views and opinions would be heard by management and executives.
Store managers would also have more voice in this new regime, with monthly shopper roundtables held once a month to get greater insight from the shop floor. Particularly “challenged” branches would host meetings every week.
The supermarket boss said while there was “work to do”, he was “confident that Morrisons has the people, the talent, the assets and the desire to chart a bright future in UK grocery”.
“We are beginning to have a new mindset in the company, a high-performance culture.”
Baitiéh’s comments follow a difficult year for the grocer, which has been struggling since its £7bn acquisition by US private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in 2021, and was overtaken by discounter Aldi as the UK’s fourth largest grocer in 2022.
Earlier this week, the retailer sold 337 of its petrol forecourts to MFG in a £2.5bn deal that the CEO said would allow Morrisons “a greater focus on its core food business”.
