Morrisons to invest £30m in staff and customer store improvements

As the supermarket price wars rage on between the UK’s ‘big four’, Morrisons has made a major move in the form of a £30m investment to improve its stores for customers and staff.

The Bradford-headquartered supermarket will now provide discounted coffee, free Wi-Fi and more comfortable rest areas for store employees, according to The Guardian.

Morrisons, which recently announced the closure of seven supermarkets across the UK, will create separates resting areas alongside dining rooms for employees to take a break and charge their mobile phones.

This significant investment follows on from a consultation regarding any improvement that could be made for customers as well as staff. 100 staff areas are expected to be constructed this year and all stores will include new resting areas within the next four years.

The move comes just one month after Morrisons revealed its plans to close seven supermarkets across the country, putting almost 700 jobs at risk.

Among the seven stores closing is the only Morrisons store in the centre of Bradford. The closure of the supermarket in Bradford’s Westgate will result in the loss of more than 80 jobs.

However, this investment was also announced before Morrisons is set to increase the wage of 90,000 shop floor staff to £8.20 per hour. This is above the government’s £7.20 compulsory “national living wage” and will be introduced next month.

David Potts, chief executive of Morrisons, previously said: “We have been listening to our colleagues who told us they want their pay to be more competitive and simpler. By paying a significantly higher hourly rate, we are recognising the contribution of our excellent staff, who are so important to the revival of Morrisons.”