Morrisons opens new store in major UK city – first day was May 29 | UK | News
A new Morrisons Daily store opened in a major UK city last month, with familiar faces in the local community taking the helm. A Facebook post by Morrisons Daily Franchise, which shares updates about smaller Morrisons convenience branches run as franchises, announced on May 29 that Morrisons Daily King Street in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, is now open.
It added that the store is being run by Sarj and Kindy, “who have been serving the Fenton community since 1988”. The couple recently closed a shop they and their family have been running for decades and opened the Morrisons Daily franchise on 351 King Street. In a post on the new branch’s Facebook page ahead of the opening, they wrote: “This business has always meant more to us than just a shop. “It’s where our family grew up, where friendships were built and where generations of local families have walked through our doors.
“Through good times and difficult times, this community has supported us in ways we’ll never forget, especially during COVID, when the kindness and support shown to our family was truly overwhelming.
They added that while they’ve moved, “one thing hasn’t changed, the people behind the counter”. “Thank you for supporting our family for almost 40 years,” the family said. “We can’t wait to welcome you all into our new home.”
In addition to their estate of supermarkets, Morrisons has 1,600 Morrisons Daily convenience stores, around 600 of which are franchise stores that allow people or businesses to sell goods or services using the brand name, by providing them with a licence.
It comes as the supermarket giant recently revealed plans to pull down the shutters on dozens of the Morrisons Daily branches, which were originally taken on as part of a £190million rescue deal for McColl’s in 2022.
However, the chain stressed that the move affected company-owned convenience stores, but not its franchised stores (like the new King Street branch) a part of the business that is continuing to expand, as per The York Press.
Around 100 are expected to close permanently, with Morrisons saying they have been loss-making for some time despite efforts to boost trading.
Morrisons said the circumstances of the stores had been worsened by “significant cost increases resulting from Government policy choices”, including the national living wage increases and the hike in employer National Insurance contributions.
A HM Treasury spokesperson said: “We have the right economic plan – reforming business rates, with a £4.3bn support package to limit bills rises, capping Corporation Tax at 25%, cutting red tape and taking action on the cost of living to boost the sector.”
