Morrisons kicks off web grocery

Supermarket chain Morrisons, which earlier this week revealed a slump in festive sales, has finally launched its online food operation, more than 16 years behind market leader Tesco.

Dalton Philips, chief executive of the UK’s fourth-largest grocer, claimed the service, which launched in the Midlands, would be “the closest thing on the internet to being in a store and selecting food yourself”.

Hindered by its lack of an online food presence, Morrisons saw its like-for-like sales slump by 5.6 per cent in the six weeks to 5 January, with one analyst describing the result as “quite awful”.

The chain has also suffered due to its relatively small estate of 85 convenience stores, but is aiming to have 200 by the end of this year.