British supermarket chain Morrisons has announced plans to digitise its store operations and communication with a new mobile platform.
The grocery chain has partnered with technology provider YOOBIC for the nationwide rollout.
The move will see all of its stores digitised through the all-in-one mobile platform, with plans to streamline task execution and improve real-time communication for frontline teams.
The new platform is set to play a central role in the supermarket’s drive for operational efficiency across its store network.
“Morrisons is a household name in UK retail, and we are honoured to support their journey toward a more efficient, connected, agile, and empowered frontline workforce,” said Fabrice Haiat, chief executive and co-founder, YOOBIC.
The plans follow company’s announcement last month that it will close several of its services as part of a renewal programme to accelerate growth, optimise operations, and offset significant cost increases.
Under the plans, Morrisons is closing all of its 52 cafes, all of its 18 market kitchens, 17 convenience stores, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters and four pharmacies.
The move comes as the grocer attempts to reposition itself following a decline in market share that saw the company lose its position as the fourth largest supermarket to Aldi back in 2022.
It ambitions were put under pressure when the supermarket experienced a technical outage just before Christmas last year which impacted More Card discounts, home delivery and Click & Collect orders.
The incident came at a particularly unwelcome time for Morrisons, which less than a month before was impacted by a ransomware attack against its third-party supply chain partner Blue Yonder.
As the online grocery market becomes increasingly competitive, the delays and cancelled deliveries were particularly troublesome for the retailer, and desperate shoppers turned to competitors.
Iceland, for example, claimed that the Morrisons outage led to a surge in last-minute shopping with Turkey sales increasing by 200 per cent as a direct result.
