Morrisons Brings U.K. Safeway Brand Back

The retailer also has plans to open more convenience stores.

November 23, 2016

BRADFORD, England – Morrisons will breathe new life into the U.K. Safeway brand a dozen years after taking over that chain, The Telegraph reports. Safeway merged with Morrisons in 2004 in a £2.9 billion deal.

Morrisons will add the Safeway name to products it will offer to wholesalers, but will not be opening Safeway stores. The Safeway products are aimed at independent retailers. “By working with well-established partners and reviving the Safeway brand, we are making our products more accessible to more customers,” said David Potts, CEO of Morrisons.

Also, Morrisons will open four Morrisons Daily convenience stores in Rontec gasoline stations by December 25, with an additional six more to be opened in early 2017. These 10 locations will be a test, with the 3,000-square-foot stores stocking name brands and Morrisons private label products.

“We are constantly looking for ways in which we can improve the service and product range we offer to our customers and are pleased to be working together with Morrisons on this pilot,” said Gerald Ronson, chairman and CEO of Rontec.

Morrisons has said that with its food-producing arm, as well as its retail stores, it is poised to infiltrate the U.K.’s “broad and diverse” convenience store industry. The company also has been conducting a pilot of a convenience store with the Motor Fuel Group.

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