Yet another rant at Morrisons

[cwathen]

What appears to be one of the last surviving Safeways in the country, that of Safeway Megastore Plymouth, is finally being Morrisons-inised.

The store still has it's bright, fresh, modern, Safeway signeage that was designed only 4 years ago, whilst the petrol station has now been rebranded to Morrisons

And it's complete shite! The curvacious Safeway roadside petrol prices sign has been replaced with some square, angular thing with a particularly naff looking yellow LED display to show the prices, meanwhile the pay @ pump facility has been removed - the 'bits' being covered over with a black perspex panel declaring 'Miles better value!'. The range of products inside the shop has gone into terminal decline, with the quite small kiosk now looking cavernous as Morrisons have severely rationalised the range.

Now they've got their hold on the petrol station, the main store cannot be far behind. I await the day when the bright, fresh, enticing images of fresh fruit and vegetables get replaced with black and yellow plastic stickers bearing the Morrisons monicker.

I've never been a fan of needlessly replacing brands (indeed, i utterly hate the way that TV channels feel the need to rebrand themselves every 3 years) but surely Morrisons have got to have noticed that the utter cack that they are bolting onto Safeway stores looks vastly inferior and older to the stuff they're taking down?

Over a year down the line, I'm still somewhat in shock at what is happening to Safeways, and I still disagree with the way that Morrisons are trying to pretend Safeway never existed so that their own tinpot brand can build, I still find it unbelievable that they claim their change is for the better even though everyone who ever shopped at Safeways knows that ranging and product quality has vastly deteroriated since Morrisons moved in, but if they are going to Morrisons-ise everything, they could at least have bothered to design a store image which looked at least as good as the one they are removing.

Every 'conversion to the Morrisons format' I've seen happen involves fitting signeage which looks like it was recovered from a store closed down in the early 80's, and removing half the product range in the name of making things 'clearer'.

I'm sure the Safeway takeover is the best thing ever to happen to WM Morrison, but it sure as hell is the worst thing ever to happen to people who shop at the stores they now own.

I defected to Tesco 6 months ago, and by God am I staying there - they're cheaper the Morrisons, and a damn sight better than Morrisons.

[Ant]

I'm very surprised that Morrisons didn't rebrand before they took over Safeway. My local Morrisons still has the nice, fresh looking Safeway logo outside but inside it's all yellow and old fashioned. It's not just the design I hate about it (sorry to go off-topic) but they have also taken away a lot of products and the ones they have kept have gone up in price! I've done exactly the same thing as you, and now go to Tesco down the road for my shopping because I just can't stand Morrisons.

Also, what does everyone thinking of the new adverts? I think they are the only things I like about Morrisons! And that 'More reasons to shop at Morrisons' was converted in my area by people to 'No reasons to shop at Morrisons'!

EDIT: Well their Black Cherry Yoghurts are very nice.

[russnet]

I could have sworn I saw this over at TV Forum

I agree, Morrisions (Safeway) is my local and what was a respected supermarket is now low class cr@p. A lot of food looks cheap,nasty and very unhealthy looking. Personally speaking, Tescos is an all rounder for me but for quality, I go to Sainsburys as the meat there is a lot better. Plus they are doing chart CD's without the VAT at the moment. Barg!

[Lee]

A new Safeway garage and mini shop was recently built quite near to where I live, it seemed slightly odd to me at the time if they're all going to be Morrisonised. Or is there an exception to Safeway mini-shops and garages?

[cwathen]

A new Safeway garage and mini shop was recently built quite near to where I live, it seemed slightly odd to me at the time if they're all going to be Morrisonised. Or is there an exception to Safeway mini-shops and garages?

BP & Safeway partnerships aren't affected by the Morrisons rebrand. I can only assume that this is because of some clause in the deal between the two companies.

I also assume that this will change eventually.

Personally speaking, Tescos is an all rounder for me but for quality, I go to Sainsburys as the meat there is a lot better. Plus they are doing chart CD's without the VAT at the moment. Barg!

Tescos have pretty much got it sewn up from where I'm standing - they're the cheapest supermarket, but they don't look tacky, and they also have some really nice products. The Tesco Finest range is usually superior to branded products, Tescos own-brand products are certainly not too shabby, whilst bottom of the range Tesco Value stuff is just as good as most other supermarkets regular own-brand.

Something particularly interesting Tescos have been doing recently is expanding the Tesco Value range to encompass all sorts of things. You can now buy a Tesco Value Microwave, a Tesco Value Vacuum Cleaner, a Tesco Value TV Aerial, etc. And these products are cheaper than nipping to Currys, and aren't bad either.

And as you say, if you really want an upper class supermarket experience, there's still Sainsbury's.

Safeway, pre-takeover, were clearly trying to invent their own class of supermarket, and developments in recent years looked promising.

Then in moved Morrisons, who have done nothing but try to roll out the Morrisons supermarket format to the whole of country, existing prehistoric branding and all. In the short term, 'converted' stores seem to be doing OK - but only because Morrisons are cutting costs rather than making more money. Give it a few years, and I feel sure that Morrisons will be facing collapse. They can't compete with the value for money of Tesco, and they can't compete with the high class image on Sainsburys. So just who are they going to sell to? Northerners who have grown up with Morrisons are largely located in the north of England, where there were allready Morrisons stores! Seriously, I don't even believe Morrisons will still be around in 10 years, their takeover and subsequent obliteration of Safeway has been one of the worst PR/branding disasters of recent times - and they're too smug to even realise it.

[nwtv2003]

Also, what does everyone thinking of the new adverts? I think they are the only things I like about Morrisons! And that 'More reasons to shop at Morrisons' was converted in my area by people to 'No reasons to shop at Morrisons'!

I've only seen the 'Reason 23' Bacon advert, they've got a few of these new ads pinned up within our store, and I presume each store.

As some of you on the Forum may know I work at Morrisons (Part Time) and up until recently that was the only Morrisons I had been in. But about a month ago I was asked to go Morrisons at West Kirby for the day, as that was a recently converted Safeway store.

Got there about 7.45am on the Sunday Morning, the main entrance was left open, so basically anyone could walk in (where as we have a Staff entrance at ours for when the store is closed), it seemed like a nice store, and was really, smelled a bit nicer too. But the best was yet to come....

...at 8.30am on that day, there was a massive Power failure, which meant that all staff had to go and move all Frozen and Chilled Foods so they could be sent onto Lorries where they could be kept cool, as Scottish Power said that there wouldn't be a full service back until 1.00pm.

Anyway store opened late, lots of pissed off people, especially pensioners, the power comes back on at 10.30am ish so this meant that all of the food had to be put back into the Fridges and Freezers.

Eventually at about Lunchtime we managed to open up the Café, or as the staff kept calling it; Coffee Shop (which I assume is how Safeway used to name it), basically as it was so late in the day we couldn't do a full menu.

This meant that when customers wanted some Meals you had to explain why you couldn't, which was getting VERY annoying, and there were some quite pissed off customers.

The next cracker came was when we were waiting for our lift back to Warrington. The store had to close at 4.00pm, so for the first 15 minutes the Securicor man was on guard telling people the store was closed. He then immediately buggered off, but the doors were again left open! So this meand you had random people, especially tourists who were walking in, and didn't realise that they shut at 4.00pm, also funnier that we had to say it's closed.

This I also believe was the first Sunday that the store operated as a Morrisons, so their first impressions will last forever.

[James Hatts]

A new Safeway garage and mini shop was recently built quite near to where I live, it seemed slightly odd to me at the time if they're all going to be Morrisonised. Or is there an exception to Safeway mini-shops and garages?

BP & Safeway partnerships aren't affected by the Morrisons rebrand. I can only assume that this is because of some clause in the deal between the two companies.

I also assume that this will change eventually.

Stores below a certain size are retaining the Safeway brand, AIUI.

[Nick Harvey]

We moved from Safeway to Tesco for the main weekly shop a few years ago, mainly because circumstances made Tesco's delivery option a winner.

However, up to a couple of weeks ago, we've used the local Safeway for any topping up required.

We've, this week, moved to Sainsbury's though, following the final nail in the Morrison coffin.

Like others here, we've noticed products we (and many others from the state of the shelves) buy frequently, disappearing because of "lack of demand", which I understand is "Morrison speak" for not enough margin to be kept on. Stupid items like Macleans Complete toothpaste and Camay soap have gone.

The final straw was last week on the deli. I like to point to the tray of ham I'd like and ask for "450 grams of that one, please". They're no longer allowed to sell you any of the ham you've pointed to; that's just for display. They have to cut 450 grams of the same type of ham, but of course, they cut the dreadful fatty stuff off for you, after you've specifically pointed to the nice lean stuff on display.

That was the end of the road for me. Straight round Sainsbury's for some decent ham and equally decent service.

[nwtv2003]

The final straw was last week on the deli. I like to point to the tray of ham I'd like and ask for "450 grams of that one, please". They're no longer allowed to sell you any of the ham you've pointed to; that's just for display. They have to cut 450 grams of the same type of ham, but of course, they cut the dreadful fatty stuff off for you, after you've specifically pointed to the nice lean stuff on display.

That was the end of the road for me. Straight round Sainsbury's for some decent ham and equally decent service.

That is odd, AFAIK the Ham on Display is the Ham you get, they don't cut it for you unless they need to get more Ham out, but what you see is what you should get really.

And the Deli's Best Ham is quite nice Nictor Meldrew.

[MarkN]

Stores below a certain size are retaining the Safeway brand, AIUI.

No, they're being sold off to Somerfield, if I remember correctly.

[Pete]

The final straw was last week on the deli. I like to point to the tray of ham I'd like and ask for "450 grams of that one, please". They're no longer allowed to sell you any of the ham you've pointed to; that's just for display. They have to cut 450 grams of the same type of ham, but of course, they cut the dreadful fatty stuff off for you, after you've specifically pointed to the nice lean stuff on display.

That was the end of the road for me. Straight round Sainsbury's for some decent ham and equally decent service.

That is odd, AFAIK the Ham on Display is the Ham you get, they don't cut it for you unless they need to get more Ham out, but what you see is what you should get really.

And the Deli's Best Ham is quite nice Nictor Meldrew.

With regards to the deli - Morrisons in Byker is particularly annoying. My auntie asked for a slice of lancashire cheese from the deli - the lady pointed out that big blocks of it were on BOGOF but she only wanted a small slice so she asked for some. The woman promtly moaned she'd have to open the new block as if it was more than her job was worth.

Naturally after a work with a supervisor and manager she got a £20 voucher on the shop and another £20 through the post three days later from HQ. But I don't understand the concept of having delis that just do prepacked stuff.

Now Somerfield in Kelso is an interesting case. It's a wonderfully Kelso shop in the manner of being quirky and bizzare - the entire shop is still Safeway with the exception of yellow shelfedging and some Somerfield POS that you walk into all the time. The bakery (apaprently one of the only ones Somerfield have) still is covered in the brown safeway bakery signs and the apples are still around the fuit and veg asile.

Now despite this fabness and the delight of the staff...
"I didn't like Mr Morrison, he thought if something worked in Yorkshire it would work everywhere but it doesn't I mean Safeway in Kelso and Safeway in Hawick are totally different from each other. He ordred us to bake this small range of stuff - Somerfield took over and it was 'bake what you like, bake what'll sell' and that's the way to run it"

there is a small issue regards price. Somerfields is a middle-class shop like Safeway was and therefore is more expensive (which is OK as the food is better). However the rpices here are much higher than the larger store in Gala (which has Tesco to comete with - and soon Asda and *THE ALL NEW UPSTAIRS TESCO WITH ELECTRIC RAMPS FOR YOUR TROLLY*). Same with Melrose (another little Safeway Compact) - vastly inflated prices.

Now the council are on at them as is this oddball queer guy who lives round here and seems to think himself the consumer champion. It just seems a bit cynical to take advantage of the fact that everything is 20 miles from anything else around here by inflating the prices so much. Still (the return of Safeway excluded) I wouldn't give up Somerfield for the return of Morrisons. Never