Coronavirus disruption prompts Morrisons to extend Amazon offering

Coronavirus-disruption-prompts-Morrisons-to-extend-Amazon-offering.jpg
Morrisons has expanded its online offering to help combat coronavirus

Morrisons has stepped up its measures to combat disruption caused by coronavirus by extending its online offer through online retailer Amazon.

The service will be extended to more than 40 stores nationwide by the end of May, covering the UK’s largest cities. Live locations can be accessed through shopping the Morrisons store on Prime Now.

Morrisons chief executive David Potts said: “Expanding this fast home delivery service to more cities will help us to play our full part in feeding the nation. Through our conveniently located stores and the popular Amazon Prime Now service, more and more customers will be able to access deliveries to their doorstep at this very difficult time.”

Coronavirus counter measures

Steps to improve the delivery service was one of many measures taken by the retailer in response the coronavirus pandemic. It followed a dedicated telesales shopping service for vulnerable and elderly people.

At the end of March, Morrisons announced it would spend £10m to ramp up food production and send ambient food to help restock food banks across the country in response to the coronavirus outbreak, set to be distributed by the end of July.

To this end, the retailer would be running its bakery, egg and fruit & veg packing site for an extra hour every day to make, prepare and pack food required to restock the food banks.

Available to more people

Doug Gurr, Amazon UK country manager added: “We are pleased to be able to support more customers through the expansion of Morrisons on Prime Now. The convenient service enables us to offer Morrisons high quality grocery selection to even more Prime members.”

Meanwhile, food sales at retailers Marks & Spencer and J Sainsbury have kept the businesses buoyant during the coronavirus crisis.

The two companies’ full-year 2020 results revealed the financial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, which saw food and drink mitigating the decline in sales across other parts of their businesses.