Morrisons restricts stockroom access to improve customer service

Saturday 12 July 2025 - 13:02

In a bid to boost its customer service ratings, UK supermarket chain Morrisons has announced a new policy restricting shop floor staff from entering stockrooms, unless they are officially authorised.

Beginning in August, only designated managers and employees—such as those responsible for online orders and incoming deliveries—will be allowed access to warehouse areas. The change is aimed at reducing what the company calls “idle time” among floor staff, and at ensuring more team members are available to assist customers directly on the sales floor.

Morrisons stated that it will assign a select group of customer assistants to stockroom duties, while others will be restricted from entering back-of-house areas. According to a company spokesperson, the move is “part of our relentless drive to improve customer service and availability.”

The initiative comes as UK supermarkets face mounting pressure to attract and retain shoppers amid fierce competition. Morrisons has consistently trailed behind competitors like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, and M&S in customer satisfaction scores. However, its latest score of 79.1 on the UK Customer Satisfaction Index marked its best result since 2018.

In recent months, Morrisons has launched several internal reforms under CEO Rami Baitiéh, who took the helm in late 2023. These include requiring head office employees to return to a full workweek schedule, reversing previous flexible arrangements, and shutting down dozens of in-store cafés as part of a cost-saving plan.

According to market research firm Kantar, Morrisons' grocery market share slipped to 8.4% in May, down from 9.4% in 2022. The company hopes that operational changes like limiting stockroom access will streamline processes and improve its competitive edge.