- Brand origin
- United Kingdom
- Main production
- Several countries, incl. United Kingdom
Morrisons is a United Kingdom supermarket, food retailer, wholesaler and manufacturer founded in Bradford in 1899. Morrisons is ultimately owned by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC, a United States private equity firm, through Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited and Market Bidco Limited.
morrisons.comOwnership chain
- BrandMorrisonsUnited Kingdom
- Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited
- Market Bidco Limited
- Ultimate ownerClayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLCUnited States
About Morrisons
What is Morrisons?
Morrisons is a United Kingdom supermarket, food retailer, wholesaler and food manufacturer headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Morrisons operates supermarkets, convenience stores, online grocery services, manufacturing facilities and other retail businesses. Morrisons also operates forecourts and supplies products through wholesale channels. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice describes Morrisons as having a vertically integrated supply chain covering retail, forecourts, wholesale and food manufacturing. Morrisons sources and processes approximately half of the fresh food sold through its manufacturing facilities and stores. Morrisons serves approximately 9 million customers each week, according to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. The group supported more than 118,000 employees according to the same source. Morrisons had approximately 500 shops and 110,000 staff in 2021. Morrisons also operates Morrisons Daily convenience stores. A Morrisons sustainability report stated that the business had 1,600 Morrisons Daily stores, including around 600 franchise stores, and an online delivery service supplied by Morrisons and delivery partners including Amazon, Deliveroo and Just Eat. Morrisons' manufacturing business operates under the Myton Food Group name. Morrisons' manufacturing sites produce fresh meats and fish, pies, fruit and vegetables, flower bouquets, bread and other fresh food products. Morrisons' Spalding abattoir supplies 100% British meat, according to Morrisons' company history. Morrisons was the United Kingdom's fourth-largest food retailer with a 10.5% market share in 2021. Morrisons celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2024, marking 125 years since William Morrison began trading from a market stall in Bradford.
Who owns Morrisons?
Morrisons is ultimately owned by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC, according to Made O'Meter's ownership data verified on 13 September 2026. The ownership chain is Morrisons, Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited, Market Bidco Limited, and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC is headquartered in the United States and is a private equity owner. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice agreed to acquire Morrisons in 2021 in a transaction valued at approximately £7 billion. The final auction offer was 287 pence per ordinary share. Morrisons shareholders approved the takeover in October 2021, with 99.2% voting in favour. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice acquired Morrisons' issued share capital in October 2021, taking Morrisons private after 54 years of listing on the London Stock Exchange. Morrisons is therefore American owned in the sense that the ultimate owner is a United States headquartered private equity firm. Morrisons remains a United Kingdom business founded in Bradford and headquartered in Bradford. The ownership data does not identify Walmart as an owner of Morrisons. The ownership chain identifies Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited and Market Bidco Limited.
Where does Morrisons come from?
Morrisons began in Bradford, England, in 1899. William Morrison founded the business as an egg-and-butter merchant operating from Rawson Market in Bradford. The business was incorporated in 1899 as William Morrison (Provisions) Ltd. Ken Morrison took over the family's Bradford market stalls in 1952, when he was 21. Morrisons opened its first town-centre shop in 1958. The shop had three checkouts, self-service and displayed prices. Morrisons opened its first supermarket, the Victoria store in Bradford's Girlington district, in 1961. Morrisons became a public company and listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1967. The 1967 share offer was 174 times oversubscribed, with more than 80,000 investors seeking shares. Morrisons remained listed for 54 years before Clayton, Dubilier & Rice acquired the issued share capital and took the business private in 2021. Morrisons acquired the rival supermarket chain Safeway in 2004 for £3.3 billion. The acquisition expanded Morrisons' presence into southern England, Wales and Scotland. Morrisons opened its first store in southern England at Erith and opened its 100th store at Nelson in 2004. Morrisons' headquarters remains in Bradford, where the business was founded. Morrisons' history therefore combines a Bradford origin, national expansion through the Safeway acquisition, and a change from public ownership to private equity ownership in 2021.
What products does Morrisons make?
Morrisons makes and sells fresh meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, bread, pies, bakery products, prepared foods and other groceries. Morrisons sells these products through its supermarkets, Morrisons Daily stores, online grocery services, wholesale channels and other retail operations. Morrisons' manufacturing business is called the Myton Food Group. Myton Food Group includes Morrisons' food manufacturing assets and produces fresh food for sale through Morrisons stores. Morrisons' own manufacturing operations cover meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, savoury and sweet pies, bread and flower bouquets. Morrisons sources and processes approximately half of the fresh food sold through its manufacturing facilities and stores. The business describes this vertically integrated model as covering retail, wholesale, forecourts and food manufacturing. Morrisons' Spalding abattoir supplies 100% British meat, according to the company's history page. Morrisons also sells branded goods made by other manufacturers, alongside products made by Morrisons' own manufacturing operations. The available company information identifies broad product categories rather than providing a complete list of every product range or ingredient.
How large is Morrisons and where does it operate?
Morrisons operates across the United Kingdom through supermarkets, convenience stores, online grocery services, manufacturing sites, wholesale operations and forecourts. Morrisons' acquisition of Safeway in 2004 expanded its presence into southern England, Wales and Scotland. Morrisons had approximately 500 shops and 110,000 staff in 2021. Morrisons also had 1,600 Morrisons Daily convenience stores according to a sustainability report, including around 600 franchise stores. The same report stated that Morrisons operated 18 manufacturing sites producing meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, pies, bread and other fresh foods. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice states that Morrisons' manufacturing operations and stores serve approximately 9 million customers each week and support more than 118,000 employees. These figures describe the wider Morrisons operation and are attributed to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. Morrisons was the United Kingdom's fourth-largest food retailer with a 10.5% market share in 2021. Morrisons is headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, and its operations remain connected to the Yorkshire food manufacturing and retail base from which the business developed.
Why is Morrisons in so much debt?
Morrisons carries substantial debt largely because the 2021 acquisition by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice was a leveraged buyout financed with significant borrowing. Recent reporting and credit analysis also identify interest costs, lease liabilities, sale-and-leaseback transactions, restructuring costs and operating pressures as factors affecting Morrisons' finances. Morrisons reported that net debt had fallen 46% from its 2022 peak in its 2024/25 results and that gross debt had fallen by 10% during the year. Morrisons also reported £835 million of underlying EBITDA from continuing operations and £233 million of cost savings during that financial year. EBITDA means earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. Fitch Ratings reported that Morrisons had approximately £173 million of cash and a £1 billion committed, undrawn revolving credit facility at the end of its 2025 financial year. Fitch also reported that Morrisons raised £98 million through a sale-and-leaseback transaction in 2025 and had completed an earlier £331 million ground-rent transaction involving 76 properties in September 2024. Sale-and-leaseback transactions can provide cash for debt reduction while creating future rental commitments. Fitch described such transactions as neutral to leverage when used for debt reduction, but stated that they can reduce freehold property ownership and increase lease costs. Morrisons' debt position therefore reflects both acquisition financing and later financing and property transactions.
Is Morrisons being asset stripped or closing down?
Morrisons has undertaken asset disposals, property transactions and cost reductions, but the available evidence does not establish that Morrisons as a whole is being closed down. Morrisons has described its actions as part of a programme to reduce debt, lower costs and improve financial sustainability. Recent reporting states that Morrisons has reviewed some in-store pharmacies and planned to sell a significant number of them to independent operators, with decisions taken branch by branch. The same reporting states that Morrisons closed four pharmacies outright during 2025. Morrisons has also considered disposals involving parts of its operations as it manages debt and costs. Morrisons reported in its 2024/25 results that debt had fallen 46% from its 2022 peak, that gross debt had fallen by 10% during the year, and that the business had a strong balance sheet. Fitch Ratings nevertheless identified limited free cash flow and warned that further sale-and-leaseback transactions could increase leverage if they were not accompanied by debt reduction. These facts show financial restructuring and asset-related transactions. They do not by themselves establish that Morrisons is being dismantled or that all Morrisons stores are closing. Store, pharmacy, petrol station and convenience-store opening hours or closure plans can differ by location.
Is Morrisons cheaper than Tesco, Sainsbury's or Asda?
Morrisons' relative price compared with Tesco, Sainsbury's or Asda depends on the products, pack sizes, promotions, loyalty pricing, delivery charges and store selected. A single general ranking cannot be established from the verified company history and ownership information. Morrisons competes as one of the United Kingdom's major supermarket chains. Morrisons was the United Kingdom's fourth-largest food retailer with a 10.5% market share in 2021. Morrisons sells groceries through supermarkets, Morrisons Daily stores and online channels, so prices can also vary between formats. A meaningful comparison requires matching the same products, brands, quantities and dates. Promotional prices can change frequently. Online prices can also differ from prices in physical stores, and delivery or service charges can affect the final basket total. Morrisons' own manufacturing and supply chain may influence the products available, but the available sources do not establish that Morrisons is consistently cheaper or more expensive than each named competitor.
What are Morrisons' supermarkets, petrol stations and other services?
Morrisons operates supermarkets, Morrisons Daily convenience stores, petrol forecourts, online grocery delivery, wholesale operations, cafés and pharmacies associated with some stores. Morrisons' vertically integrated operations include retail, forecourts, wholesale and food manufacturing. Morrisons petrol stations are part of the wider Morrisons retail operation. The verified ownership information identifies Morrisons as the operator's brand and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice as the ultimate owner. The available sources do not establish one uniform opening schedule for every Morrisons petrol station. Morrisons Daily stores include franchise locations as well as stores operated within the wider Morrisons convenience network. A Morrisons sustainability report stated that around 600 of the 1,600 Morrisons Daily stores were franchise stores. Morrisons also provides online grocery delivery through Morrisons and delivery partners including Amazon, Deliveroo and Just Eat. Opening times for supermarkets, petrol stations, pharmacies and cafés are location-specific. Bank holidays, Sundays and local operating arrangements can change those hours. A shopper needs the relevant store listing to establish whether a particular Morrisons location is open now or open on a given day.
Frequently asked questions about Morrisons
Is Morrisons American owned?
- Morrisons is ultimately owned by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC, a United States headquartered private equity firm. Morrisons itself was founded in Bradford in 1899 and remains headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
What American company bought Morrisons?
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice bought Morrisons in 2021 in a transaction valued at approximately £7 billion. Morrisons shareholders approved the takeover in October 2021, and the acquisition took Morrisons private after 54 years on the London Stock Exchange.
Is Morrisons owned by Walmart?
- No. The ownership chain identifies Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC as Morrisons' ultimate owner, through Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited and Market Bidco Limited. Walmart is not identified in that ownership chain.
Who owns Morrisons Daily stores in the United Kingdom?
- Morrisons Daily stores belong to the Morrisons convenience network, whose ultimate owner is Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC. A Morrisons sustainability report stated that around 600 of 1,600 Morrisons Daily stores were franchise stores, so individual locations can have franchise operators.
Is Morrisons in financial trouble?
- Morrisons has faced substantial debt, high interest costs, operating cost pressures and restructuring demands since its 2021 leveraged buyout. Morrisons reported debt reduction and cost savings in its 2024/25 results, while Fitch Ratings maintained a B long-term issuer default rating and a stable outlook in February 2026.
Is Morrisons meat halal?
- The verified sources identify Morrisons' meat manufacturing and British meat supply, including the Spalding abattoir, but they do not establish that all Morrisons meat is halal. Halal status can depend on the specific product, supplier, certification and store range.
Is Morrisons open today or open now?
- Morrisons opening times vary by store, date and service. Supermarkets, petrol stations, pharmacies, cafés and Morrisons Daily stores can have different schedules, so the relevant local store listing is needed to determine whether a particular location is open.
Is Morrisons dog friendly?
- The verified sources do not establish one chain-wide dog policy for Morrisons. Assistance dogs are treated separately from ordinary pets under applicable access rules, while permission for other dogs can depend on the individual store and service area.
Sources: morrisons-corporate.com: company history, morrisons.jobs: our story, morrisons.jobs: our story, morrisons-corporate.com: morrisons full year 202425 results and christmas 2025 trading update, telegraph.co.uk, morrisons.jobs: our story, fitchratings.com, morrisons.jobs, en.wikipedia.org, bbc.com, morrisons.jobs: our story, my.morrisons.com, morrisons.jobs: our story, yorkshirepost.co.uk: morrisons 125th anniversary the business that grew from a market stall to grocery giant 4701195, cdr.com, cnbc.com, bbc.co.uk, encyclopedia.com, yorkshirepost.co.uk: how morrisons transformed the way we shop for groceries 3295635, theconversation.com, rte.ie
Sources: retail-insight-network.com
Ownership data is compiled from public sources and verified where possible. Spotted an error? Suggest a correction below.
Products from Morrisons
100- Morrisons Baked Beans in Tomato SauceFood – Canned Pulses / Beans
- Morrisons Silicone TongsKitchenware – Utensil
- Morrisons Private Label ProductFood or Beverage – Private Label Consumer Good
- Morrisons Mighty Malties cerealFood – Breakfast Cereal
- Morrisons snack foodFood – Snack
- Morrisons Canned Mixed BeansFood – Canned Pulses
- Morrisons Long Life Semi Skimmed MilkBeverage – Dairy (UHT Milk)
- Morrisons Vegetable SuetFood – Baking Ingredients
- Morrisons Reduced Salt and Sugar Baked BeansFood – Canned Pulses & Legumes
- Morrisons Selection Seedless GrapesFood – Fresh Fruit
- Morrisons productsRetail – Grocery and Supermarket products
- Morrisons Mango chunksFood – Fresh Fruit
- Morrisons Facial TissuesPersonal care – hygiene, facial tissues
- Morrisons PetrolEnergy – Fuel (Petrol/Diesel)
- Morrisons Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato JuiceFood – Canned Vegetables
- Morrisons Vitamin C & Zinc Effervescent tabletsPersonal care – Dietary Supplement
- Morrisons Seedless Green GrapesFood – Fresh Produce
- Morrisons WatermelonFood – Fresh Fruit
- Morrisons Wonky PeppersFood – Fresh Produce
- Morrisons A4 Notebook - BlackStationery – Notebook
- Wm Morrison Supermarkets XL Hass AvocadoFood – Fresh Produce
- Morrisons DigestivesFood – Snack – Biscuits
- Morrisons grocery productFood – Supermarket Retail Brand
- Morrisons Dental FlossPersonal care – Dental Care
and 76 more products
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