UK supermarket chain Wm Morrison today (Wednesday) announced profit before tax of £297.1m (US$558.3m) in the year ended 30 January 2005, compared to £319.9m the previous year.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Group turnover was £12.1bn for the year ended 30 January 2005, a sharp rise from £4.9bn the previous year following its takeover of the Safeway chain.


Sales from the core Morrison’s estate were £5.9bn, a rise of 11.5% or 7.1% like for like. Sales in the converted Safeway stores were up 10.9% on a like for like basis, while sales in unconverted Safeway stores were down 6.8% like for like.


During 2004 57 former Safeway stores were converted to the Morrison’s facia. Stores are being converted at the rate of four a week, Morrison’s said.


“The task of converting Safeway has been challenging but I believe we have made good progress towards our objective of becoming one of the four major national food retailers and are on track to complete the programme well ahead of the original plan,” said chairman Sir Kenneth Morrison. “By the end of the current year we will have in place the stores and most of the infrastructure to deliver Morrisons quality, value and service nationwide.”

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

“Based on the encouraging results which we have seen in the converted stores to date, we remain confident of achieving a significant improvement in performance in 2006/7,” he said.

Just Food Excellence Awards - The Benefits of Entering

Gain the recognition you deserve! The Just Food Excellence Awards celebrate innovation, leadership, and impact. By entering, you showcase your achievements, elevate your industry profile, and position yourself among top leaders driving food industry advancements. Don’t miss your chance to stand out—submit your entry today!

Nominate Now