What most people misunderstand about Morrisons — experts explain

You’re in Morrisons for “just a few bits” and someone near the self-checkout says, of course! please provide the text you would like me to translate. It’s funny, but it also lands because Morrisons is one of those supermarkets people think they’ve worked out - until they realise they’ve been judging it by the wrong things.

Most misunderstandings about Morrisons aren’t about whether it’s “good” or “bad”. They’re about what the business is actually built to do, and why some of its choices look odd if you assume it’s trying to be the same as everyone else.

The biggest misconception: it’s “just another big supermarket”

Ask shoppers what makes Morrisons different and you’ll hear vague answers: “It’s northern”, “it’s cheaper”, “it’s a bit old-school”. Retail analysts tend to say the same thing more precisely: the company’s identity is tied to making and moving food, not simply stocking shelves.

Morrisons has historically leaned harder than rivals into areas like in-store preparation and vertically integrated supply. That doesn’t mean every store feels like a traditional counter-service shop now - plenty don’t. But it does explain why some ranges, layouts, and staffing choices feel unlike the “grab-and-go warehouse” model people expect.

This is where shoppers get tripped up. If you walk in expecting identical logic to Tesco or Sainsbury’s, you’ll interpret differences as “decline” or “randomness”, rather than a different operating focus.

“It’s always cheaper” - and why that’s not the point

Another common misunderstanding is that Morrisons is trying to win a straight price war, aisle by aisle, with Aldi and Lidl. Experts will tell you that’s not really the game; it’s closer to value perception in specific categories, backed by promotions and a strong own-label strategy.

In practice, that’s why you can find a basket that feels brilliantly priced - then spot branded items nearby that don’t look like bargains at all. Shoppers assume it’s inconsistency. Often it’s deliberate: supermarkets use known “price marker” products to signal value, while protecting margin elsewhere.

A retail consultant put it to me like this: people don’t remember the price of everything, they remember the price of the things they talk about. Milk, mince, meal deals, a few household essentials - that’s where impressions are made or lost.

The Market Street myth: “it’s all nostalgia now”

Market Street - the butchers, fish, bakery-style areas in some stores - is frequently dismissed as pure nostalgia. The reality is more practical. Where it’s executed well, it can function as a quality signal, a service differentiator, and a way to control freshness and waste more tightly.

But here’s the bit shoppers misunderstand: Market Street isn’t uniform, and it’s not meant to be. Some stores are built for high-footfall, service-led trade; others are optimised for speed, convenience and pre-packed lines. If your local branch has a reduced counter or a different layout, it isn’t necessarily “the end of it all”. It may simply reflect what that catchment actually buys.

What matters to the business is whether the space earns its keep. What matters to you is knowing which version of Morrisons your store is - because it changes what it’s best for.

Why the stores can feel “messier” - and what’s really happening

People often describe Morrisons stores as slightly more chaotic: promotional stacks, seasonal bins, bolder signage, less of the polished “department store” feel. It’s tempting to read that as a lack of investment.

Store designers and retail ops people usually frame it differently. A busier visual environment can be a deliberate trade-off: maximise throughput, keep displays flexible, move volume fast, and use space for deals and event-led stock. It’s not elegant, but it can be effective - especially in larger-format supermarkets where shoppers are doing a full trolley shop.

If you’re only nipping in for two items, that same layout can feel like friction. For a weekly shop, it can feel like choice and abundance. The misunderstanding is assuming one experience is the “correct” benchmark.

“Morrisons is falling behind” - the online gap, explained plainly

Morrisons has been criticised for being late to online grocery compared with some rivals. Shoppers often translate that into “they don’t get modern shopping”. The more accurate version is: the business historically prioritised a model that worked well in big physical stores, and online economics are harsh.

Online grocery is expensive to run, difficult to make profitable, and operationally complex. Even when you can do it, scaling it without hurting in-store standards is a balancing act. Industry watchers tend to see Morrisons’ digital journey less as incompetence and more as a series of trade-offs - some of which were painful, some of which were rational at the time.

For shoppers, the practical takeaway is simple: Morrisons can be excellent in-store in areas where it’s strong, but it may not be the best fit if your whole household depends on seamless deliveries and substitutions.

How to shop Morrisons the way experts do

If you want to get the best out of Morrisons, don’t treat it like a generic supermarket with a green logo. Shop it for what it’s disproportionately good at, and be selective where it’s not.

A quick checklist that tends to work:

• Use it for fresh and meal-building staples if your local store has strong counters or consistently good produce.
• Watch the “known value” lines (own-label basics, multi-buys, seasonal deals) rather than assuming every aisle is a bargain.
• Be brand-flexible: Morrisons often shines when you let own-label compete, not when you insist on the exact branded SKU.
• Learn your store’s personality: one branch can be a brilliant family shop; another is better as a top-up stop.

That’s the quiet truth experts keep coming back to: Morrisons isn’t misunderstood because it’s mysterious. It’s misunderstood because people shop it with the wrong mental model - and then blame the shop for not behaving like a different one.

Misunderstanding	What experts say instead	What to do as a shopper
“It’s just like the others”	It’s built around food-making and physical retail strengths	Lean into fresh, own-label, and store-specific strengths
“It’s always the cheapest”	Value is signalled in key categories, not everywhere	Compare your regular “marker items”, not every branded aisle
“Market Street is dead”	It varies by store and local demand	Treat it as a bonus where it’s strong, not a promise everywhere

FAQ:

• Is Morrisons actually more expensive than Aldi or Lidl? Often on branded lines, yes; on selected staples and own-label, it can be competitive. It depends heavily on what you buy and how brand-loyal you are.
• Why does my local Morrisons look different from another one? Store formats vary by catchment, size, and refits. Some are optimised for service counters and full shops; others for convenience and speed.
• Is Market Street still worth using? In stores where it’s well staffed and busy, it can be a genuine quality advantage. If it’s quiet or reduced, pre-packed options may be the better bet.
• Does Morrisons do online grocery properly now? It’s improved over time, but the experience can still vary by area and partner arrangements. If delivery is your main need, test it with a small order first.