Morrisons, the UK’s fifth-largest supermarket chain, is under fire after delays in Christmas orders entered a second day following what the retailer described as “systems issues” on Monday.
Some customers experienced significant disruptions, including delivery cancellations and unredeemed vouchers, during what should be the busiest grocery shopping time of the year. One customer, left waiting for £200 worth of groceries, described feeling “in limbo” with no clear answers from Morrisons.
'Chaotic Scenes' on the Biggest Shopping Day of the Year
The problems began early Monday when customers due to receive their Christmas groceries were informed by email that their deliveries would be delayed or canceled. The situation worsened when in-store shoppers discovered that their loyalty vouchers were not being accepted at tills.
Morrisons responded by offering a 10% discount for loyalty program members and other discounts for non-members. By Tuesday morning, the supermarket said that operations had returned to normal. “Click and Collect and Home Deliveries are working as normal. We are determined not to let a single customer down this Christmas,” a Morrisons spokesperson told the BBC.
However, Morrisons has not provided detailed information about what caused the errors.
Customer Frustrations Boil Over
For many customers, the issues led to a frustrating lack of communication. A Worcestershire shopper reported receiving a text about delays on Monday and still had no update early Tuesday, leaving her unsure whether to spend an extra £200 elsewhere or hope her delivery would arrive. Her order eventually arrived later in the day.
Matthew Welch, a customer from Northumberland, had his Christmas delivery canceled entirely and described his interaction with Morrisons as unhelpful. “The manager I spoke to said they’d look into it but never got back to me,” he said. Welch ended up buying his groceries locally and vowed never to shop at Morrisons again.
Morrisons has since offered to deliver Mr. Welch’s canceled order and add loyalty points to his account, but the damage to its reputation among some customers may already be done.
Consumer Experts Weigh In
Consumer expert Kate Hardcastle criticized the supermarket for its lack of transparency, warning that this incident will likely resonate into the new year. “It’s crucial that Morrisons leans into the issue, takes accountability, and ensures such disruptions do not happen again,” she explained in an interview.
Hardcastle also highlighted the challenges retailers face with legacy IT systems, especially during high-pressure times like Christmas. She emphasized the importance of watertight loyalty and pricing systems to maintain customer trust.
Moving Forward
While Morrisons insists that deliveries are now back on track, the situation has left many users dissatisfied during one of the most critical shopping periods of the year. Whether the supermarket can win back trust through additional transparency or compensatory measures remains to be seen.
For now, it’s clear that loyalty among some customers has been strained, with individuals like Mr. Welch already deciding to take their business elsewhere.