Morrisons '˜shuts' HQ and sends head office staff out to work in supermarkets

Morrisons has effectively closed its headquarters with more than 1,000 of its head office staff being dispatched to stores to help cope with demand ahead of the anticipated hot weather.

Apart from a handful of staff needed for urgent services, the grocer’s Hilmore House HQ will be shut as marketers, lawyers, buyers, property managers, IT specialists and even board level directors head out to Morrisons stores to work.

The Bradford-based retailer said it expects demand for cold drinks, salads and sun cream are expected to increase over the coming days as customers take advantage of the good weather to hold barbecues and head out on day trips.

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The move is expected to add an extra 8,000 hours of service to stores meaning in-store colleagues can concentrate on hand pressing extra burgers, baking more buns and opening additional checkouts.

Morrisons people director Clare Grainger said: “Customers will want to picnic and party in this very welcome spell of hot weather so we need our Head Office team to help serve them and support our in-store staff.”

During a hot weather week Morrisons expects to sell:

• Seven million sausages

• 70,000 single bottles of water (500ml)

• 42,000 packs of burger buns

Morrisons is also expecting a spikes in sales of:

• Ice cream up 75 per cent

• Ice lollies up by 250 per cent

• Meat sales increase by 150 per cent.

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