• Morrisons shuts head office and sends 1,000 extra staff into stores
  • Move will add an extra 8,000 hours of service to stores across the UK
  • Grocer expects sales of ice lollies and ice cream to surge 250% and 75% respectively

Morrisons has effectively closed its head office and sent 1,000 extra staff into stores to help cope with a rush of expected customers.

The Bradford-based grocer is bracing for an influx of customers stocking up on products including ice cream and barbecue food, as Britain prepares to bask in a heatwave this week.

Board level directors, lawyers, property managers, buyers and IT staff will all ditch Morrisons’ Hilmore House HQ today and head out to work in stores. The grocer also closed its head office yesterday in a similar move to meet the predicted demand.

The supermarket chain expects demand for other items including salads, cold drinks and sun cream to rocket in the coming days as shoppers take advantage of the better weather.

During a week of hot weather, Morrisons expects to sell 7 million sausages, 70,000 single 500ml bottles of water and 42,000 packs of burger buns. It is also forecasting sales of ice lollies and ice cream to surge 250% and 75% respectively.

The move to send head office staff into shops will add 8,000 extra hours of service to stores across the UK.

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.”