• The retailer will offer students a 10% discount across its stores, petrol station kiosks and cafes
  • The trial follows Co-op launching a similar discount scheme for student shoppers
  • Morrisons said the scheme could be rolled out permanently if it improves customer loyalty

Morrisons has launched a three month trial to give students a discount on their shop across its stores in an effort to boost loyalty.

The grocer’s new loyalty scheme gives student shoppers a discount on food and drink products, including beer and wine, but only across its 492 UK bricks-and-mortar stores.

According to The Guardian, the retailer, which reported an 11% rise in half-year pre-tax profits to £11.57m this month, has teamed up with student discount specialists UNiDAYS on the trial.

Student will need to sign up for UNiDAYS mobile app, available on Apple or android devices, to access the 10% discount.

Morrisons is aiming to monopolise on the proximity of many of its stores to university campuses by using the discount as a means of building customer loyalty for its student shoppers.

The grocer’s director of loyal solutions Rebecca Singleton said: “We listened to students and they told us that they were more likely to be loyal to a supermarket that offered the sorts of discounts that they get on rail travel, clothes and eating out.”

The retailer is the first of the Big Four to trial a student discount initiative and has said that it could be rolled out permanently if it boosts customer loyalty.

UNiDAYS chief executive Josh Rathour said: “We regularly engage with our student member to find out which discounts are important to them and will make the biggest difference.

“Food and groceries is a recurring request coming in via our website and app.”

Morrisons’ student discount trial follows the Co-op launching a 10% discount in Co-operative Food stores for members with an NUS extra card this month.