Royal Wedding boost for Morrisons

5th May 2011 07:08

Times have been tough in the 13 weeks to 1 May but Morrisons has been appealing to its customers' sense of patriotism, helping the supermarket to post growth ahead of the market.Total sales excluding fuel during the period were up by 4.2% from the same period a year ago, or by 2.5% on a like-for-like basis. Campaigns such as its "Fuel Britannia" and "Let's Celebrate" promotions for Easter and the Royal Wedding attracted record numbers of customers, it said.The market remains challenging, with the high oil price and other commodity price increases hurting shoppers."The board is encouraged by the group's progress in the first quarter but with consumers' disposable incomes falling and an uncertain economic environment, we remain cautious," said Morrisons. "Our overall expectations for the full year remain unchanged."---RG