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Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc

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FY2011 Annual Report · Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc
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Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC
Hilmore House
Gain Lane
Bradford
BD3 7DL
Telephone: 0845 611 5000

www.morrisons.co.uk

Information at your fingertips

Consumer

This area of our website allows you to learn 
more about Morrisons and our offering.

Offers
•  Latest promotions
•  Specific product offerings
•  Competitions
•  Press releases/marketing

Market Street
More about our unique in-store offering, 
along with video presentations of where  
our food comes from and how to buy,  
cook and present it.

Food
Information about our ranges, healthy 
eating and more mouth-watering recipes.

Drink
Information on how and what to buy,  
where our wines come from and, yes,  
more recipes.

Family life
From entertainments to bringing up baby  
and looking after your pets. Including 
gardening tips and even how to track  
where your eggs come from.

Fresh food
Giving details of seasonal food and how  
and what to buy. 

Let’s Grow
Information about our Let’s Grow scheme, 
including how to register, facts, how it 
works and teaching resources.

Great Taste Less Waste
All about getting more meals for your 
money by reducing waste and making  
the most of fresh food. Includes how  
to store food and keep leftovers fresher  
for longer and more recipes.

Today
Here you can find out about our Corporate  
Responsibility ethos, including how we  
take good care of our environment,  
society and how we go about business.  
www.morrisons.co.uk/today

Morrisons Magazine
The current and archived bi-monthly 
magazine is available to view online.

Health and pharmacy
Handy health information for the whole 
family, from tots to grown-ups.

Corporate

Work with Morrisons
Career opportunities and information  
about working for Morrisons. For our 
dedicated recruitment website go to  
www.iwantafreshstart.com

Press Office
Latest releases about the growing estate  
of Morrisons, along with promotions  
and product news.

Investors
User-friendly
Presentations, announcements and  
financial reports can be quickly and easily 
downloaded or viewed on-screen as PDFs. 
You can easily navigate around the Annual 
report and financial statements 2011 
on-screen, viewing only the parts you want 
to, www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Webcasts
Webcasts of the Directors delivering  
the preliminary results 2011 on 9 March 
2011 are available.

Shareholder information
Other relevant shareholder information  
is available, like share price history,  
financial calendar and AGM minutes.

Electronic communications
Electronic communications (eComms)  
is the fastest and most environmentally 
friendly way to communicate with our 
shareholders.

Instead of receiving paper copies of  
the annual and interim financial results,  
notices of shareholder meetings and  
other shareholder documents, you will 
receive an email to let you know this 
information is available on our website.

Visiting our website to obtain our results 
reduces our environmental impact by  
saving on paper and also reduces our  
print and distribution costs.

Sign up to eComms on our website at  
www.morrisons.co.uk/corporate/investors 
and follow the investor eComms link.

About Morrisons
You will find information about the Group,  
its operations, its strategy and structure,  
and past financial information.

Different
...and better than ever.

Annual report and  
financial statements 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Different ...and better than ever

105

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
  102  ——  105

Contents

The Directors’ report  
and business review

Introduction

1 
2  Chairman’s statement

 Strategic review

4  Chief Executive’s business review

5   Morrisons difference
12  Our strategy
14  Our Operational Plan
16 Corporate Responsibility
18  Our people
20 Risks and uncertainties

 Performance review
22  Operational review
26 Key Performance Indicators 
28  Financial review

 Governance
32  Board of Directors and 
Management Board

34  Corporate governance report
39  Directors’ remuneration report
49  General information

Financial statements

52 Group financial statements
52   Directors’ statements of 

responsibilities

53   Independent auditors’ report
54   Consolidated financial 

statements

54   Group accounting policies
60   Consolidated statement of 
comprehensive income
61   Consolidated balance sheet
62   Consolidated cash flow 

statement

63   Consolidated statement  
of changes in equity

64   Notes to the Group financial 

statements

89 Company financial statements

89   Company accounting policies
92   Company balance sheet
93   Notes to the Company  
financial statements

Investor information

102   Five year summary of results
103   Supplementary information
104   Investor relations  

and financial calendar

Committed to quality, 
from field to fork
Page 6

Registrars and Shareholding enquiries
Administrative enquiries about the holding of Morrisons  
shares, such as change of address, change of ownership,  
dividend payments and the Dividend Reinvestment Plan  
should be directed to:

Auditors
KPMG Audit Plc 
1 The Embankment, Neville Street 
Leeds  LS1 4DW

Capita Registrars 
The Registry 
34 Beckenham Road 
Beckenham 
Kent  BR3 4TU

Telephone: 0871 664 0300 Overseas: +44 208 639 3399 
Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras.

www.capitaregistrars.com

Solicitors
Gordons LLP 
Riverside West, Whitehall Road 
Leeds  LS1 4AW

Ashurst LLP 
Broadwalk House, 5 Appold Street 
London  EC2A 2HA

Wragge & Co LLP 
55 Colmore Row 
Birmingham  B3 2AS

Stockbrokers
RBS Hoare Govett Limited 
250 Bishopsgate 
London  EC2M 4AA

Merrill Lynch 
Merrill Lynch Financial Centre 
2 King Edward Street 
London  EC1A 1HQ

Investment bankers
NM Rothschild & Sons Limited 
1 King William Street  
London  EC4N 7AR

Designed by Salterbaxter 
Printed by Pureprint Group

Shareholder information
The number of shareholders at 30 January 2011 was 48,371 (31 January 2010 was 46,959) and the number of shares in issue was 
2,657,766,671 (31 January 2010: 2,651,100,378).

Analysis by shareholder
Private shareholder
Nominee companies
Deceased accounts
Limited companies
Other institutions
Bank & bank nominees
Investment trusts
Pension funds
Family interests
Insurance companies

Analysis by shareholder
1–1,000
1,001–10,000
10,001–1,000,000
over 1,000,000

Number of holders
41,024
6,566
322
234
86
73
29
24
8
5

Number of holders
25,527
20,084
1,939
821

% holders
84.81
13.57
0.67
0.48
0.18
0.15
0.06
0.05
0.02
0.01

% holders
52.80
41.50
4.01
1.69

 Balances at 30 January 2011
286,246,586
2,308,383,880
710,856
9,192,741
3,920,963
44,079,781
118,819
5,037,355
10,622
65,068

 Balances at 30 January 2011
11,452,824
58,347,097
53,036,698
2,534,930,052

% capital
10.78
86.85
0.02
0.35
0.15
1.66
0.00
0.19
0.00
0.00

% capital
0.43
2.20
2.00
95.37

Traditional craft  
skills in-store
Page 8

Focus on  
fresh food
Page 10

Morrisons at a glance

We are the UK’s fourth largest food retailer by sales with 
an annual turnover in excess of £16bn. We have 439 stores 
across Britain, ranging in size from 8,000 to over 40,000  
square feet. Over 11 million customers visit our stores 
each week, served by more than 132,000 employees.

Our strategy and vision

We are focused on delivering our next stage 
of growth, with a vision to be ‘Different and  
Better than Ever’.

   page 12 for more information on our strategy and vision

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Introduction

1

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

What makes us different  
is our unique offer of 
high quality, fresh food 
at great prices, much of which 
we have made ourselves.

We have had another strong year as we focus on the  
provenance, quality and freshness of food served  
by experts who know their trade.

Financial highlights

Group turnover

Like-for-like sales (ex-fuel, ex-VAT)

Underlying profit before tax

£16.5bn

£16.5bn

£15.4bn

2011

2010

+0.9%

0.9%

2011

6.0%

2010

£869m

£869m

£767m

2011

2010

Underlying earnings per share

Net debt

Total dividend per share

23.0p

23.0p

2011

20.5p

2010

£817m

£817m

£924m

2011

2010

9.6p

9.6p

2011

8.2p

2010

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
2

Chairman’s statement

Highlights 2010/11

Strong performance in tough times
•  Profit up year-on-year
•  Earnings per share increased
•  Cash generation improved

   page 22 for the 
Operational review

Colleague recognition
•   Awarded Retail Employer of the  

Year 2010 by The Grocer Gold awards

•   Training our 132,000 colleagues 

through our award-winning Academy 

•   9% increase in profit share pool

Shareholder investment and returns
•  Financial strategy reinforced
•   Three year commitment to  

double-digit annual dividend growth

•   Rebalancing of the split between our 
interim and final dividend payments  
to be c30:70 in future

•   Two year equity retirement 

programme to cancel £1bn ordinary 
shares purchased from the market

   page 28 for more on 
financial strategy

Retail Industry Awards

Retail Industry Awards: 
Store Manager of the Year 
Fresh Produce Retailer of the Year 
Meat Retailer of the Year 
Drinks Retailer of the Year 

Sir Ian Gibson 
Chairman

Another good year 
with record sales and 
customer numbers

This has been another good year for Morrisons. 
In a difficult consumer environment, increasing 
numbers of customers have recognised the great 
value and quality of our offer and we have again 
delivered record profits. We have ambitious 
plans to take Morrisons unique offer to more 
customers through our accelerating new store 
programme and through the development of 
new channels.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

3

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

£874m

Profit before tax increased compared  
to last year’s £858m, which included  
an exceptional credit of £91m.

12% increase

Underlying earnings per share increased  
to 23.0p from 20.5p in 2009/10.

17% increase

Total dividend for the year has increased  
17%, making dividend cover 2.4 times.

8.37p

The Board has recommended a final dividend 
of 8.37p per share, bringing the total 
dividend for the year to 9.60p per share.

£46m

The profit share pool for our colleagues  
is £46m, an increase of 9% on the  
previous year.

£1.3m

raised for our Charity of the Year  
– Help the Hospices.

I am pleased to report another year of strong progress for 
Morrisons. Sales growth was ahead of the market, confirming  
that our offer remains in tune with the needs of our customers, 
whilst our solid profit and dividend growth is evidence that  
we continue to thrive in a challenging economic environment. 

Mark Gunter, the Group’s Retail Director, retires from the  
Board following our AGM in June 2011, after which he will  
remain an adviser to the Group before full retirement in June  
2012. Mark has served on the Board for over ten years of his  
25 years of exceptional service. 

Dalton Philips, our new CEO, arrived early in the year and quickly 
began to make his mark. He has shaped his senior management 
team with a great blend of new and existing talent, and between 
them they have developed a clear plan to deliver the next stage  
of Morrisons growth, with a vision to be ‘Different and Better  
than Ever’. 

We are deeply appreciative of their outstanding contributions  
to Morrisons growth over many years.

As a consequence of these changes, the Group will have two 
Executive Directors going forward, the Chief Executive and the 
Group Finance Director. 

Results
Profit before tax was £874m, compared with the prior year’s  
£858m which included an exceptional credit of £91m. Underlying 
profit before tax, which we regard as the measure of true business 
performance, was up 13% to £869m. Statutory basic earnings per 
share were 23.9p, an increase of 5% over the previous year, whilst 
underlying basic earnings per share increased by 12% to 23.0p.  
In accordance with our policy of increasing the dividend in line  
with underlying earnings growth and moving dividend cover in  
line with the sector average, the Board is recommending a final 
dividend of 8.37p per share, bringing the total dividend for the  
year to 9.6p, an increase of 17%.

Our cash generation was again strong, with cash from operations  
of £1.1bn, up £127m (13%) over the previous year. Capital 
expenditure of £592m was well within earlier guidance, and was 
lower than the prior year’s £916m (which had included the opening 
of a new regional distribution centre and a package of stores from 
the Co-op). We expect the rate of investment to pick up again in 
2011/12, as we invest in further distribution capacity and a higher 
rate of new store openings.

Net debt was £817m, a decrease of £107m over the year, to  
leave gearing at 15%, a level well below the average for the  
sector. At the year end the Group had undrawn, committed  
bank facilities of £625m. 

The Board
Martyn Jones, the Group’s Trading Director, took on the new role  
of Group Corporate Services Director during the year, extending  
his 20 years of service with the business, whilst stepping down 
from the Board. 

As previously announced, Paul Manduca, our Senior Independent 
Director, stepped down from the Board on 9 March 2011. 
Additionally, Brian Flanagan, a Non-Executive Director since 2005, 
has indicated that it is his intention to step down from the Board 
immediately following the AGM in June 2011. Paul and Brian have 
both made an enormous contribution, over more than five years,  
to the stabilisation and subsequent success of the Group and  
we are extremely grateful for their efforts.

Colleagues
Morrisons commitment to providing our customers with 
outstanding value, quality and service has once again been 
recognised with numerous industry awards. We were particularly 
proud to be awarded Employer of the Year in The Grocer Gold 
Awards, in recognition of our commitment to the training and 
career development of our 132,000 colleagues. I am delighted  
that our growth during the year will provide a profit share pool  
for them of £46m, an increase of 9% over last year. On behalf  
of the Board I want to express my thanks to them for their 
dedication, professionalism and hard work throughout the year.

Charitable donations 
Our colleagues and customers are always enthusiastic supporters 
of our charitable activities and I am pleased that this year has  
been no exception. Raise a Smile is Morrisons campaign to  
support charities by bringing together our suppliers, customers  
and colleagues to help make a real difference. This year we were 
pleased to have raised £1.3m for Help the Hospices, our Charity  
of the Year which supports local hospices for children and adults 
with a life-limiting or terminal illness. We also contributed £0.4m  
to the Pakistan flood appeal.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

4

Chief Executive’s business review

Strategic highlights 2010/11

Strategy
•   Long term strategy reinforced  

and new vision launched 

•   New operational plan developed  

to deliver our vision

   page 12 for more on our strategy

Expansion plans
•   Accelerating our new space 

programme

•   Trialling new channels of convenience 

and online shopping

Dalton Philips 
Chief Executive

Reinforce the  
differences and seize 
the opportunities

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

2010 was a year of solid performance in the 
business, whilst we reshaped the top team and 
began a series of initiatives and investments  
to drive the business forward. Our plan to  
make Morrisons ‘Different and Better 
than Ever’ has great momentum, with store 
trials under way that are yielding exciting results,  
our first convenience store sites secured  
and important e-commerce investments in 
FreshDirect and kiddicare.com announced.

Morrisons difference 
Morrisons is different. We are different because:

•   we are closer to source than any other food retailer through our 

relationships with farmers and through our unique manufacturing 
and packing facilities, so we really understand how the food that  
we sell has been produced. We intend to broaden the range of  
food we make ourselves to reinforce this difference;

•   we prepare more food every day in our stores than any of our 
competitors because our customers value food that is really  
fresh; and

•   we have in-house craft skills and employ more butchers, bakers 

and fishmongers than any other supermarket, because our 
customers like to be served by food specialists.

We will maintain these points of difference by continuing to invest  
in our colleagues, providing them, through the Morrisons Academy, 
with the biggest ongoing training programme in UK retail.

A strong heritage
From selling eggs and butter on a  
Bradford market stall over 100 years  
ago the business has grown into Britain’s 
fourth largest supermarket group, serving 
over 11 million customers a week.

Morrisons is now a household name and 
it’s the same name above the door that 
William Morrison started in 1899 with  
the founding principles of great service,  
quality foods and value for everyone. 

Infused with strong values and a sound 
understanding of food provenance, 
Morrisons has stayed true to what  
makes it different and now has the 
opportunity to be even better than ever. 

5

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Different
We are different to other grocers because:

•   we are vertically integrated  

– we make much of our own food;

•   our breadth and depth of craft skills  

is the best in the industry; and

•  we have a greater focus on fresh food.

Better than Ever
We will constantly invest and  
innovate to:

•   reinforce our differences which  

create value; and

•   seize new opportunities to make 

Morrisons better for our customers, 
better for our colleagues and better 
for our shareholders.

   page 6 for more on vertical 
integration

   page 8 for more on craft skills

   page 10 for more on fresh food

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

6

Chief Executive’s business review – continued

We want to give all our customers great, fresh 
food at low prices. At Morrisons, we work hard 
to ensure good quality not just in our stores, but 
throughout our whole supply chain. By buying 
food directly from suppliers we know and trust,  
we can control quality, keep prices down and  
get fresh food onto our shelves faster.

Committed to quality, 
from field to fork

Today
Sourcing British food

100% of our fresh beef,  
lamb, pork and poultry  
is British. 

Visit   morrisons.co.uk/today

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

7

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

700

We have 700 tractors and 1,700 trailers  
delivering to our stores across the country.

1st

In 2010, we became the first of the big 
four supermarkets to move to 100%  
free range for our own-brand eggs.

Building great relationships with our suppliers 
We care about getting to know the people who produce and 
prepare our food. Just ask Clive Goulsbra, a fourth-generation 
Lincolnshire beef farmer who has supplied Morrisons with meat  
for more than 7 years. Our livestock manager, Michael Winchester, 
deals direct with Clive, buying at a fair price and delivering to our 
own meat processing plants, managed by professionals who care 
about animal welfare.

It’s a unique supply chain set-up that works for us in a number of ways. 
First of all, because we buy direct from farmers, we know exactly 
what we’re buying and where it comes from. By cutting out the 
middle man, we can save money and pass on those savings to our 
customers. And by running our own processing plants, we can keep 
control of quality throughout every stage of the production process.

Four reasons why our supply chain model  
makes all the difference:

•  Quality – we control 

quality by owning our  
own production facilities
•  Insight – we know what 
we’re buying and where  
it comes from

•  Value – we buy direct 
and pass savings on to  
the customer

•  Flexibility – we get our food 
in store faster and react to  
the market more quickly

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

8

Chief Executive’s business review – continued

Today
Committed to training

Morrisons is now the largest 
provider of apprenticeships in 
the UK, with more traditional 
craft trained skills than any 
other retailer.

Visit   morrisons.co.uk/today

Traditional craft  
skills in-store

We pride ourselves on giving customers fresh 
food just the way they like it. That’s why our 
stores have Market Street: a place that combines  
the convenience of supermarket shopping with the 
skills, experience and helpful advice you’d expect to 
find in a traditional family food shop or market stall.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

9

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

In Market Street we have more people 
preparing food than any other retailer and 
we employ more specialist fishmongers, 
butchers and bakers than our competitors.

Skilled butchers

 2,000+
 1,200+
 2,000+

Fully trained fishmongers

Skilled bakers

Market Street gives our customers:

• Great choice
•  Food prepared the  

way they like it by staff  
who know their trade

• Expert advice
• A better shopping experience
•  Prices that are great value 

across the ranges

We bake bread from scratch in-store every  
day. We bake throughout the day too so if  
we see we’re running out, we roll up our  
sleeves and get baking again.

Traditional service, supermarket convenience
A welcoming atmosphere. Helpful, knowledgeable advice.  
Staff who know your name and what you like. Everyone  
loves the feel of buying groceries in a market or at a specialist 
food shop. At Morrisons, we don’t see any reason why you  
can’t have the same experience in a supermarket. 

In Market Street we have more highly trained and experienced 
tradespeople on hand than any other supermarket. Whether 
our customers are looking for recipe ideas, advice about  
what’s in season, or a certain cut of meat for their family 
Sunday roast, our expert staff will be happy to help. And 
because we’re able to respond quickly to changes in demand, 
we can cut down on unnecessary waste while giving more of 
our customers what they want.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

10

Chief Executive’s business review – continued

Balancing the demands of daily life and a tight 
budget can be tricky enough without the challenge 
of preparing fresh, tasty food every night of the 
week. That’s why, at Morrisons, we’re coming up 
with new ways for our customers to enjoy fresh food  
for less – and bringing it to market faster than ever.

Making it easy  
to enjoy fresh food

Today
Helping towards 5-a-day

Over the last year we have 
averaged 100 promotions  
per week on fresh produce, 
making it easy and affordable 
for our customers to buy 
fresh, healthy food.

Visit   morrisons.co.uk/today

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

11

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

90%

90% of our fresh produce orders  
are delivered to store within 12 hours.

12  weeks

We responded quickly to our customer 
demands by launching our Dinner Made 
Easy range in just 12 weeks.

Panettone
We introduced freshly baked Panettone in our  
stores this Christmas. The delicious, buttery,  
sweet bread was loaded with mixed fruit and  
peel to give it a distinctive flavour and was a  
sell-out with our customers.

New ways to enjoy fresh 
Morrisons is all about fresh. While our competitors have looked 
elsewhere for sales and profits, reducing the amount of store space 
and attention they give to fresh food, we have become famous for 
fresh. For example, we guarantee the fresh fish on our fishmonger 
counter is exactly that – fresh, and never frozen. And we bake 
bread from scratch in most of our stores every day.

Fresh food is our starting point – but we also want to give 
customers new and easier ways of enjoying it too. With our Dinner 
Made Easy range, we provide all the fresh ingredients they need  
for one recipe in one pack – so customers can rustle up a delicious 
dinner in minutes. At our Fresh to Go counters, customers can grab 
a punnet and fill it with a choice of freshly made salads at any time 
of day. And last year’s new product launches for Christmas included 
authentic Italian Panettone – baked fresh in-store, of course.

Our staff make sandwiches fresh every day, 
using ingredients from in-store. And the same 
goes for our salads: our in-store produced 
coleslaw, for example, is prepared fresh each day.

•  We have up to 24 varieties 
of freshly made salads to  
choose from.

•  Our pizzas are freshly 
prepared in-store and  
carefully topped by hand.

•  Our Oven Fresh counter offers  
a wide choice of fresh, tasty  
and great value hot food – 
straight from the oven.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

12

Chief Executive’s business review – continued

Strategy overview

Our strategy builds on Morrisons 
historic strengths and make us  
unique in the UK grocery market.

   pages 5–11 for more on 
building on our strengths

Our new vision is aligned to our strategy 
by reinforcing Morrisons differences  
and seizing the opportunities.

   page 5 for more on being 
‘Different and Better Than Ever’

We have identified opportunities  
for growth that will help us deliver  
our vision.

   page 13 for more on 
opportunities

Closer to customers

We are growing our stores across  
all regions and now have 439  
stores nationally.

Scotland
56

North
85

Our strategy 
Our strategy is to deliver sustainable long term growth, building  
on our traditional strengths of fresh food, quality, value and service, 
backed by our unique vertical integration capability, whilst reflecting 
our customers’ needs and the changes that are taking place in the 
market. We will do this in a way that stays true to the things that 
make us Morrisons.

Vision
Our vision is to be ‘Different and Better than Ever’. ‘Different and Better than Ever’ captures 
the key initiatives that will help reinforce what makes our Company different from others, 
and to seize the opportunities that will ensure we continue our growth and great results. 

Strategic priorities
To enable us to deliver the strategy, our strategic priorities are expansion through new 
space and new channels.

New space expansion
Over recent years we have extended the reach of Morrisons away from its traditional 
heartland in the North and we are now a recognised and truly national brand. Despite this, 
we estimate there are 6.8m households (out of a total of 23m) who do not yet have easy 
access to a Morrisons store, and we have strengthened our property acquisition team to 
enable us to accelerate the pace at which we are able to add new stores to our portfolio. 
Finding new store sites has become easier because in recent years we have successfully 
extended the range of store sizes we can operate, whilst still maintaining our unique 
Market Street offer. Today we operate stores from 8,000 to over 40,000 square feet, 
which gives us great flexibility in being able to identify and acquire potential new sites. 
Additionally, we find local planning authorities more and more receptive to us, in part 
because of the attractive jobs and skills training we bring to an area.

New channels – convenience and e-commerce
The grocery market is changing, with customers seeking alternative and complementary 
channels. Convenience stores and online shopping are the two fastest growing sectors  
of the market and developing our offer in these channels will be another focus of our 
future strategy. We will look to do this in a way that is uniquely Morrisons and in a way 
that makes us ‘Different and Better than Ever’. 

Marketplace
We believe the UK grocery market will continue to offer attractive growth in the medium 
to long term. The UK population is expected to grow at a higher rate in the coming  
ten years, and the pre-recessionary trend towards healthier eating and concern for the 
provenance and quality of food will strengthen again as the economic recovery takes hold. 
The long term trend of food expenditure falling as a proportion of GDP reversed in the 
past two years, and we believe it is likely to continue to rise given the growing global 
demand for commodities.

Midlands
85

South East
75
South Central
73

South West
65

Shareholder investment and returns
In 2007 we committed to financial management based on four key principles:

•   we will maintain a strong investment grade balance sheet;

•   operational control of our stores is fundamental to us;

•   we are a prudent organisation and we structure our finances accordingly; and

•   our defined benefit pension schemes’ assets and liabilities are effectively part  

of our balance sheet, and will be managed as such.

Key to map

  Stores
  Manufacturing sites
  Distribution centres
  Bridgwater distribution centre, Somerset

We have maintained these principles. Our credit rating, assessed by Moody’s, is A3,  
one of the strongest retail ratings in the world. Our property portfolio is 87% freehold, 
and our pension schemes are well funded.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

13

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

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Opportunities at a glance

Space expansion
We will be accelerating our new  
store programme and re-setting  
our target to 2.5m square feet over  
the next three years.

We will also be optimising our existing 
space which could give us an additional 
750k square feet selling space.

Convenience
We will be trialling our convenience 
format in 2011 under the name ‘M local’. 
These stores will offer customers:
•   affordable, fresh and convenient food;
•   a look and feel that emphasises our 

fresh credentials; and

•   a distinctive experience – something 

which is truly Morrisons.

Online
We are committed to retailing online in 
the coming two years. To support this, 
we have made two investments to help 
us launch our e-commerce activities 
successfully in the future.

Strengthening our brand 
We want to extend our lead on fresh 
food and have been trialling a range  
of exciting new concepts.

We will be transforming our own brand 
products over the next three years  
to give our customers something
distinctive either on price, quality  
or eating experience.

Efficiency
We will be increasing efficiency through 
three main programmes: 
•   investing in our IT systems and 

enhancing our distribution network;

•   seeking ways to drive costs out of  
the business and improving store 
efficiency; and

•   investing to extend the range of  
our food production capability.

Alongside this balance sheet strength, we have been determined to deliver value for 
shareholders. Over the period since our new policy was established, the dividend has  
more than doubled, with dividend cover remaining strong at 2.4 times. 

We will continue to adopt the same prudent approach to our financial strategy, balancing 
the need to invest for future business growth and deliver shareholder returns. The Group 
has a very strong balance sheet which is securely financed with a number of long dated 
bonds and a new £1.2bn revolving credit facility available at competitive rates until 2016. 
These available facilities and our anticipated organic cash generation can comfortably fund 
our capital programme over the coming three years, estimated to be £3.0bn. Additionally, 
we intend to enhance shareholder returns through:

•   a three year commitment to double-digit annual dividend growth;

•   a rebalancing of the split between our interim and final dividend payments, to be c30:70 

in future; and

•   a two year equity retirement programme of £500m per annum, to commence immediately 

through the purchase of shares in the market, followed by their cancellation.

Delivering our strategy
Operational Plan
We have developed a detailed plan to deliver our vision. The plan has three areas of focus:

•  driving sales;

•  increasing efficiency; and 

•  capturing growth.

   page 14 for more on our Operational Plan

How we manage the business

Our employees
Success at Morrisons relies 
on our 132,000 people 
delivering great service  
to our customers each  
and every day by living  
our Values.

   page 18 for more 
on our employees

How we have performed

Operational review
It has been a record  
year for us and once again 
we have delivered strong 
performance.

A sustainable and 
responsible retailer
We aim to build responsible 
and sustainable values  
into our business and  
the products we sell.

Risks and uncertainties
We discuss the principle 
risks and uncertainties  
that the Group faces in 
achieving its objectives.

   page 16 for more 
on Corporate 
Responsibility

   page 20 for more on 
risks and uncertainties

Market overview
A summary of how the 
market has performed in  
the year, to set a context  
for our performance.

Financial review
Our financial strategy  
is explained along with  
more detail on the financial 
performance and position  
of the Group. 

   page 22 for more

   page 25 for more

   page 28 for more

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

14

Chief Executive’s business review – continued

Acquisitions and 
investments

Farmers Boy Deeside
In the first half of the year, we acquired 
a cooked meat production plant which 
will add to our existing capacity and 
allow us to produce nearly all of our 
requirements in-house.

Our Operational Plan
We have developed a detailed plan designed to deliver our vision  
to be ‘Different and Better than Ever’. Our Differences are explained 
in the strategy section above. Our opportunity to be Better than  
Ever rests in our belief that there are still numerous areas of our 
business that could be operated more effectively or efficiently  
with the help of investment in systems and infrastructure.

Simply Fresh
We also acquired Simply Fresh in  
the first half of the year, a stir fry  
and prepared vegetable business.  
It will add capacity and enable us  
to consolidate our sourcing of all  
these products in-house.

Kiddicare
In February 2011 we purchased 
kiddicare.com, a specialist retailer 
operating in the baby and infant 
merchandising category. We intend  
to grow the business organically and 
believe it will bring us four key benefits: 
•   its sophisticated technology;
•   its speed and agility to react to  

the market that a large corporate 
finds difficult; 

•   it is multi-channel and allows us to 

retail online and in store kiosks; and 

•   it has best-in-class logistics which  
is a primary challenge for online 
product fulfilment.

FreshDirect – New York
We have invested in a c10% stake in 
FreshDirect, a profitable, fast growing 
and highly successful internet grocer 
serving the New York market. 
FreshDirect has a well established 
infrastructure and profitable operating 
model which Morrisons can learn from.

The Plan has three areas of focus: driving sales, increasing efficiency and capturing growth.

Driving sales
Reinforcing what makes us different will ensure we win with the increasingly value-
demanding, health-conscious and time-starved UK consumer. 

•   Our key point of difference is in the provision of great value fresh food, and we plan  

to extend our lead still further, exploiting our unique food preparation skills to establish 
clear ground between us and the rest of our competitors. We are trialling a range  
of exciting new concepts in-store which will help us to do this. 

•   The best and quickest source of new sales space is to make more effective use of what  
we already have. We are planning to liberate space in our stores for new categories  
by rebalancing our existing range. Trials are underway to establish the most effective 
means of achieving this but results to date suggest that we could, as a first stage,  
liberate up to 10% of the existing centre store space in our 20,000 to 40,000 square  
feet stores (and more in larger stores) which would then be available for new products 
and categories. Subject to a successful trial, rollout of Project Liberate will begin in  
2012, with the prospect of creating up to an additional 0.75m square feet of selling  
space in the business, equivalent to approximately a full year’s new store programme.

•   Our proportion of own label sales lags behind our competitors, despite our vertical 
integration providing us with a real opportunity to offer differentiated products,  
and to build a strong own brand. We intend to develop our brands strongly, and to  
that end have, for the first time, created a separate management structure to oversee 
this £6bn business.

Increasing efficiency
We can only offer real value to our customers, invest in service in-store, improve returns  
to shareholders and drive growth for the future by being as efficient as possible across  
the business. The replacement of our ageing systems through our Evolve programme  
and the enhancement of our constrained distribution network, both of which are well 
advanced, are key to delivering efficiencies throughout the business.

A strong culture of cost control exists within Morrisons. We are planning to build upon  
this through our Excavate project in which the responsibility for purchasing goods not  
for resale will be centralised and costs driven out of the business, and through our  
Fresh Working trial, which seeks to improve the way in which we operate our stores. 

Capturing growth
New space
Morrisons is the fourth largest grocery retailer in the UK. We remain under-represented  
in many parts of the country and we estimate that there are some 6.8m households in the 
UK who are not located within a convenient 15 minutes drive time from a Morrisons store. 
This is a higher target customer base than any of our three larger competitors. A key part 
of our strategy, therefore, is to increase the number of Morrisons stores. In 2010 we set  
an objective to add 1.5m square feet of selling space in the three years to January 2013. 
Our first year target was 400,000 square feet and we are pleased to have met this. With 
our new property team now in place we have an opportunity to capture space more quickly 
and accordingly are now targeting to deliver 2.5m square feet of new space in the 3 years 
to January 2014, in addition to the space to be created through the Liberate project. 

Food production
At our interim results in September 2010, we announced our intention to invest a further 
£200m in extending the range of our food production capability, enhancing our point of 
difference in producing the food we sell.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

Convenience
The convenience sector is the second fastest growing part of  
the grocery market and as such is an area that we are evaluating 
carefully. Our success in operating smaller stores in recent years 
has given us the confidence that we can offer customers something 
different, with great fresh food. We will explore the opportunity  
of extending our customer reach with a three store trial during 
2011 under the name ‘M local’. We are pleased to have identified 
the trial locations, the first of which will open in July.

E-commerce
In September at our interim results we also announced that  
we would undertake research into the e-commerce channel, 
recognising that the fastest growing sector in grocery retailing  
is online shopping. 

As we researched this channel, we became convinced that 
Morrisons should be transacting online, as our customers wish  
us to offer this option. Our research has shown that to do this 
effectively has significant challenges and that building such 
capabilities from scratch takes time. We believe we can build a 
profitable business online, and we are therefore now committing  
to launch Morrisons.com, for both grocery and non-food products, 
in the coming two years.

In support of this goal, we are delighted to be making two 
investments that we believe will help us to launch our e-commerce 
activities successfully in the future, and in an accelerated way.

The first is the acquisition, previously announced, of kiddicare.com, 
for £70m. This is a highly successful, specialist retailer operating in 
the baby and infant merchandise category. It has a truly innovative 
approach to e-commerce and to serving its customers, and operates 
an extremely well built technology platform. We intend to grow 
this business organically, under the continuing leadership of Scott 
and Elaine Weavers-Wright, two of the best known retailers in UK 
e-commerce. We believe the business, its products and its customers 
will fit extremely well alongside Morrisons. In addition to the 
kiddicare.com acquisition, we are also acquiring absolutely the 
rights to the kiddicare.com operating and technology platform. 
This extremely well built, flexible platform will put Morrisons in  
an early position to launch its e-commerce operation for general 
merchandise categories, and we expect to launch this gradually 
from the Spring of 2012.

Just 22 hours

British sweetcorn can arrive in a Morrisons 
store just 22 hours after being picked.

15

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

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The second is a £32m investment in FreshDirect, a profitable, fast 
growing and highly successful internet grocer serving the New York 
market. We will be taking a c10% stake in the company, with a seat 
on the Board and the opportunity to embed a team of Morrisons 
people in the business to learn how it operates. They have been 
building their business for 12 years, are profitable and growing 
like-for-like sales at over 20%. We believe our investment will, 
itself, be highly successful, but that the learning we will get from  
it will be invaluable. This investment is the first step in developing 
the offer that we will ultimately launch in the UK.

These two investments will help us to learn from the very best,  
and get us going. We believe as a result we will get to the right 
answers faster in both grocery and non-food internet retailing.

We are determined that in both these new channels of online  
and convenience we will offer customers something which is 
distinctively Morrisons.

UK grocery retail market
The consumer continued to face a difficult economic environment 
during the year. Tax increases, the threat of public sector spending 
cuts, rising unemployment and the lack of credit all contributed  
to weak consumer confidence, whilst disposable incomes were  
also squeezed by inflation increasing at a rate higher than the 
targets set by the Government. Despite the significant increase  
in promotional and price activity in the market, the cost of an 
average shopping basket rose year-on-year, partly due to the 
weakness of Sterling. 

Kantar, a leading market research company, reported that in  
2010 grocery market growth was 3.4%, the lowest level of  
growth for five years, with Morrisons equivalent market growth  
of 4.5%. Kantar reported that inflation during the year was  
2.3%, although the level faced by our customers in Morrisons 
stores was lower than this.

We anticipate that the market will experience a similar low level  
of growth in 2011, and that we will see a slight rise in prices due  
to the continuing emergence of some commodity price pressures 
including grain and oil. In this environment we expect the market 
to remain strongly competitive. Morrisons great value credentials 
and focus on high quality fresh foods leave us well placed to 
continue to be successful in the projected low growth environment. 
Our financial strength allows us to invest for the long term to 
deliver our strategy.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

16

Corporate Responsibility

Overview

In this section we set out how we 
manage our corporate responsibility 
programme, developments over the  
year and key highlights.

Today
By taking good care as we undertake  
our business in the present we will 
ensure the long term sustainability of 
our business in the future. At the heart 
of our operation we consider carefully 
how we interact with the world around 
us, work hard to minimise our impact 
and strive to make a positive contribution, 
taking on board the views of all of our 
key stakeholders.

Corporate Responsibility at Morrisons
Corporate Responsibility is a specific business discipline that  
takes a proactive approach to forward thinking management.  
It recognises that business decisions have to take into account  
social and environmental factors alongside economic ones. 

Our approach to CR is to be ‘Different and Better than Ever’. We care about where our food 
comes from, how it is produced, the people who make it and how it is moved and sold.  
We want our customers to be confident that food bought at Morrisons is food they can trust.

How we manage CR
Management and responsibility for delivery of our commitments is led by senior 
directors on our Management Board. Ongoing management is integrated into the 
business through Corporate Services which also incorporates policy development, 
corporate affairs, technical, regulatory compliance and media relations.

Key highlights and achievements

We have had an embedded corporate 
responsibility programme for a number of 
years. In 2010 we set out the second major 
phase of future plans and commitments  
in our Corporate Responsibility Review.  
We have, again, made good progress  
and won recognition for our work. 

More details of our programme can 
be found in this year’s Corporate 
Responsibility Review 2010/11.

Today: Taking good care for tomorrow
Business
We continued our focus on responsible sourcing as well as raising standards in the  
supply chain. We’ve made good progress with our commitment to sustainable palm  
oil with the first element of our policy, that new products use an RSPO certified  
system, taking effect.

Farming programme initiatives over the year led to two major pieces of work  
through our applied research programme, on renewable energy use for dairy  
farms and on free ranging for egg-laying hens. We retain our leading commitment  
to British farming with our 100% pledge on fresh beef, pork, lamb and poultry. 

Society
We retained three main strands: our people, community and health and wellbeing.  
Our people are what make our business successful and investing in them is central  
to delivering quality, value and service. Our company-wide training programme  
delivered through the Morrisons Academy has now provided recognised qualifications 
for over 48,000 of our people.

   www.morrisons.co.uk/today

Tonnes of carbon emissions (CO2e)

1,603,273

1,549,089

1,457,098

1,498,255

1,418,697 1,417,376

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Emission figures have been updated to be aligned  
with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, developed by the 
World Resource Institute and World Business Council 
for Sustainable Development. They have been updated 
with the latest electricity and waste conversion factors 
issued by DEFRA.

Source: SKM Environs Consulting

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

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Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

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Focus on: The Morrisons Farming Programme
We believe that great quality food starts with great farming.  
As one of the UK’s biggest food retailers, with close working 
relationships with farmers all over the country, we’re 
committed to supporting British farming and making sure  
the industry is innovative, competitive and sustainable.

The Morrisons Farming Programme is a cross-farming industry 
initiative aimed at helping build a sustainable British farming 
industry able to feed future generations.

At the heart of the Programme is a network of farmer groups 
spanning the agricultural sector from beef to dairy to poultry.  
The groups act as a platform to generate ideas for applied 
research activity funded by Morrisons that can help build 
economic, environmental and social sustainability as well  
as delivery benefits to our customers.

Energy + efficiency
One area inspiring particular interest among our dairy farmers  
and supported by Morrisons is greater use of renewable energies 
– good for farm business profitability, reducing the cost base  
for our milk supply and with clear environmental benefits. 

What emerged was the lack of concise, impartial, farmer friendly 
information on the range of renewable options available that 
farmers could consider before making any investment in these 
technologies for their own business. This led to Morrisons 
commissioning Newcastle University to produce a report to  
meet farmers’ needs. 

What the report looked at
What farmers told us they wanted was an independent 
investigation of where they could make energy efficiencies  
in a typical dairy business, and what options there would  
be to introduce different renewable energy options.

Key findings
The report indicates that greater use of renewable energy  
has the potential to help dairy farmers cut costs by as much  
as 30%, a yearly saving of over £3,000 on a typical dairy farm.  
All of which adds up and will help to drive out costs, not just  
for farmers but ultimately for us and our customers.

Industry carbon footprint targets – the wider context
Reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture is a challenge facing 
the entire industry. Both UK and EU legislation has set targets  
for the reduction of environmentally damaging emissions.

Through engagement with Government and the industry  
and by providing practical support and research, we are  
not just demonstrating our commitment to British farming  
but helping to safeguard it for the future.

12% achieved

On target for a 30% absolute reduction in 
carbon emissions by 2020 (2005 baseline).

52%  reduction

Exceeded target of 50% reduction of  
waste to landfill by 2010 (2005 baseline).

£1.3m  raised

Achieved target of raising at least  
£1m per annum for our Charity of  
the Year – Help the Hospices.

Our community programme has helped to raise over  
£1.3m for our charity partner for the year, Help the Hospices.  

Our attention for health and wellbeing has mainly centred  
on continuous improvement in product formulation reducing 
both salt and saturated fat levels and further development  
of our ‘Eat Smart’ range.

Environment
Our focus remains firmly fixed on carbon emissions reduction 
and preventing waste. We made great progress on changing out 
and replacing more harmful refrigerant gases across our estate. 
We won four Cooling Industry Awards and were recognised  
as taking an industry leading position.

We’ve continued to reduce waste and as anticipated reached  
our 2010 target to reduce waste from stores to landfill by 50% 
compared to 2005. We’re well on the way with our new target  
to have zero direct waste to landfill from stores by 2013.

Stakeholder engagement
The new Corporate Services structure implemented during  
the year has successfully allowed even greater stakeholder 
engagement with key groups including shareholders, customers, 
government, non-governmental organisations, employees, 
communities and suppliers. Stakeholder engagement is vital  
to ensure our corporate responsibility is both relevant and 
effective. It enables us to identify issues and opportunities, 
respond to changing needs and adhere to best practice by 
incorporating different views and feedback into the  
development and progress of the programme.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

18

Our people

Our Values

Our Values bring us together to  
achieve our vision of making Morrisons 
‘Different and Better than Ever’.  
The Values set out what we expect  
of each other in the business and what 
our customers can expect from us.

Can do
Getting things done

Fresh thinking
Always looking for new and better ways  
of doing things

One team
Working well together

Great selling and service
We love to sell and serve

Bringing the best out  
of our people
We’re constantly learning and looking  
to improve on where we are

Great shopkeeping
Setting high standards in all areas  
of the business

Retail Industry Awards

Retail Industry Awards: 
Store Manager of the Year  
(for the fourth consecutive year)

Living our Values
At Morrisons we believe that everyone has talent, and bringing the 
best out of our people is at the heart of our success as a company.

Therefore, we put significant focus on growing our own people, developing them from  
the shop floor to the top floor of our business, and helping them perform at their best.

On the shop floor, the opportunities begin immediately. New store recruits can  
achieve a QCF (NVQ) Level 2 Retail Skills qualification (equivalent to five GCSEs  
at grade C or above) while doing their day job as part of The Morrisons Academy.  
Last year nearly 48,000 colleagues were successfully accredited with this nationally  
recognised qualification.

This process ensures that Morrisons has more traditional craft trained people than any 
other retailer, something that is really valued by our customers. At management level  
our ‘Coaching for Performance’ Programme, which translates parallels of winning sports 
teams into success in the business environment, enables our leaders to become great 
coaches who can maximise the potential and performance of their teams. More than 
1,000 of our senior leaders will undertake the programme in the next 12 months.

At the top floor, our Advanced Leadership Programme prepares our senior management 
team for progression into the executive directors of the future. In 2010, 20 senior 
managers joined this programme and three of them have recently progressed to the 
Management Board, including Mark Harrison, our new Group Retail Director (Designate), 
who started his career with Morrisons twenty-five years ago on the shop floor.

Mark’s example, and the 80% of our other employees that are promoted from within,  
is proof that our shop floor to top floor approach is working. Our people philosophy  
makes sound business sense too: in 2010, our approach to recognising talent, rewarding 
hard work and creating opportunities for progression saw productivity increase by 7%, 
labour turnover decrease by 6% and a 0.3% fall in absence, resulting in an £8m cost  
saving to the business.

Not only does our commitment to growing our own talent make financial sense, it also 
ensures that the traditions and values that have made Morrisons a great company endure, 
and that these qualities are deeply engrained throughout our organisation. These solid 
foundations will ensure we grow our talented team and deliver the Morrisons difference 
– and a high performing business – for years to come.

Investing in the future
With the intention of creating our leaders of the future, this year we launched our school 
leavers programme, welcoming 18-year-olds onto our Morrisons Manufacturing Sponsored 
Degree Programme. While working in Morrisons Manufacturing business, they will also 
study for a BSc (Hons) in Management and Business at the Bradford University School of 
Management. It’s an approach that gives our students the opportunity to gain industry 
relevant skills that are aligned with our business objectives.

Launched at a time when students are facing challenging economic conditions and the 
threat of rising tuition fees, our ‘debt-free degrees’ offer a genuine opportunity for young 
people to fulfil their potential, while receiving a competitive salary, payment of their 
degree fees and excellent training.

We will support more intakes in 2011 and in 2012.

The Grocer Gold Awards

UK National Training  
Awards 2010

The Grocer Gold  
Retail Employer of the Year 2010

Regional and National winner 

• Productivity up 7% this year
• Labour turnover down 6%
• Absence down by 0.3% 
• An overall £8m cost saving

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

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Performance review
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Group financial statements
Company financial statements
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The Morrisons Academy
The award-winning Morrisons Academy provides a suite of 
training and development tools to bring out the best in our 
people at all stages in their career. Founded in 2009, the 
Academy is built on strong partnerships with leading academic 
accrediting, training and development providers, including: 

•   the Bradford School of Management and Bradford  

Business School, who provide management training  
and degree courses;

•   the Sports Coaching Department at Leeds Metropolitan 
University, which is a recognised leader in performance 
coaching, applying learning from world-class sports coaching 
techniques for our partnership – The Centre of Coaching 
Excellence; and

•   the global leadership guides who support our Advanced 

Leadership Programme. 

The key to our successful partnerships is that they are 
integrated into the Academy, working alongside our managers, 
trainers, and coaches to deliver world-class expertise the 
Morrisons way. 

This year the standard set by our Academy was recognised 
externally at the National Training Awards, with Morrisons 
winning the overall National Training Award. The judges praised 
our training best practice, the Academy’s unique scale and our 
exceptional commitment to embedding the programme right 
across our stores.

Aiding social mobility
Our belief that everyone has talent, combined with our aim to  
build long lasting relationships with our local communities, has  
led to a working partnership with CREATE, an award-winning  
Leeds-based charity supporting disadvantaged people. Through  
our association with CREATE, we’ve already started to recruit  
and train homeless people into our business. The jobs we’re 
providing will get their lives back on track and create loyal and 
committed team members. It’s our aim to provide 1,000 jobs 
through our partnership with CREATE.

Exceptional apprenticeships
Last year, we signed up over 8,500 apprentices. By the end  
of 2011, we will train a further 18,000 apprentices, making  
Morrisons the UK’s largest modern apprenticeship provider.

Joining our team
Last year we opened 14 new stores, creating 3,500 jobs. We also 
welcomed over 800 new colleagues to our team following our 
acquisition of two manufacturing facilities. Early introductions  
to Morrisons, coupled with honest communications from our 
managers, and robust induction processes, helped to ensure  
a smooth transition for our new people.

Attracting external talent
We are committed to growing our own people and our plans  
will ensure we have a strong talent pool for the future. At times, 
however, we do need to seek talent from outside the organisation, 
largely to fill new skills areas. Our reputation for looking after our 
people, as evidenced in The Grocer Gold Awards 2010 when we 
were named Employer of the Year, ensures we can attract and 
recruit the best talent in the industry from within and outside the 
UK. This year we have successfully filled a number of key positions 
with people from leading organisations.

Looking ahead
This year we will create a Centre of Excellence for Coaching,  
in partnership with Leeds Metropolitan University and Leeds 
Carnegie, who enjoy an international reputation for sports coaching 
excellence. This partnership will provide every manager across  
the business with a consistent set of core leadership and coaching 
skills. By providing managers with the skills to bring the best out  
of their people, we will help everyone in the business to perform  
to their best everyday: something that our customers will recognise 
in the service they receive and the shopping experience they enjoy.

We are also committed to more than doubling our number of 
female senior managers, so that by 2014 we will have increased  
the female representation on the company’s Senior Management 
Group from 13% to 30%. We have established a Steering group  
to drive our detailed action plans which, along with coaching  
and mentoring, will help more women maximise their careers  
at Morrisons.

48,000

In 2010 we trained 48,000 colleagues  
to QCF (NVQ) Level 2. By the end of  
2011, over 100,000 colleagues will  
have achieved this accreditation.

95%

The majority of our Store General 
Managers are promoted from within  
and 30% of our Senior Management 
Team started on the shop floor.

Employee stability (%)

84

85

76

78

2008

2009

2010

2011

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

20

Risk and uncertainties

Identifying and monitoring
our risks in 2010/11

Like all businesses, our business faces 
risks and uncertainties that could impact 
on the Group’s achievement of its 
objectives. Risk is accepted as being  
a part of doing business.

Within the Group, responsibility  
for risk management and internal 
control lies with the Board. Executive 
management implements and  
maintains the system of controls.

The business uses a corporate  
scorecard to monitor the achievement 
of its objectives and the performance  
of colleagues. 

The scorecard is made up of the 
following four elements:

Financial
Operational excellence
Customers and suppliers
Our people

How do we manage the risk management process?
Through the application of reasoned judgement and consideration 
of the likelihood and consequence of events, the Board believes a 
successful risk management framework balances risk and reward.

1 — Develop and communicate corporate objectives 
We develop our strategy based on our vision to be ‘Different and Better than Ever’.  
This informs the setting of objectives across the business and is widely communicated  
within the business through the use of the scorecard. 

2 — Identify and evaluate the risks
Colleagues use a variety of mechanisms to identify the risks to the achievement  
of the corporate objectives including the use of facilitated workshops. The likelihood 
and consequence of the risks identified is considered.

3 — Take action to manage risk
Responsibility for taking necessary actions to manage risk is delegated to appropriate 
colleagues within the business. The risks and related controls are recorded in risk 
registers. 

4 — Review and monitor the success of actions
The Management Board and the other operating boards consider the risks reported 
within the risk registers. Key risks are reported to the Board, which reviews and 
monitors the status of risk and control across the Group.

2

Identify and  
evaluate the risks

3

Take action to  
manage risk

Values
Our Values define  
what we expect of  
our people and what 
our stakeholders  
can expect from us.

Develop and 
communicate 
corporate 
objectives

1

Review and monitor  
the success of actions

4

Our Values are at the heart of how we manage risk
We understand that any system of control is dependent on the people operating  
it. Our Values define what we expect of our people and what our stakeholders  
can expect from us. The Board sets the tone at the top and this is cascaded  
throughout the organisation. 

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

The list below sets out the most significant risks to the achievement 
of the Group’s goals with respect to the four elements listed in  
the panel opposite. The list does not include all risks that the 
Group faces and it does not list the risks in any order of priority.

21

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Risk 

Business 
interruption

Business strategy

Colleague 
engagement  
and retention

Corporate 
Responsibility

Financial and 
treasury

Pensions

Product quality  
and safety

Property

Regulation

Systems and 
integration

Description 

Mitigation 

Our distribution and systems infrastructures are fundamental to 
ensuring the normal continuity of trading in our stores. If a major 
incident occurred to this infrastructure or another key facility this could 
have a detrimental impact on the business’s ability to operate effectively.

In the long term, effectively managing the strategic risks that the 
Group faces will deliver benefits to all our stakeholders. The Board 
understands that if the strategy and vision are not properly formulated 
or communicated then the long term aims of the Group won’t be met 
and the business may suffer. 

The continued success of the Group relies heavily on the investment  
in the training and development of our 132,000 colleagues. This is  
a critical element of the quality of service we offer to our customers.

In line with our commercial objectives we have identified three areas, 
Environment, Society and Business where by ‘doing the right thing’,  
we protect valuable resources, meet demand for sustainable products 
and make our business more efficient. Morrisons is committed to taking 
good care and if we fail to meet our commitments this could damage  
our reputation and potentially lose the trust of our stakeholders.

The main financial risks that the Group is exposed to relate to the 
availability of funding, the loss of a financial counter party and the 
uncertainty produced by fluctuations in interest and foreign exchange 
rates. All of these things have the potential to undermine the Group’s 
ability to finance its trading activities and its financial results. 

The Company operates defined benefit and defined contribution schemes.
The liabilities of the Group’s two defined benefit schemes are derived 
from cash flow projections over long periods and are therefore 
inherently uncertain. These are subject to changes in life expectancy, 
inflation, future salary increases, volatility regarding the value of 
investments and the returns derived from such investments. 
The operating and financial costs are recognised in the income 
statement in the period in which they arise. Therefore, any variation 
from these assumed values has the potential to introduce volatility  
to the Group’s results.

We are aware that if we fail or are perceived to fail to deliver to our 
customers’ satisfaction the expected standards of safety in our 
products, this has the potential to harm them and damage our business 
reputation. This in turn could adversely impact our market share and  
our financial results. Our business focuses on fresh food and we have  
a vertically integrated business model; therefore, food safety is of 
paramount importance.

To reduce the chances of this happening and also to reduce the impact  
of such an event if it were to happen, we have developed recovery plans 
and invested in the creation of a remote IT disaster recovery site.

Recognising the importance of formulating and implementing a 
successful strategy, the strategy is developed by the CEO and senior 
executives. The Group has recently appointed a Strategy Director 
reporting to the Group Finance Director to further strengthen the 
business in this respect. The strategy is considered and approved  
by the Board, which takes time each year to review and monitor its 
delivery through formal time set aside for this purpose. To ensure that 
our strategy is communicated and understood, the Group engages 
with a wide range of stakeholders including shareholders, employees, 
suppliers and other groups. This continual process helps to ensure that 
the strategy remains relevant and improves the likelihood of success.

The Group’s employment policies, remuneration and benefits packages 
are designed to be competitive with other companies, as well as 
providing colleagues with fulfilling career opportunities. During  
the year, 48,000 people went through our Academy programme  
and we started the Morrisons BSc degree programme offering.  
The Group continually engages with colleagues across the business  
to ensure that we keep strengthening our team at every level. 

The appropriate management evaluation and verification systems  
are integrated into operational management activities and these are 
overseen by the Management Board and the Corporate Compliance 
and Responsibility Committee. Delivery against targets and key 
performance indicators is regularly monitored and reported. Further 
information is available in our Corporate Responsibility report at  
www.morrisons.co.uk/today.

The Group’s treasury operations are controlled centrally by the 
Treasury Committee in accordance with clearly defined policies and 
procedures that have been authorised by the Board. The Treasury 
Committee has certain approved delegated authorities but it is not 
permitted to trade for profit and it reports twice a year to the Audit 
Committee on its activities. See note 17 on page 72.

In consultation with our pension scheme members the Company has 
taken a number of steps to put the schemes onto a sound financial 
footing for the long term and reduce the risk to the Group. These  
have included additional contributions to the schemes, changes to  
the investment strategy as well as using a prudent basis of assumptions 
for the actuarial valuation. Last year we moved all future benefit 
accrual to a career average basis, such that it will grow in line with 
inflation rather than being linked to final salary.

As a manufacturer of food products, we have established strict 
standards and monitoring processes to manage the risks associated 
with food safety throughout our Group and its supply chain. Our food 
manufacturing businesses are ISO 22000 accredited which provides  
an effective framework for the control of internal processes. Food 
hygiene practices are taken very seriously throughout our Group, and 
are monitored both through internal audit procedures and external 
bodies such as environmental health departments. We also maintain 
regular supplier assessments for food and non-food categories.  
Our stock withdrawal procedures operate throughout our supply  
chain to minimise the impact to customers of any supplier recalls.

The business is growing the size of its retail space through acquisition 
and by modernising and extending existing stores and facilities. If we fail 
to adequately grow our space in an earnings-enhancing way we will lose 
market share and our profits will suffer.

We have a property strategy that develops stores to a well proven 
format and we operate a formal capital approval process which is  
overseen by the Investment Board.

The Group operates in an environment governed by strict regulations  
to ensure the safety and protection of customers, shareholders, staff 
and other stakeholders and the operation of an open and competitive 
market. These regulations include alcohol licensing, health and safety, 
the handling of hazardous materials, data protection, the rules of the 
stock exchange and competition law. In all cases, the Board takes its 
responsibilities very seriously, and recognises that breach of regulation 
can lead to reputational and financial damage to the Group.

The Board identified that many of the existing systems were 
approaching the end of their useful lives and that a comprehensive 
programme of replacement was required. This programme of work is 
expected to take a number of years to complete. The Board is aware of 
the risks faced by any organisation seeking to successfully implement 
new systems. 

There is clear, ultimate accountability with Directors for compliance with 
all areas of regulation and the Corporate Compliance and Responsibility 
Committee provides oversight over many of these areas. The business 
designs its policies and procedures to accord with relevant laws and 
regulations. In respect of Competition Law and the Grocery Supply 
Code of Practice these are monitored and reported on by the Head  
of Competition Law Compliance.

To maximise the likelihood of successful delivery the Group has chosen 
to partner with some of the world’s leading technology companies for 
key projects. Also our business, like other similar businesses has a 
capacity to absorb a level of change without having a detrimental impact 
on continuing business operations. Change programmes within the 
Group are designed with this in mind and are structured and governed  
in a manner that allows the Board to monitor their impact. Specifically,  
a sub-committee of the Audit Committee monitors the progress of the 
largest programme and receives regular reports from management,  
Risk & Internal Audit and other specialists.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

22

Operational review

Operating highlights 
2010/11

Strong turnover growth
•   Total turnover increased 7%

•   Store sales once again grew ahead  

of the market

•   Like-for-like sales increased 0.9%

   below for Turnover analysis

New space
•   15 new stores opened, including one 

replacement

•   16 Netto stores to be acquired from 

ASDA

•   Over 30 new stores will open in 2011/12

Business initiatives
•   IT systems replacement continues
•   New regional distribution centre 

development underway and planned 
to open in late 2011

•   Two food production investments 

earlier in the year are performing well

Morrisons delivered a strong performance again in 2010/11.
In an environment that was particularly difficult for consumers  
our continuing focus on quality fresh foods at great value made 
Morrisons a natural destination. 

Appealing to 
and reaching more 
customers...

Executive team 
Following Dalton Philips’ appointment as CEO, and the 
development of the ‘Different and Better than Ever’ Plan, the 
Group’s internal management structures and processes were 
realigned to ensure delivery of the Plan. As a consequence, the 
Group’s previous Executive Board of four was expanded to a 
Management Board of ten. A number of existing directors and 
senior managers were promoted to this Board. The management 
team was strengthened in the year by a number of senior external 
hires, including a new Commercial Director, Strategy Director, 
Grocery Director and Private Brand Director.

Turnover growth
Total turnover grew by 7%, or £1.1bn, with around half the growth 
coming from sales in our forecourts due to the worldwide increase 
in oil prices during the year. With petrol prices high, customers 
looked for value, and as a result more customers filled up at 
Morrisons. Fuel sales grew by 18%. Our store sales were again 
ahead of the market, with growth across all regions and a record  
11 million customers visiting our stores each week. Like-for-like 
store sales rose by 0.9%, with customer numbers up 0.2% and 
average basket spend 0.7%.

As we entered 2010, we indicated that total market growth would 
be subdued due to the economic backdrop, and that our space 
opening programme in the year would be somewhat smaller than 
that of competitors, following the very significant space expansion 
that we undertook in 2009. In this context, we believe that our 
0.9% like-for-like sales growth remained ahead of the market 
average. Our total market share increased slightly, as expected,  
to 12.8% during the year, despite the large amounts of new space 
being added by our competitors. We continue to be prudent in  
our requirements for new stores and only approve investments  
that meet the required financial hurdle rate.

New retail space 
We increased our selling space by 0.4m square feet during the  
year through a combination of store extensions and 15 new store 
openings, including one replacement. Our growing confidence  
in our ability successfully to operate a wide range of store sizes  
is evidenced by our announcement in January that we had reached 
a conditional agreement with Asda to acquire 16 stores previously 
operated by Netto, subject to approval by the Office of Fair 
Trading. These stores, which average 7,500 square feet, will be 
converted to the Morrisons format and are expected to open in  
the second quarter of 2011. Along with the existing new store 
programme, we anticipate opening over 30 stores in 2011. 

Trading
Morrisons has responded to the challenges faced by the consumer 
by delivering a programme of price cuts and innovative, industry-
leading offers which have enabled our customers to save money 
and eat quality fresh food. In a difficult environment this strong 
focus on quality and value has, for the fourth year in a row,  
enabled us to deliver sales growth ahead of the market.

We have maintained our focus on the quality and provenance of  
our food offer whilst ensuring that we consistently deliver the value 
our customers demand. As a result our total store sales growth of 
4.1% and like-for-like growth of 0.9% were once again ahead of the 
market. The strength of our offer meant that a record average of 
11.0m customers visited our stores each week, an increase of over 
0.5m (4.7%), although continuing pressure on consumer disposable 
incomes was reflected in only a marginal increase of 0.7% in the 
average basket spend in like-for-like stores.

The rise in the price of oil, exacerbated by increases in fuel duty and 
continuing Sterling weakness, meant that consumers were paying 
on average 15.8p per litre more at the pump than last year, with 
average unleaded prices per litre of 115p. Overall fuel price 
increases impacted our customers’ disposable income by nearly 

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
 
23

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Weekly average customer numbers 
(Millions)

11.0m

10.5m

9.9m

9.2m

2008

2009

2010

2011

439 stores

We opened 15 new stores in the  
year, including one replacement.

+11%

Operating profit* has increased  
year-on-year.
* before pensions credit 

67%

67% of UK primary schools take part in 
our award-winning ‘Let’s Grow’ initiative.

£400m, income that could otherwise have been spent in-store.  
Our fuel volumes increased 4.8%, as customers shopped around 
for the best price in town. Overall, like-for-like fuel sales were up 
18% in the year.

Throughout the year the market continued to be heavily 
promotional and Morrisons led the way in offering the greatest 
depth and broadest range of offers available. Our prime focus  
was on reducing the cost of everyday essentials and our offers  
on bread at 50p and fresh fruit and vegetables at 30p, represented 
the lowest priced staple products in the country. The range  
and value of our offers, including our ‘Price Crunch Week’ and 
extended ‘Collector Card’ over the Christmas period resonated 
particularly well with our customers, and they have visited our 
stores in record numbers.

Sharp everyday pricing and a strong promotions programme  
were a feature of Market Street, which again performed strongly.  
Our unique vertically integrated food production capability 
supported by the unrivalled food preparation that is carried out 
every day in-store, allow us to be flexible and offer more great 
value, innovative offers on fresh produce than any other retailer. 

Our customers strongly approve of our support for British farming 
through our own farm at Dumfries, and because we are the only 
major British retailer selling 100% British fresh pork, beef, lamb 
and poultry raised to British standards of animal welfare. Our 
closeness to the source of our fresh products allows us to talk to 
our customers with authority about the provenance and freshness 
of our food offer, a quality which is becoming more important in  
an increasingly health-conscious environment. During the year we 
launched our new television advertising campaign which continues 
the strong emphasis on the provenance, quality and freshness of 
our food and on our in-store skills, with food stories told to school 
children. It has proved to be highly effective.

We continued to involve ourselves in the community through 
further expansion of our award-winning ‘Let’s Grow’ initiative.  
This has captured the imagination of the nation’s school children  
by showing them where food comes from, how to grow it and by 
providing them with a wide range of free gardening equipment 
including seeds, spades and greenhouses. The programme, now  
in its third year, has been a huge success with over 18,500 schools 
throughout the country, including 67% of UK primary schools, 
registering to take part. 

Turnover analysis
Sales of goods (£m)
Fuel (£m)
Other sales (£m)
Turnover exc. VAT (£m)

Sales per square foot (£)
Customer numbers (m)
Customer spend (£)

Like-for-like stores
12,242
3,391
116
15,749

21.01
528
23.18

Other
695
35
–
730

17.76
42
16.41

2010/11 
Total
12,937
3,426
116
16,479

20.80
570
22.67

2009/10 
Total
12,423
2,893
94
15,410

20.82
545
22.76

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

24

Operational review – continued

Operating results

Summary income statement
Turnover
Gross profit
Other operating income
Administrative expenses
Underlying operating profit
Pensions credit
Property transactions
Operating profit
Net finance charges
Taxation
Profit for the period

2011 
£m
16,479
1,148
80
(323)
905
–
(1)
904
(30)
(242)
632

2010 
£m
15,410
1,062
65
(315)
812
91
4
907
(49)
(260)
598

Change
%
7
8
23
3
11
–
–
–
(39)
(7)
6

Our gross profit grew marginally ahead of turnover despite a higher 
proportion of low margin fuel sales in the mix this year. The gross 
profit margin of 7.0% increased by 10 bps over last year. 

After cost of goods sold, the Group’s two biggest costs are  
store wages and distribution costs. The increase in new store  
space opened during the year added to our total store cost base.  
However through continued in-store labour efficiencies we 
managed to deliver an overall year-on-year improvement in store 
labour costs relative to sales, with in-store labour productivity  
up 4%. Our distribution productivity, measured by cost per case, 
improved 3% as we benefited from our investment in improved 
systems and our new South East Regional Distribution Centre (RDC). 

Other operating income, whilst small, grew by 23% predominantly 
as a result of a growth in recycling income.

Our administration expenses were up 2.5%, well below the level  
of profit and sales growth in the year, reflecting continued close 
focus on cost control.

Systems
During the period we accelerated the deployment of our new  
IT systems across all areas of the business. This six year, £310m 
programme of investment, will result in the replacement of all  
the Group’s core systems and technology infrastructure. To date, 
the bulk of the Group’s payroll, HR and financial systems have  
been replaced, a complete new wide-area network installed, the 
majority of store hardware renewed and voice-picking technology 
implemented in our grocery and frozen distribution centres. 
Additionally, the Group’s new store electronic point of sale system 
has been rolled out to over 200 stores and the new trading product 
master file has been completed for the bulk of ambient and frozen 
products. The new ERP system has been successfully piloted  
in one produce factory, and has now commenced full roll-out.  
The software required to run our distribution centres is currently 
being piloted in one depot. The success of these activities, and  
our proven ability to implement changes with no impact on the 
business, give us great confidence for the remainder of the 
programme, which will run through 2013.

Network development
We continue to make good progress in the development of our  
new South West RDC at Bridgwater. This is an 800,000 square  
feet facility which will serve some 70 stores and provide further 
capacity to support our nationwide expansion. The total 
investment will be £95m. The site will open in the final quarter  
of 2011 and become fully operational in early 2012. This is  
three months later than we had originally planned, due to delays 
experienced by the site developer in achieving a viable total 
scheme for the site, which depends also on residential development 
that has proved challenging given the state of the housing market. 

Food production 
In order to deliver a unique, great value, fresh offer to our 
customers and really demonstrate that we understand the 
provenance of our food, our supply chain is key. We previously 
announced that we were reviewing further opportunities to  
expand our manufacturing operations and in the year we made  
two investments:

•   we acquired Simply Fresh, a stir fry and prepared vegetable 
business for which Morrisons was the biggest customer, but 
which had significant further capacity. This will enable us to 
consolidate our sourcing of all these products in-house; and 

•   we acquired a cooked meat production plant which will add  
to our existing capacity and allow us to fulfil nearly all of our 
requirements in-house.

Both businesses are performing well.

Corporate Responsibility – achievements in the year
We believe that respecting the environment and striving to make  
a positive contribution to society is essential and that it’s important 
to our colleagues, customers and shareholders too. In 2010 we 
continued to demonstrate our commitment to business, society 
and the environment.

As a food focused business we recognise the importance of 
supporting farmers. Through the Morrisons Farming Programme 
based at Dumfries House, our farm, we are generating research  
to help our farmers to farm more profitably and more sustainably.  
The work is already showing results and two papers were published 
this year on renewable energy use in dairy farms and on welfare 
issues for free range hens. We also demonstrated our commitment 
to raising supplier standards and committed to the use of certified 
sustainable palm oil in our own brand products by 2015.

Our society programme also had a successful year. Our sector-
leading Academy training programme helped over 48,000 
colleagues on their route to nationally recognised qualifications  
and our successful ‘Let’s Grow’ Campaign entered its third year 
reaching more schools than ever before. We exceeded our target  
to raise £1,000,000 for Help the Hospices, our charity of the year, 
by over £300,000.

Our environmental programme is ahead of schedule having already 
achieved a 12% emissions reduction with 30% targeted by 2020. 
In 2010 we hit our targets of reducing store waste direct to landfill 
by 50% and are on track to drive this down to zero by 2013.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

25

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Market overview 
The UK grocery market remains in a tough economic climate.  
Whilst we continue to progress, we recognise the challenges  
of the marketplace as consumers face financial pressure through 
government cuts and the recent VAT increase. 

Like every business, the marketplace affects the way we  
do business.
Understanding our markets
We keep a regular eye on consumer trends, have programmes where we talk to our 
customers and also make good use of market data. This allows us to improve our  
business and deliver the needs of consumers.

Consumer confidence
Consumer confidence has remained low throughout 2010, but at a relatively stable  
level. The coming year will however be pivotal as the impact of the austerity measures  
are realised. Research suggests that the impact of the recession and government cuts  
will hit the North the hardest. We are in a good position to perform well in a recession 
with a range that offers value for money whilst maintaining choice and quality.

Own label growth
There has been some evidence of people trading up to more expensive products in 2010, 
with supermarkets’ premium own label sales up 2.8%.

Whilst premium sales have risen, there has been a corresponding fall in the sales of value 
ranges. Consumers do however remain prudent with their spending with greater pressures 
on their finances.

Private label growth by tier

24 Jan 10

21 Feb 10

21 M ar 10

18 A pr 10

16 M ay 10

13 Jun 10

11 Jul 10

8 A ug 10

5 Sep 10

3 O ct 10

31 O ct 10

28 N ov 10

26 D ec 10

23 Jan 11

10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
-2%
-4%
-6%

%
Y
L
s
v
h
t
w
o
r
g
s
e
l
a
s

s
k
e
e
w
2
1

Source: Kantar Worldpanel

Total 
Standard 

Total Own 
Premium

Value

Morrisons share of UK
grocery market

The grocery market last year grew  
by 3.4% and was worth £93.2bn. 
Inflation remained relatively stable  
and stood at 3.1% over the 12 weeks  
to 23 January 2011.

Morrisons regional market share
2010/11

Scotland
16.5% 
(16.1%)

North East
20.0%
(20.4%)

Lancashire
14.8%
(14.9%)

Yorkshire
21.9%
(21.9%)

Wales & West
12.8%
(12.4%)

Midlands
13.0% 
(12.5%)

East England
11.5%
(11.7%)

London
6.4%
(6.7%)

South
7.3%
(6.6%)

South West
15.4%
(15.2%)

Source: Kantar Worldpanel

Morrisons market share %
(52 weeks to January)

2008

12.0

2009

12.2

2010

12.6

2011

12.8

Home cooking and lifestyle trends 
Eating healthily remains important to consumers. Through the recession there has been  
an increase in people entertaining at home rather than going out. Likewise, we have seen  
a trend towards more people cooking at home rather than eating out. This remains a  
trend and we continue to develop offers and ranges to help our customers get the most  
from home cooking, offering fresh quality food at a great value.

Market share growth in 2010/11 
(%)

4.5

3.4

3.5

New channels
The market place is continually evolving, and a key trend has been the growth of different 
retailing ‘channels’. Between 2010 and 2014, market sales through local convenience stores 
are anticipated to grow by 25% and online sales are estimated to grow by 67%. As we 
develop these areas, they provide a further opportunity for us to grow and meet the needs  
of our customers.

Market

Morrisons

Source: Kantar Worldpanel

Tesco, Asda, 
Sainsbury’s 
average

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
 
 
 
 
26

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Identifying our KPIs: We have identified a number of measures 
that are important to the success of the business and to stakeholders, 
financial performance, operational excellence, customers, suppliers 
and employees. Below are the measures the Board consider to be  
key to the achievement of the Group’s goals. 

KPI

Financial KPIs

Update

Definition

Commitment

Status

Performance

2010/11

2009/10

2008/09

Future

Like-for-like sales (ex-fuel, ex-VAT)

Measures store based sales on the same basis as the 
previous year, excluding the impact of new store openings 
or store disposals. Also excluded is the impact of major 
refurbishments and extensions.

Sales growth, particularly organic growth, is key to retail 
success and long term expansion.

Our like-for-like sales were once again ahead of the 

market (source: Nielsen).

0.9%

6.0%

8.2%

To maintain momentum in growth through our vision  

to be ‘Different and Better than Ever’.

UK grocery market share

The business’ percentage of retail sales in the  
grocery sector.

We aim to increase our share of the market year-on-year.

Underlying profit

Measures the normal underlying business performance. 
Profits are adjusted to remove volatile or one-off costs.  
A reconciliation of underlying profit is provided in note  
1 of the Group financial statements.

The Directors consider that underlying profit provides  
additional useful information for shareholders on trading 
trends and performance.

Underlying basic earnings per share

The EPS measure uses underlying profits as defined  
above. Calculated by taking underlying profit divided  
by the weighted average number of shares in issue. 

Our earnings should meet the expectations of our 
shareholders and as such we aim to improve sales and 
margins whilst investing for long term growth.

Dividend cover

Calculated as underlying basic earnings per share divided 
by total dividend per share for the year.

Our aim is that dividend cover will be the same as the 
average for the European food retail sector.

Net debt

The Group’s overall debt position at the year end.  
A summary of net debt is provided in note 25 of the  
Group financial statements. 

To maintain a strong investment grade balance sheet.

Independent data (Kantar Worldpanel) shows that  

we have increased our market share during the period  

to 12.8%, an increase of 0.2% from last year.

12.8%

12.6%

12.3%

To continue market share growth through our store 

opening programme and increasingly attractive  

customer offering.

Underlying profit before tax increased by £102m  

to £869m, driven by strong like-for-like sales 

performance as well as store openings.

£869m

£767m

£636m

To continue to grow underlying profit.

Underlying basic earnings per share have increased  

12% to 23.0p.

23.0p

20.5p

16.7p

Underlying earnings per share to continue to grow  

in line with underlying profit.

Our dividend cover is 2.4 times, in line with the 

European food retail sector average. This has resulted  

in dividend growth of 17%. 

2.4 times 2.5 times 2.9 times

A three year commitment to double-digit dividend 

growth each year and a rebalancing of the split between 

our interim and final dividend payments, to be c30:70  

in future.

£817m

£924m

£642m

To continue to maintain a strong investment grade 

balance sheet.

Capital expenditure

Cash outflow on capital investment in the year.

We commit to investing for the long term growth  
of the business and providing shareholders with  
forward guidance on our plans.

£592m

£906m

£678m

We expect the rate of investment to pick up again in 

2011/12 as we invest in further distribution capacity  

and a higher rate of new store openings.

Non-financial KPIs

Definition

Commitment

2010/11

2009/10

2008/09

Net debt has decreased by £107m, despite £592m 

capital investment. 

Our credit rating remains one of the strongest retail 

ratings in the world, at A3 for the second year running. 

As anticipated, capital expenditure was lower than the 

prior year, which had included the opening of a new 

regional distribution centre and a package of stores  

from the Co-op. 

Performance

Colleagues

Employee stability

Corporate responsibility

Carbon footprint

The retention of employees to indicate that the  
Company is an employer of choice.

Our aims are to attract, develop and motivate skilled 
people. We encourage employee engagement and 
implement education programmes for all employees to 
further their skills, thus encouraging employee stability.

We aim to be the employer of choice and believe we  

have schemes and measures in place to achieve this. 

Moreover, 42% of our employees have been with us for 

over five years with 311 reaching this milestone in 2010.

85%

84%

78%

To continue to improve our employee engagement  

and make Morrisons the employer of choice. A new 

employee survey has been carried out by a third party 

consultancy and we look forward to hearing the  

views of our colleagues.

Our carbon footprint includes energy, waste, refrigeration 
and transport for our stores, offices, manufacturing and 
packing facilities. 

Having exceeded our 2005 to 2010 commitments,  
we have now set a new target of reducing our emissions  
by 30% by 2020.

Against our new target, we have reduced our carbon 

emissions by 12%.

Reduce carbon emissions by 30% by end 2020.

Recycling in store

To recycle all packaging used in store wherever possible.

To increase our recycling rate in stores from 72%  
in 2007/08 to 80% by end 2010.

Waste to landfill

Any remaining waste that we are unable to recycle and 
that we send to landfill from our stores. 

Volume of waste to landfill to be reduced by 50%  
by the end of December 2010.

Target exceeded.

We are committed to making further reductions 

12% 

reduction

–

82%

77%

34%

–

73%

17%

year-on-year.

to landfill.

We have set our future target to send zero waste direct  

We have exceeded our target in diverting waste from  

our stores to landfill. We have diverted 25,873 tonnes 

52%

since 2005.

Charity

Charity of the Year

Each year our customers and colleagues choose a national 
charity for fund raising.

Since 2006 we have aimed to raise at least £1m per annum 
for the charity through collections and fund raising events.

We have raised in excess of £1m for charity since  

2007 and were pleased to exceed our target by a  

further 33% for Help the Hospices.

£1.3m

£1.8m

£1m

The Charity of the Year for 2011/12 is Save the Children.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

27

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

KPI

Financial KPIs

Update

Definition

Commitment

Status

Performance

2010/11

2009/10

2008/09

Future

Like-for-like sales (ex-fuel, ex-VAT)

Measures store based sales on the same basis as the 

Sales growth, particularly organic growth, is key to retail 

previous year, excluding the impact of new store openings 

success and long term expansion.

Our like-for-like sales were once again ahead of the 
market (source: Nielsen).

0.9%

6.0%

8.2%

To maintain momentum in growth through our vision  
to be ‘Different and Better than Ever’.

or store disposals. Also excluded is the impact of major 

refurbishments and extensions.

UK grocery market share

The business’ percentage of retail sales in the  

We aim to increase our share of the market year-on-year.

grocery sector.

Underlying profit

Measures the normal underlying business performance. 

The Directors consider that underlying profit provides  

Profits are adjusted to remove volatile or one-off costs.  

additional useful information for shareholders on trading 

A reconciliation of underlying profit is provided in note  

trends and performance.

1 of the Group financial statements.

Underlying basic earnings per share

The EPS measure uses underlying profits as defined  

Our earnings should meet the expectations of our 

above. Calculated by taking underlying profit divided  

shareholders and as such we aim to improve sales and 

by the weighted average number of shares in issue. 

margins whilst investing for long term growth.

Dividend cover

Calculated as underlying basic earnings per share divided 

Our aim is that dividend cover will be the same as the 

by total dividend per share for the year.

average for the European food retail sector.

Net debt

To maintain a strong investment grade balance sheet.

The Group’s overall debt position at the year end.  

A summary of net debt is provided in note 25 of the  

Group financial statements. 

Capital expenditure

Cash outflow on capital investment in the year.

We commit to investing for the long term growth  

of the business and providing shareholders with  

forward guidance on our plans.

Independent data (Kantar Worldpanel) shows that  
we have increased our market share during the period  
to 12.8%, an increase of 0.2% from last year.

12.8%

12.6%

12.3%

To continue market share growth through our store 
opening programme and increasingly attractive  
customer offering.

Underlying profit before tax increased by £102m  
to £869m, driven by strong like-for-like sales 
performance as well as store openings.

£869m

£767m

£636m

To continue to grow underlying profit.

Underlying basic earnings per share have increased  
12% to 23.0p.

23.0p

20.5p

16.7p

Underlying earnings per share to continue to grow  
in line with underlying profit.

Our dividend cover is 2.4 times, in line with the 
European food retail sector average. This has resulted  
in dividend growth of 17%. 

2.4 times 2.5 times 2.9 times

A three year commitment to double-digit dividend 
growth each year and a rebalancing of the split between 
our interim and final dividend payments, to be c30:70  
in future.

Net debt has decreased by £107m, despite £592m 
capital investment. 

£817m

£924m

£642m

To continue to maintain a strong investment grade 
balance sheet.

Our credit rating remains one of the strongest retail 
ratings in the world, at A3 for the second year running. 

As anticipated, capital expenditure was lower than the 
prior year, which had included the opening of a new 
regional distribution centre and a package of stores  
from the Co-op. 

£592m

£906m

£678m

We expect the rate of investment to pick up again in 
2011/12 as we invest in further distribution capacity  
and a higher rate of new store openings.

Non-financial KPIs

Definition

Commitment

Performance

2010/11

2009/10

2008/09

Colleagues

Employee stability

Corporate responsibility

Carbon footprint

Recycling in store

Waste to landfill

Charity

Charity of the Year

The retention of employees to indicate that the  

Company is an employer of choice.

Our aims are to attract, develop and motivate skilled 

people. We encourage employee engagement and 

implement education programmes for all employees to 

further their skills, thus encouraging employee stability.

We aim to be the employer of choice and believe we  
have schemes and measures in place to achieve this. 
Moreover, 42% of our employees have been with us for 
over five years with 311 reaching this milestone in 2010.

85%

84%

78%

To continue to improve our employee engagement  
and make Morrisons the employer of choice. A new 
employee survey has been carried out by a third party 
consultancy and we look forward to hearing the  
views of our colleagues.

Our carbon footprint includes energy, waste, refrigeration 

Having exceeded our 2005 to 2010 commitments,  

and transport for our stores, offices, manufacturing and 

we have now set a new target of reducing our emissions  

packing facilities. 

by 30% by 2020.

Against our new target, we have reduced our carbon 
emissions by 12%.

To recycle all packaging used in store wherever possible.

To increase our recycling rate in stores from 72%  

Target exceeded.

in 2007/08 to 80% by end 2010.

Any remaining waste that we are unable to recycle and 

Volume of waste to landfill to be reduced by 50%  

that we send to landfill from our stores. 

by the end of December 2010.

We have exceeded our target in diverting waste from  
our stores to landfill. We have diverted 25,873 tonnes 
since 2005.

12% 
reduction

–

82%

52%

77%

34%

–

73%

17%

Reduce carbon emissions by 30% by end 2020.

We are committed to making further reductions 
year-on-year.

We have set our future target to send zero waste direct  
to landfill.

Each year our customers and colleagues choose a national 

Since 2006 we have aimed to raise at least £1m per annum 

charity for fund raising.

for the charity through collections and fund raising events.

We have raised in excess of £1m for charity since  
2007 and were pleased to exceed our target by a  
further 33% for Help the Hospices.

£1.3m

£1.8m

£1m

The Charity of the Year for 2011/12 is Save the Children.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

28

Financial review

Financial strategy 

Summary
 The Group’s financial strategy is to 
deliver progressive margin 
improvement, whilst investing for  
long term growth.

The underlying principles behind this 
strategy are:
•  growing sales ahead of the market;
•   delivering earnings that meet the 
expectations of shareholders; and 

•   maintaining a strong and prudent 

balance sheet.

We are meeting these principles by:
•   increasing our customer appeal and 

growing sales; 

•   converting sales growth into 

profitable growth; and 

•   investing to yield an appropriate  

rate of return. 

Performance against financial strategy:
•   like-for-like sales growth was in excess 

of the market in 2010/11

•   underlying earnings per share were 
23.0p, an increase from last year  
of 12%

•   the Group’s balance sheet builds  
on our strong financial position:
  –  87% of our estate is freehold;
  –   we use prudent assumptions to 

value our defined benefit pension 
schemes; and

  –   our long term financing facilities 
adequately cover our planned 
investments. 

Richard Pennycook 
Group Finance Director

Strong performance 
from a resilient 
business

The Group’s financial performance for the  
year was strong, despite tough economic  
and market conditions. Underlying earnings  
per share increased 12%, whilst net debt 
decreased by 12%.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

29

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

+7%

Group turnover in 2010/11 has  
increased 7% from 2009/10.

+£127m

Cash generated from operations  
once again improved year-on-year.

£817m

Net debt reduced from £924m  
in 2009/10.

A3

Our credit rating remains strong  
and is one of only three European  
retailers to have this rating.

15%

Gearing is 15%, which is well below  
the sector average, demonstrating  
our strong balance sheet.

£592m

Capital investment
We continue to invest in growing  
our estate, strengthening our supply  
chain and replacing our IT systems.

Summary of results

Turnover
Underlying profit  
before tax
Underlying basic  
earnings per share

2011

2010
£16,479m £15,410m
£767m

£869m

Change
+7%
+13%

23.03p

20.47p

+12%

The Operational review on page 22 contains information about  
the Group’s financial performance for the year, in particular 
turnover growth, like-for-like sales growth and operating profit.  
The review also contains information on selling space increases  
and our future space expansion programme.

The Group uses underlying profit as its measure to assess  
normal underlying business performance and trends. Earnings  
are adjusted to remove volatile or one-off costs and credits.  
A reconciliation of underlying profit is provided in note 1 of  
the Group financial statements. 

Balance sheet
As part of the IASB’s Annual Improvements 2009, the Group  
has adopted an amendment to IAS 17 Leases. The amendment 
removed the automatic classification that land leases are  
operating leases and requires a review of all land leases held,  
the conclusion being that all long-lease land premiums have  
been reclassified as finance leases.

The amendment is classified as a change in accounting policy, and 
therefore the financial statements include a prior year restatement. 
The adoption has resulted in a) derecognising long lease land 
premiums; and b) recognising a corresponding increase in the 
closing net book value of leasehold land and buildings to reflect  
the carrying value of the leased assets. Therefore, the impact on 
the balance sheet is reclassification only. The newly classified 
finance leases are depreciated over the life of the leases, consistent 
with the annual amortisation charge incurred on the previous  
lease prepayments. The net effect of the reclassifications has  
no impact on net profit before tax for the year ended 30 January 
2011, or reserves of the comparative periods.

Summary cash flow

Cash generated from operations
Interest and tax
Capital expenditure
Proceeds from sale of plant, property 
and equipment
Acquisitions (including debt acquired)
Dividends paid
Share issues
Net cash inflow/(outflow)
Non cash movements
Opening net debt
Closing net debt

2011 
£m
1,141
(238)
(592)
8

(7)
(220)
16
108
(1)
924
817

2010 
£m
1,014
(261)
(916)
7

–
(159)
34
(281)
(1)
642
924

The Group’s net debt reduced over the period as a result of net 
cash generation.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

30

Financial review – continued

Cash generated from operations
Cash generated from operating activities once again improved  
as a result of strong operating cash flows which increased  
£127m year-on-year.

Interest and tax
Interest
Net interest paid was £47m, a decrease of £5m from 2010. Interest 
rates remained low throughout the year reducing both interest paid 
and interest received year-on-year. Interest paid on bonds dropped 
£9m following the repayment of €250m Euro bonds in April 2010. 
Interest was covered 30 times (2010: 19 times). The Company’s 
effective interest cost fell from 4.4% to 4.0% in the year.

Tax
Corporation tax paid in the year was £191m (2010: £209m).  
This cash outflow represented 50% of the total tax bill for the  
year to 31 January 2010, and 50% of the tax for the year to  
30 January 2011. It included repayments received for prior years. 

The effective tax rate for the year was 27.7% which is slightly 
below the prevailing corporation tax rate of 28%. The difference is 
due to the change in corporation tax rate from 28% to 27% which 
reduced deferred tax liabilities by £20m, offset by non-qualifying 
depreciation and expenses for which the Group is unable to obtain 
a tax deduction. The effect on deferred tax also resulted in a 
reduction of our effective tax rate of 30.3% last year to 27.7%.

Acquisitions
In the first half of the financial year, the Group invested further  
to strengthen our manufacturing capabilities in order to improve 
our offering to our customers. The investments made were in a 
prepared vegetable facility and a cooked meat production plant. 
Both acquisitions are treated as 100% subsidiaries for accounting 
purposes, creating £7m of goodwill. Further information can be 
found in note 27 of the Group financial statements. Cash outflow 
and acquired debt was £3m and £4m respectively, with a deferred 
payment in 2013 of up to £13m. 

In January 2011, we announced it had entered into a conditional 
agreement to purchase 16 Netto stores from ASDA. At the year 
end, no formal contract had been agreed and no costs have been 
accrued in relation to this acquisition. The stores will add 120,000 
square feet of selling space at an acquisition price of £28m and with 
further conversion costs of approximately £20m. 

Net debt
At the end of the financial year, net debt was £817m, a decrease  
of £107m from the prior year end. The decrease was due to  
a combination of increased cash from operating activities and  
a reduced level of capital expenditure compared to the previous  
year. In 2009/10, the Group had a higher level of capital 
expenditure due to the acquisition of 38 stores from the Co-op  
for £325m and the development of a new regional distribution 
centre at Sittingbourne.

The principal objective of the in-house tax department continues to 
be to pay the appropriate level of tax at the right time. We actively 
engage with the UK tax authorities, and aim to be transparent in  
all our activities. The Group is predominantly UK-based, operates  
a simple business model, and has not engaged in sophisticated tax 
planning structures.

At the balance sheet date, we had utilised £475m of our revolving 
credit facilities, with a further £625m remaining undrawn.  
On 4 March 2011 we completed a new revolving credit facility  
at competitively priced margins with our banks, providing  
£1,200m of committed facilities for 5 years. 

Capital expenditure
Capital expenditure during the period was £592m. We continue  
to invest in growing our estate, strengthening our supply chain  
and replacing our IT systems, supporting our strategic positioning 
of investing for long term growth. Overall capital expenditure  
was lower than originally planned due to tight cost controls and  
the deferment of the start of the development of our new regional 
distribution centre at Bridgwater.

Stores and business capital expenditure 
We opened 15 new stores including one replacement store, 
extended 15 stores and refurbished a further 12 stores in  
the period. Further investments were made strengthening  
our retail estate and supply chain. 

Gearing
Our gearing ratio was 15% (2010: 19%) and is well below  
the sector average, demonstrating our strong balance sheet.  
Our credit rating (provided by Moody’s) remains strong at A3,  
and we continue to be one of only three European retailers to  
have this rating.

Pensions
The Group sponsors two defined benefit pension arrangements 
and both of these pension schemes are managed externally to,  
and independently of, the Group’s operations. Our approach to 
valuing our defined benefit pension obligations remains prudent. 

At 30 January 2011, the schemes had a surplus of £38m.  
The improvement, from the deficit of £17m at 31 January 2010,  
is summarised in the table below.

New selling space increased 3% in the year.

Pension bridge

Total number of 
trading stores
Total area in  
square feet (‘000)
Number of petrol 
filling stations

*net of replacements

At 31 January 

2010 New stores*
14
425

Store 
extensions
–

At 30 January 
2011
439

Net pension deficit at 31 January 2010

Actual vs expected return on scheme assets

11,867

325

69

12,261

293

3 

– 

296

Actuarial loss due to changes  
in financial assumptions

Funding above annual service cost

Other

Net pension surplus at 30 January 2011

£m

(17)

62

(28)

15

6

38

IT systems replaced
As expected capital expenditure on the replacement of our IT 
infrastructure accelerated and we invested £92m during the year.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

31

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

£1bn

Equity return to take place over two years.

10%

We are committing to a three year annual 
dividend growth of at least 10%.

+56% share price

From January 2007 to January 2011 
Morrisons share price has increased 56% 
compared to a rise in the FTSE100 of 24%.

IAS19 Employee benefits requires the Group to assess the liabilities 
with reference to the market conditions at the balance sheet date 
and the Directors’ best estimate of the experience expected from 
the schemes. 

The movement in the year has been influenced by three factors:

•   changes in assumptions due to changes in market conditions;

•   an update of information on the schemes following the triennial 

valuation; and

•   a change in the way future pension increases are measured.

Dividend cover reduced to 2.4 times, in line with the European  
food retail sector average. We have reviewed our dividend policy 
and we are committing to a three year annual dividend growth  
of at least 10% starting in the new financial year. We will also 
rebalance the split between interim and final dividend payments  
to be c30:70 in the future.

2011

2010

Change

Interim dividend paid

Final dividend proposed

Total dividend for the year

1.23p

8.37p

9.60p

1.08p

7.12p

8.20p

+17%

Scheme assets performed better than assumed returns, however, 
the liabilities increased by £191m due to a combination of financial 
and demographic changes in assumptions. Over the year market 
conditions deteriorated, in particular for Corporate bond yield returns 
while inflationary expectations rose. A review of longevity was 
made as part of the triennial valuation review as mentioned below. 

The results of the triennial valuation review are based on the latest 
information on scheme members. This update of the membership 
status resulted in an improvement to the funding position of £91m.

Further to the above, the schemes value improved due to a one-off 
increase as a result of changing the way future pension increases 
(inflation) are measured. In 2010 the UK Government changed  
the way in which pension increases will be measured in future,  
by changing the benchmark index to the Consumer Price Index 
rather than the Retail Price Index. Both the Trustees and the 
Company consulted legal and actuarial advisors to assess the 
impact of this change on the two schemes and this resulted in  
the liabilities of the schemes being reduced by £72m.

The triennial actuarial valuations of the schemes were completed  
in April 2010 and funding and investment strategy agreed between 
the Group and the Trustees of the schemes. There was a small 
combined deficit at this valuation date and the Group has entered 
into an agreement with the Trustees to pay £30m per annum to 
meet the cost of pension benefits being built up by the current 
employees. It is assumed that the small deficit in the funds will  
be eliminated by the schemes’ expected superior investment 
returns. In line with our prudent approach, we have used the  
most up-to-date mortality tables, which provide the average life 
expectancy of members in the UK, this being the latest advice  
from the Pension Regulator.

Returns to shareholders
Dividends
The Board has recommended a final dividend of 8.37 pence per 
share, making the total dividend for the year 9.60 pence per share, 
an increase of 17% year-on-year. Payment of the final dividend  
will be made on 15 June 2011 to shareholders on the register  
on 13 May 2011.

Shareholder investment and returns
Total shareholder return measures the value of £100 invested in 
Morrisons compared to the FTSE100 movement. Since 29 January 
2006, Morrisons shareholder return has risen 56% compared to a 
rise in the same period of only 24% and 49% in the FTSE100 and 
FTSE Food and Drugs sector respectively. 

An equity retirement plan was approved by the Board for 
announcement on 10 March 2011 to purchase in the market  
£1 billion of ordinary shares over the coming two years, for 
subsequent cancellation. 

Investments since the year end 
Subsequent to the year end, the Group announced it would  
acquire the trade and assets of kiddicare.com, a multi-channel 
online retailer for £70m. The acquisition was completed on  
28 February 2011.

Additionally, on 9 March 2011 we invested £32m in a c10% stake 
of FreshDirect, an internet grocer in the US. 

Key judgements and assumptions
Judgements and assumptions made in the financial statements are 
continually reviewed. Whilst some outcomes have been affected  
by the volatility in the financial markets, all judgements and 
assumptions in the accounting policies remain consistent with 
previous years. Consideration of impairment to the carrying  
values of assets has been made and we concluded that the 
individual carrying values of stores and other operating assets  
are supportable either by value in use or market values. The impact 
of the current economic conditions on the assessment of going 
concern has been considered in the general information section  
of the Directors’ report.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

32

Board of Directors and Management Board

Board of Directors

Pictured above: 
Sir Ian Gibson
Mark Gunter
Penny Hughes

Dalton Philips
Philip Cox
Nigel Robertson

Richard Pennycook
Brian Flanagan
Johanna Waterous

Management Board

Dalton Philips  
Chief Executive 
Officer

Richard Pennycook  
Group Finance 
Director

Mark Gunter  
Group Retail  
Director

Neal Austin  
Logistics  
Director 

Norman Pickavance  
Group HR  
Director 

Terry Hartwell  
Group Property 
Director

Richard Hodgson  
Group Commercial 
Director

Martyn Jones  
Group Corporate 
Services Director

Martyn Fletcher  
Group Manufacturing 
Director

Mark Harrison  
Group Retail  
Director (designate)

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
 
33

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Sir Ian Gibson 
Chairman 
Chair of the Nomination 
Committee 
(Age 64)
Sir Ian Gibson joined the Group as 
Non-Executive Deputy Chairman in 
September 2007. He was appointed 
Chairman in March 2008. Sir Ian is Chair  
of the Board’s Nomination Committee  
and a member of its Remuneration 
Committee and Corporate Compliance  
and Responsibility Committee. He is also 
Non-Executive Chairman of Trinity Mirror 
plc and a non-executive member of the 
Public Interest Board of the UK firm of 
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Previous 
Board appointments include Chairman  
of BPB PLC, Deputy Chairman  
of Asda Group PLC, and a Director of  
Chelys Limited, GKN PLC, Greggs Plc  
and Northern Rock Plc. He is also a former 
member of the Court of the Bank of 
England. Sir Ian enjoyed a distinguished 
30-year career in the motor industry, most 
recently as President of Nissan Europe.

Mark Gunter
Group Retail Director 
(Age 52)
Mark Gunter joined the Group in 1986  
as a Store General Manager. In 1993,  
he was appointed Regional Director and 
Stores Director in 1999. He was appointed 
to the Board of the Group in 2000 as  
Group Retail Director with additional 
responsibility for retail operations, retail 
fuel, retail projects and Company-wide 
security. Prior to joining Morrisons, he 
gained wide experience in UK food  
retailing, which included working at  
Iceland, Fine Fare, Tesco, Argyll Foods  
and Asda. On 31 January 2011, the  
Company announced that Mark will step 
down from the Board at the 2011 AGM  
and leave the Group in June 2012.

Richard Pennycook
Group Finance Director 
(Age 47)
Richard Pennycook joined the Board as 
Group Finance Director in October 2005. 
Prior to that, he was the Group Finance 
Director of RAC Plc, the quoted specialist 
motoring and vehicle management 
company. Previous senior roles include 
Group Finance Director of HP Bulmer 
Holdings PLC, Laura Ashley Plc and JD 
Wetherspoon plc and Chief Executive of 
Welcome Break Holdings plc. He is also a 
Non-Executive Director of Persimmon Plc.

Dalton Philips 
Chief Executive 
(Age 43)
Dalton Philips joined the Group  
as Chief Executive on 29 March 2010.  
He is a member of the Board’s Nomination 
Committee and Corporate Compliance  
and Responsibility Committee. Prior to 
joining Morrisons, Dalton was Chief 
Operating Officer of Loblaw Companies 
Limited, Canada’s largest food distributor 
and a leading provider of general 
merchandise, pharmacy and financial 
products and services. Prior to that 
position, he was Chief Executive of Irish 
department store group, Brown Thomas. 
Between 1998 and 2005 he worked for 
Wal-Mart’s international division holding  
a range of commercial positions, rising to 
Chief Operating Officer in Germany. Dalton 
started his career as a store manager in  
New Zealand with Jardine Matheson and 
was later regional director of the Company’s 
Spanish supermarket division.

Philip Cox 
Chair of Audit Committee 
(Age 59)
Philip Cox joined the Group as a 
Non-Executive Director in April 2009.  
He is a member of the Audit Committee 
and became its Chair in September 2009 
and is also a member of the Remuneration 
Committee and the Nomination 
Committee. He is also Chief Executive 
Officer of International Power plc, a 
position that he has held since 2003, when 
he was promoted from his previous role of 
Chief Financial Officer (2000–2003). He is 
a member of the President’s Committee of 
the CBI. He was a Non-Executive Director 
at Wincanton Plc from 2001 to 2009, 
having chaired their Audit Committee  
from 2001 to 2008 and was Chair of their 
Remuneration Committee from 2008.  
His previous board position was as  
Chief Financial Officer at Siebe Plc.

Brian Flanagan 
(Age 58)
Brian Flanagan was appointed to the Board 
as a Non-Executive Director in July 2005. 
He is a member of the Audit, Nomination 
and Remuneration Committees. He is also  
a Non-Executive Director of The Financial 
Services Authority and is an adviser to  
Jet Environmental Systems. Previously,  
he worked for the Mars Corporation for  
26 years and possesses broad international 
business experience. He has held senior 
management positions in finance, 
information systems, manufacturing, 
purchasing and was, most recently,  
the global Vice President of Business 
Transformation for Mars Inc. Brian has 
informed the Board that he will step down 
from the Board at the 2011 AGM and will 
not seek re-election.

Penny Hughes 
Chair of the Corporate 
Compliance and Responsibility 
Committee 1 
(Age 51)
Penny Hughes joined the Group as a 
Non-Executive Director in January 2010. 
Penny is a member of the Audit, 
Nomination and Remuneration 
Committees. Penny is currently a 
Non-Executive Director of Cable & Wireless 
Worldwide Plc, The Royal Bank of Scotland 
plc and Home Retail Group plc, the 
president of the Advertising Association 
and a trustee of the British Museum. 
Penny’s previous experience includes  
10 years with Coca-Cola ultimately as 
president of Coca-Cola GB & Ireland and 
various non-executive roles including Body 
Shop International plc, GAP Inc, Reuters plc, 
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, Trinity 
Mirror plc and Vodafone plc. With effect 
from 10 March 2011 Penny has been 
appointed as Chair of the Corporate 
Compliance and Responsibility Committee.

Nigel Robertson 
Senior Independent Director 
(Age 51)
Nigel Robertson joined the Group as a 
Non-Executive Director in July 2005. With 
effect from 10 March 2011 Nigel will be 
appointed as Senior Independent Director. 
He is a member of the Nomination, 
Remuneration and Corporate Compliance 
and Responsibility Committees, and was 
Chair of the Corporate Compliance and 
Responsibility Committee from September 
2009 to 9 March 2011. Working in the 
private equity sector, he is the Group Chief 
Executive of Health and Surgical Holdings 
Ltd. Until the business was sold in 2007  
he was the Chief Executive Officer of 
Chelsea Stores Holdings Ltd and he was 
previously the Managing Director of Ocado, 
the online grocery shopping business set  
up in partnership with Waitrose. Prior  
to this he held senior positions in Marks  
and Spencer Group PLC both in the UK  
and USA.

Johanna Waterous 
Chair of the Remuneration 
Committee 1
(Age 53)
Johanna Waterous joined the Group as  
a Non-Executive Director in February  
2010. Johanna is a member of the Audit, 
Nomination, Remuneration and Corporate 
Compliance and Responsibility Committees. 
She is currently a Non-Executive Director of 
RSA Group Plc and Chairman of Sandpiper 
CI, as well as being an Operating Partner of 
Global Leisure Partners and Duke Street 
LLP. Her previous experience includes  
22 years with McKinsey & Co, London, 
ultimately as Co-Leader of the firm’s  
Global Marketing and Sales Practice.  
She is a Non-Executive Director of the  
Kew Foundation and of Kew Enterprises 
Limited. Between 1998 and 2006, she 
was Chairman of Tate Enterprises. Johanna 
has been appointed as Chair of the 
Remuneration Committee with effect  
from 10 March 2011.

Nomination Committee 
Remuneration Committee 
Corporate Compliance and  
Responsibility Committee 
Audit Committee 

Membership of committees  
at the date of signing the  
financial statements

1 with effect from 10 March 2011

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
34

Corporate governance report

In this section
34 UK Corporate Governance Code
34 The Board

34  Membership
34    Performance evaluation  

and training

35  Senior Independent Director
35  Non-Executive Directors
35  Board responsibilities

35  Management Board
35  Committees of the Board

36  Nomination Committee
36  Remuneration Committee
36  Audit Committee
38   Corporate Compliance and 
Responsibility Committee

38 Shareholder relations 
38 Code compliance

UK Corporate Governance Code
The Board has prepared this report with reference to the  
UK Corporate Governance Code issued by the Financial  
Reporting Council in June 2010.

During the year, the Group reviewed, under the auspices of the Board’s Corporate 
Compliance and Responsibility Committee, and revised its Corporate Governance 
Compliance Statement. The statement, which sets out how the Group complies with  
each of the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code (the ‘Code’), was approved  
by the Board. That document also sets out the statement of the division of responsibilities 
between the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer, the list of matters reserved to  
the Board, the membership of the Board and of the various Board Committees together 
with the terms of reference of the various standing Board Committees. This document  
is available in the Investor Relations section of the Group’s website,  
www.morrisons.co.uk/corporate

The Board
a) Membership
On 30 January 2011, the Board comprised a Non-Executive Chairman, three Executive 
Directors and six Non-Executive Directors. 

There is a clear division of responsibilities between the Non-Executive Chairman and  
the Chief Executive (CEO), which has been set out in writing and agreed by the Board.

Marc Bolland resigned from the Board on 1 February 2010 and, on the same day,  
Johanna Waterous joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director. Dalton Philips joined the 
Board on 29 March 2010. On 9 September 2010 Martyn Jones stepped down from the 
Board. On 9 March 2011 Paul Manduca stepped down from the Board. On 31 January 2011 
the Company announced that, with effect from the Company’s AGM on 9 June 2011, Mark 
Gunter will step down from the Board. On 9 March 2011 Brian Flanagan informed the 
Board that he will step down from the Board, again with effect from the Company’s 2011 
AGM. Throughout the period, the majority of the Board consisted of independent 
Non-Executive Directors. Details of the appointments, roles and backgrounds  
of the Directors are set out on page 33.

b) Performance evaluation and training
The performance of the Board, its committees and its Directors are assessed and  
appraised regularly. The Chairman is responsible for monitoring the performance  
of the Chief Executive, who in turn is responsible for monitoring the performance  
of the Executive Directors. 

During the year, a review of the effectiveness of the Board’s four principal standing 
Committees (Audit, Nomination, Remuneration and Corporate Compliance and 
Responsibility) was completed by an external agency, Independent Audit Limited.  
That review resulted in a formal report which was presented to the full Board in  
October 2010 and the principal findings of that review work were considered specifically 
by the chairs of each of those Committees. Whilst minor improvements to the workings  
of the individual Committees were recommended and have been, or are being, 
implemented, the review process disclosed no material matters of concern.

A full independent external review of the Board and the individual Directors will be  
carried out before the end of the 2011/12 financial year and any major findings will  
be reported upon in the Corporate governance report for the period ending in January 
2012. As reported in the 2010 Annual report, this review was deferred until the current 
financial year because of the change of Chief Executive during 2009/10.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Board is satisfied that the arrangements for review and 
appraisal of the performance of the Board, its Committees and 
individual Directors are appropriate. The Board is also confident 
that the initiatives which have been implemented already or which 
are in progress will enable the Group to satisfy the best practice 
recommendations of the Code in relation to Board evaluation. 

During the course of the 2010/11 financial year, the Group has 
continued with its series of Board training sessions, presented  
by the Group’s external advisers, on various key issues of 
importance to the Group. This training was designed to address 
matters of specific relevance to the Group and covered a range  
of topics including:

•   Directors’ duties; and

•   developments in the audit process and key audit issues  

of judgement.

The training programme was established in the 2009/10 financial  
year and will be refreshed and updated so that regular updates are 
provided to the Board on key governance, corporate practice and  
legal/accounting issues.

c) Senior Independent Director
Paul Manduca, the Senior Independent Director (SID) until 9 March 
2011, has been available to shareholders throughout the period  
as an alternative to the Chairman, CEO and the Group Finance 
Director. The SID ensures that he is available to meet shareholders 
during the year and reports any relevant findings to the Board or 
Chairman. With effect from 10 March 2011, Nigel Robertson will 
assume the role of SID and will be similarly available to shareholders.

d) Non-Executive Directors
The Non-Executive Directors provide a varied range of skills  
and experience to the Group. The Board is satisfied that all 
Non-Executive Directors, including the Non-Executive Chairman, 
remain independent according to the definition contained in the 
Combined Code. No Non-Executive Director:

•   has previously been employed by the Group within the last  

five years;

•   has had a material business relationship with the Group within 

the last three years;

•   receives remuneration other than Director’s fees;

•   has close family ties with any of the Group’s advisers, Directors 

or senior employees;

•   holds cross-directorships or has significant links with other 

directors through involvement in other companies or bodies;

•   represents a significant shareholder; or

•   has served on the Board for more than nine years.

35

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

All Directors are provided with a comprehensive, formal  
and tailored induction to the business. The minimum time 
commitment expected of the Non-Executive Directors is one  
day per month attendance at meetings, together with attendance 
at the Annual General Meeting, Board away days and site visits,  
plus adequate preparation time. The Board is satisfied that  
each of the Non-Executive Directors commits sufficient time  
to the business of the Group and contributes to the governance  
and operations of the Group.

e) Board responsibilities
The Board is responsible for setting and approving the strategy and 
key policies of the Group, and for monitoring the progress towards 
achieving these objectives. It monitors financial performance, 
critical operational issues and risks. The Board also approves all 
circulars, listing particulars, resolutions and correspondence to 
shareholders including the Annual report, half yearly financial 
report and interim management statements. 

The formal schedule of matters reserved for the Board remains 
unaltered and further details are available in the Corporate 
Governance Compliance Statement set out in the ‘Investor 
Relations’ section of the Group’s website  
www.morrisons.co.uk/corporate

The Company Secretary organises the appropriate level of 
insurance cover for Directors to defend themselves against  
legal claims and civil actions. The level of cover is currently  
£60m in aggregate.

Management Board
The Management Board is made up of representatives of the senior 
management of the Group and is chaired by the Chief Executive.  
It has detailed terms of reference and has responsibility for the 
day-to-day operations of the Group. This includes development  
and implementation of strategy (subject to overall supervision  
by the Board), financial performance, reporting and control, risk 
management, operational improvement programmes, the entry  
by the Group into major contracts and commitments, the 
development of corporate policies and procedures and the ongoing 
review and supervision of the operational activities of the business 
of the Group. It reviews and makes recommendations to the Board 
in respect of budgets and long term planning and dividend levels as 
well as reviewing proposed announcements, whether financial or 
related to ad hoc events. It also keeps under supervision the 
Group’s senior management talent, capabilities and succession plans. 

Committees of the Board
The principal committees of the Board are the Audit, 
Remuneration, Nomination and Corporate Compliance and 
Responsibility (CCR) Committees.

Full terms of reference of the Committees are available on request 
and in the Corporate Governance Compliance Statement set out  
in the Investor Relations section of the Group’s website 
www.morrisons.co.uk/corporate

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

36

Corporate governance report – continued

a) Nomination Committee
During the year the activities of the Committee were focused on 
advice to the executive management on the establishment and 
composition of the Management Board and on senior management 
succession planning. The Committee has engaged an executive 
search agency, MWM Consulting, to assist in the process of 
identification of potential candidates to join the Board as and  
when appropriate.

The activities of the Remuneration Committee during the year  
are set out in more detail in the Directors’ remuneration report  
on page 40.

c) Audit Committee
The Board has delegated to the Audit Committee the responsibility 
for reviewing on its behalf and making recommendations to the 
Board as to:

b) Remuneration Committee
The objective of the Group’s remuneration policy is to encourage  
a strong performance culture and an emphasis on long term 
shareholder value creation. The intention is to position 
remuneration arrangements competitively against the market,  
with a clear reward structure to enable the Group to attract,  
retain and motivate the best talent who are key to the Group’s 
recent and future success. 

•   the integrity of financial reports;

•   the effectiveness of the Group’s internal control and risk 

management system; and

•   the independence of the external auditors.

The Audit Committee’s responsibilities have not changed  
during the year. 

The Group HR Director has advised the Group on all remuneration 
related matters, including pensions and Executive Directors’ 
contracts. Where necessary this advice was supplemented by 
external advisers. 

The Audit Committee regularly considers the professional 
development needs of its members, and whether adequate 
technical information is being provided. Where necessary,  
it will seek independent external advice at the Group’s expense, 
with such arrangements made through the Company Secretary. 

The committee also receives advice from its appointed advisers 
Hewitt New Bridge Street on remuneration matters, Pension 
Capital Strategies Limited (a member of the Jardine Lloyd 
Thompson Group) in respect of pensions, and Ashurst LLP  
in respect of Executive Directors’ contracts.

The Audit Committee is chaired by Philip Cox who has the requisite 
recent and relevant financial experience. The Chairman, the CEO, 
the Group Finance Director, the Head of Risk and Internal Audit 
and other finance department representatives have attended 
meetings by invitation.

During the year, the membership of those Committees was:

Committee membership

Name
Sir Ian Gibson 
Dalton Philips
Philip Cox
Brian Flanagan
Penny Hughes
Martyn Jones
Paul Manduca
Nigel Robertson
Johanna Waterous

* Chair of the Committee

Nomination
  •*
•
•
•
•

•
•
•

Remuneration
•

•
•
•

  •*
•
•

The Directors attended the following number of  
Board and Committee meetings:

Committee membership

Number of meetings
Sir Ian Gibson
Dalton Philips
Richard Pennycook
Mark Gunter
Philip Cox
Brian Flanagan
Penny Hughes
Martyn Jones
Paul Manduca
Nigel Robertson
Johanna Waterous

Board
11/11
9/9
10/11
10/11
10/11
10/11
9/11
8/8
11/11
10/11
10/11

Nomination
6/6
5/5

Remuneration
13/13

6/6
5/6
6/6

5/6
6/6
6/6

12/13
12/13
9/13

13/13
13/13
10/13

Audit

  •*
•
•

•
•

Audit

6/6
6/6
5/6

2/2
6/6

CCR
•
•

•

  •*
•

CCR
4/4
3/3

3/3

4/4
3/4

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

37

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

(i) Overview of actions taken by the Audit Committee  
in discharging its duties
The Committee has received and reviewed reports and 
presentations from senior management to fulfil its terms  
of reference. To meet its responsibilities in this respect,  
the Committee considered:

•   interim and preliminary announcements, together with any  

other formal announcements relating to financial performance;

•   the accounting principles, policies and procedures adopted in  
the Group’s financial statements, including, where necessary, 
challenging the judgements made; and

•   the potential effects of tax and pensions accounting and other 
significant judgemental and complex accounting issues dealt  
with in the accounts.

The Audit Committee oversees the Group’s relationship with  
the external auditors. Private meetings are held with the external 
auditors, without management present. The purpose of these 
meetings is to understand their views on the control and 
governance environment and management’s effectiveness within 
it. To fulfil its responsibilities in respect of the independence and 
effectiveness of the external auditors, the Committee reviewed:

•   the terms, areas of responsibility, duties and scope of work  
of the external auditors as set out in the engagement letter;

•   the external auditors’ work plan for the Group;

•   the detailed findings of the audit, including a discussion  

of any major issues that arose during the audit;

•   the letter from KPMG Audit Plc confirming its independence  

and objectivity; and

•   the audit fee and the extent of non-audit services provided  

by the external auditors. 

In this period, the external auditors have continued to provide a 
significant level of non-audit work, primarily to provide the Board 
with independent assurance in respect of IT systems replacement. 
The Board believes that this activity is a reasonable extension of 
their statutory audit work and that there are safeguards in place  
to avoid a threat to their independence or objectivity. The Board 
has a policy on the engagement of the external auditors to supply 
non-audit services and the Committee has reviewed the scope  
of non-audit services provided by the external auditors to ensure  
that there was no impairment of objectivity. A copy of that 
non-audit services policy is available in the Corporate Governance 
Compliance Statement set out in the ‘Investor Relations’ section  
of the Group’s website at www.morrisons.co.uk/corporate 
This non-audit services policy is designed to assist the Company 
and each of its subsidiaries in ensuring that the engagement of  
the external auditors to provide non-audit services:

•   is only carried out in appropriate circumstances;

•   is transparent; and

•   does not impair the judgement or independence of the  

external auditors.

When assessing the non-audit services for approval the Audit 
Committee will take the following into consideration:

•   whether the skills and experience of the audit firm make  
it the most suitable supplier of the non-audit service;

•   whether there are safeguards in place to ensure that there  

is no threat to the objectivity or independence in the conduct  
of the audit resulting from the provision of such services by  
the external auditor;

•   the nature of the non-audit services, the related fee levels and the 
fee levels individually and in aggregate relative to the audit fee; and

•   the criteria which govern the compensation of the individuals 

performing the audit.

KPMG also follows its own ethical guidelines and continually 
reviews its audit team to ensure that its independence is not 
compromised.

The Audit Committee has determined that it will review not less 
than annually whether the incumbent auditors should remain in 
place or whether an auditor selection process should be initiated.

(ii) Internal control
The Board is responsible for setting a system of internal controls for 
the Group and reviewing its effectiveness. Executive management  
is responsible for implementing and maintaining the system of 
controls. This system is intended to manage rather than eliminate  
the risk of not meeting the Group’s strategic objectives, whilst 
recognising that certain inherent risks may be outside the Group’s 
control. The Board recognises that any system of internal control  
can only seek to provide reasonable, not absolute, assurance 
against material misstatement or loss.

The Board delegates to the Audit Committee the review of the 
effectiveness of the Group’s internal controls and risk management 
systems. During the year, the Committee discharged this 
responsibility by:

•   receiving and considering regular reports from the internal audit 
function on the status of internal control and risk management 
systems across the Group. The Committee also reviewed the 
department’s findings, annual plan and the resources available  
to it to perform its work;

•   reviewing the external auditor’s management letters on internal 

financial control;

•   seeking reports from senior management on the effectiveness  

of the management of key risk areas; and 

•   monitoring the adequacy and timeliness of management’s 

response to identified audit issues.

The Audit Committee receives regular reports from the Head  
of Risk and Internal Audit on any whistle-blowing activity in  
respect of concerns expressed by colleagues about possible 
malpractice or wrongdoing. Whilst there were no significant 
concerns raised by colleagues, all actions required were  
discussed and agreed with the Committee.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

38

Corporate governance report – continued

The Board is satisfied that a continual process for identifying, 
evaluating and managing significant risks has been in place for  
the financial year and up to the date of this Annual report. To date, 
no material financial problems have been identified that would 
affect the results reported in these financial statements. The Board 
confirms that if significant weaknesses had been identified during 
this review the Board would have taken the necessary steps to 
remedy them.

d) Corporate Compliance and Responsibility Committee (CCR)
The CCR Committee, chaired by a Non-Executive Director,  
Nigel Robertson, reviews and oversees the development and 
implementation of policy in relation to health and safety, 
environmental, competitive and ethical compliance, corporate 
social responsibility (CSR), including the Group’s engagement with 
community organisations and charitable bodies, and governance 
and other reputational management issues. With effect from  
10 March 2011 Penny Hughes has been appointed as chair of  
the CCR Committee.

The Committee’s remit does not cover operational matters but  
it performs an oversight, monitoring and advisory role in relation  
to these key areas in the Company’s governance and development. 

The Committee, which reports to the Board, was set up and  
met four times during the financial year and, as well as reviewing  
its terms of reference, it received presentations on the Group’s 
CSR, health and safety and competition compliance policies  
and procedures. 

Shareholder relations
The CEO and the Group Finance Director meet regularly with 
analysts and institutional shareholders. The Investor Relations 
Director also maintains a programme of work that reports to the 
Board the requirements and information needs of institutional  
and major investors. This is part of the regular contact that the 
Group maintains with its institutional shareholders. 

All Directors, Executive and Non-Executive, attend the AGM unless 
unavoidably unable to do so. 

The Chairs of the Audit, Nomination, Remuneration and CCR 
Committees are available to answer any questions. 

Additionally, the Group’s brokers sought independent feedback 
from investors following the annual and interim results in 2010. 
This feedback was reported to the Board.

Code compliance
The Board has been kept fully up to date by the Company Secretary 
and the Head of Risk and Internal Audit as to the developments  
in corporate governance following the Walker Review and the 
Financial Reporting Council’s revision of the UK Corporate 
Governance Code. 

The Board is confident that its corporate governance policies and 
procedures are appropriate and that the Company is fully compliant 
with the Code. Notably, although not yet required to do so, the  
Board has resolved that it will comply with the best practice 
recommendation set out in Code Provision B.7.1 such that all  
directors will be submitted for re-election at its AGM.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

Directors’ remuneration report

39

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

In this section

39  Letter to Shareholders 
from the Chair of the 
Remuneration Committee

40   Unaudited information
40   Remuneration 
Committee: 
membership and remit

40   Remuneration policy
40   Performance-related 

versus fixed 
remuneration

41   Base salary
41   Annual bonus
41   All Employee 

Sharesave Scheme

41   Long Term  

Incentive Plan
42   Share award for 

Richard Pennycook

43   Share ownership 

guidelines

43   Pension arrangements
43   Benefits
43   Performance graph
43   Directors’ contracts
43   Executive 
Directors
44   Non-Executive 
Directors

45  Audited information

45   Directors’ emoluments 

and pension 
entitlements
46   Share awards
47   Share options
48   Dilution and  
share usage

48   Directors’ interests

48    Approval

Dear Shareholder,
I am pleased to present the remuneration report for the financial year ended 30 January 2011 for  
which we will be seeking approval from shareholders in June 2011.

As you are aware, we made some important changes to Morrisons remuneration policy last year to 
deliver appropriately structured remuneration arrangements which are aligned with Morrisons key 
strategic priorities and the market. I am pleased to say that we received a strong vote in favour of last 
year’s remuneration report at the 2010 Annual General Meeting (AGM). While there have been no 
major changes to the remuneration policy during 2010/11 and none are anticipated for 2011/12,  
the main points to note are as follows:
•   base salary levels were reviewed in January 2011. On 1 February 2011, Richard Pennycook received 
an increase to base salary from £540,750 to £570,000 to reflect additional business development  
and strategic responsibilities. The base salaries for Dalton Philips and Mark Gunter are unchanged;
•   following a review of the 2010/11 annual bonus arrangement, the Committee concluded that the 
current structure remains appropriate for 2011/12. The strong focus on delivering profit growth, 
supported by the achievement of a number of key strategic initiatives and personal performance 
objectives, will therefore continue for 2011/12. Following a strong overall performance during the 
year, actual bonus payments for the year ended 30 January 2011 were 44.7% of the maximum 
potential based on profit, 90% of the maximum potential based on scorecard measures and  
between 74% and 100% of the maximum potential based on personal objectives;

•   the structure of long term incentive arrangements, delivered through the Long Term Incentive Plan, 

remains unchanged. The Committee is of the view that the award levels and the performance metrics/
targets, based on earnings per share and relative like-for-like sales growth which were applied to the 
2010 awards, remain appropriate for the awards to be granted in 2011;

•   as a result of Marc Bolland’s resignation as Chief Executive towards the end of the 2009/10 financial 
year, the Remuneration Committee considered it critical to secure Richard Pennycook’s services as 
Group Finance Director. Following consultation with a number of the Company’s largest shareholders 
at that time, the appointment of the Chief Executive and completion of his strategic review, the 
Committee agreed that Richard Pennycook should be granted an award over restricted shares worth 
£1,250,000 in March 2011 which will vest on the second anniversary of grant, subject to continued 
employment and the Group’s Underlying EPS growth meeting or exceeding the growth in the Retail 
Prices Index over the period to the end of the 2012/13 financial year. While this is an unusual 
arrangement, the Committee considers that the granting of this award is in the long-term interests  
of shareholders and is appropriate; and

•   following a review of the Non-Executive Chairman’s role, responsibility levels and time commitment, 

Sir Ian Gibson’s fee, which had remained unchanged since it was set in September 2007, was increased 
from £300,000 to £375,000 with effect from 1 July 2010.

Following the changes made to the policy last year, the Remuneration Committee is now satisfied that 
the current remuneration arrangements meet the stated polices of encouraging a strong performance 
culture, emphasising long term shareholder value creation and being positioned competitively in relation 
to major competitors to enable the Company to attract, retain and motivate the best talent. Strong 
linkage has also been created between the annual bonus measures for 2011/12 and achievement of  
the major deliverables of the Group’s new Operational Plan ‘Different and Better than Ever’.

During 2010/11, the Committee has also dealt with the following Board changes:
•   on 9 September 2010, Martyn Jones stepped down from the Board, switching roles from the  

Group Trading Director to the Group Corporate Services Director; and

•   on 31 January 2011, the Company announced Mark Gunter’s intention to retire, stepping down  

from the Board at the 2011 AGM.

Details surrounding the remuneration arrangements for Martyn Jones and the retirement arrangements 
for Mark Gunter are set out in the Directors’ remuneration report which follows.

Finally, as this is my last remuneration report following the announcement that I will step down from  
the Board on 9 March 2011, I would like to thank my fellow Committee members for their support  
over the last year. Going forward, Johanna Waterous will chair the Remuneration Committee.

Paul Manduca
Chair of the Remuneration Committee

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
40

Directors’ remuneration report – continued

The Group is required to prepare a Directors’ remuneration report 
for the 52 weeks ended 30 January 2011 and put that report to  
a shareholder vote. A resolution to approve this report will be 
proposed at the AGM of the Company to be held on 9 June 2011.

The auditors are required to report on part of the Directors’ 
remuneration report and to state whether in their opinion that part 
of the report has been properly prepared in accordance with the 
Companies Act 2006 and Schedule 8 of the Large and Medium-
Sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 
2008. The report has therefore been divided into separate sections 
for unaudited and audited information.

Remuneration policy
The Remuneration Committee remains of the view that the 
Company’s executive remuneration policies:

•   should encourage a strong performance culture and emphasise 
long term shareholder value creation, with clear links between 
executive performance goals and business strategy; and

•   need to be positioned competitively in relation to its major 
competitors to enable it to attract, retain and motivate the  
best talent which has been key to the Company’s success over 
the last few years and will be critical to its future performance.

Unaudited information
Remuneration Committee: membership and remit
During the year the following individuals were members of the 
Remuneration Committee.

Membership
From 
6 Sep 2005

To
9 Mar 2011

To achieve this, the Committee aims to:

•   position base salaries competitively;

•   operate a competitive suite of annual and long term incentives, 
so that a substantial proportion of total remuneration is subject 
to performance and so that executives are aligned with 
shareholders through share awards and share ownership; and

•   ensure that total remuneration packages are competitive against 

the market, particularly the Company’s major competitors.

Name of Director
P Manduca  
(Chairman to 9 March 2011)
P Cox
B Flanagan
I Gibson
P Hughes
N Robertson
J Waterous  
(Chairman from 10 March 2011)

1 Apr 2009
1 Jul 2005
1 Sep 2007
1 Jan 2010
1 Jul 2005
1 Feb 2010

To date
To date
To date
To date
To date
To date

Performance-related versus fixed remuneration
A substantial proportion of the Executive Directors’ pay is 
performance-related. The following chart demonstrates the 
balance between fixed and performance-related pay for the 
2011/12 financial year for the Chief Executive and other Directors 
at target and maximum performance levels. Maximum performance 
assumes the achievement of maximum bonus and full vesting of 
shares under the Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP).

The Chief Executive, Dalton Philips, and the Group Human 
Resources Director, Norman Pickavance, also attend meetings 
(other than where their own remuneration is being discussed).  
The Company Secretary, Greg McMahon, acts as secretary to  
the Committee.

The Committee was advised during the year by the Group Human 
Resources Director and Hewitt New Bridge Street, the Committee’s 
appointed external adviser, on matters relating to senior executive 
remuneration. Pension Capital Strategies Limited (a member of the 
Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group) also provided advice in respect of 
pensions and Ashurst LLP provided legal advice to the Committee 
on senior executive contracts. Hewitt New Bridge Street provided 
no other material advice to the Company during the year. Pension 
Capital Strategies provide advice to management on relevant 
pension matters and Ashurst LLP provide other legal services  
to the Company.

Performance-related versus fixed remuneration
(Percentage %)

Chief Executive
Target

Maximum

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100

Other directors
Target

The Committee met on 13 occasions during the year and the 
meeting attendance record is set out on page 36 of the Corporate 
Governance Report.

Maximum

The remit of the Committee covers the total remuneration  
of the Executive Directors and other senior managers  
comprising the Management Board. The full terms of reference  
for the Committee can be obtained from the Company  
Secretary and can be found on the Company’s web site at:  
www.morrisonsplc.co.uk/Corporate/Investors

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100

 Salary 

 Pension 

 Bonus 

 LTIP

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

41

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Base salary
Base salary is a fixed cash sum payable monthly in arrears. In order 
to set the right balance in Executive Directors’ packages, the policy 
is to set salaries competitively against the appropriate external 
market. The Remuneration Committee has regard to the following 
when reviewing salary levels:

Scorecard measures for 2010/11 were structured around delivery 
of major strategic projects; employee-related objectives; continued 
sales growth and actions to increase the operating margin. No 
bonus would have been payable for the achievement of strategic 
corporate scorecard measures or personal objectives unless the 
minimum profit target had been achieved.

•   the rates for similar roles in comparator companies, both in FTSE 
100 retailers, particularly the Company’s major competitors,  
and more generally in UK-based companies of a similar size  
and complexity (specifically FTSE 100 companies ranked 20  
to 60 by market capitalisation excluding those whose turnover  
is substantially derived from outside the UK);

•   the performance of the individual concerned, together with  

any change in responsibilities that may have occurred;

•   avoiding the automatic ratcheting effects of following ’median’  
or ’upper quartile’ levels of salary derived from comparator 
company analyses; and

•   pay quantum and structure throughout the Company.

Base salaries are normally reviewed annually in the light of personal 
performance, benchmark data and internal relativities.  

On 1 February 2011, Richard Pennycook received an increase  
to base salary from £540,750 to £570,000 to reflect additional 
business development and strategic responsibilities. The base 
salaries for Dalton Philips and Mark Gunter are unchanged. Current 
base salaries, together with the previous salaries, are set out below:

D Philips
R Pennycook
M Gunter

2011/12 
£800,000
£570,000
£540,750

2010/11
£800,000
£540,750
£540,750

Annual bonus
An annual bonus plan was operated for Executive Directors and 
other senior managers during 2010/11.

For 2010/11, the maximum bonus for Executive Directors was 
200% of base salary, with 50% of any bonus payable deferred in 
shares for three years under the Deferred Share Bonus Plan (DSBP). 
Under the DSBP the shares comprising the deferred element of the 
bonus payment will vest three years from the date that the deferred 
share award is made and it is intended that dividend equivalents 
will accrue on shares that vest. These deferred shares are normally 
forfeited if the individual leaves the Company prior to vesting.

Measurement for the annual bonus was based upon profit before 
taxation (excluding exceptional items), strategic corporate scorecard 
measures and personal objectives, weighted as set out below:

Measures
Profit before tax, excluding exceptionals
Strategic corporate scorecard measures
Personal objectives

% of bonus potential 
60%
30%
10%

Bonus awards to the executives for the financial year ended  
30 January 2011 reflect the Company’s strong underlying profit 
performance achieved during a year of significant internal change 
and tough external market conditions. Performance under the 
profit measure was ahead of target and resulted in a bonus 
payment for this element of 44.7% of the potential bonus payable 
for this measure. The majority of the strategic corporate scorecard 
elements were met at the levels set for maximum payment 
resulting in a payment of 90% of the potential bonus payable for 
this element. Strong performance by individual executives has 
resulted in between 74% and 100% for the potential bonuses 
payable for achievement of personal objectives. Bonus payments 
for the financial year ending 30 January 2011 therefore ranged 
from 122% to 128% of base salary, of which half is deferred in 
shares under the DSBP. Details of the actual amounts paid for 
2010/11 are set out in the Directors’ emoluments table on page 45.

The performance measures and weightings for the 2011/12 bonus 
plan are unchanged.

Scorecard measures for 2011/12 will focus on the delivery of major 
strategic objectives which are aligned with the key deliverables  
of the Group’s Operational Plan ‘Different and Better than Ever’ 
described on page 14 of this Annual Report and financial 
statements. No bonus will be payable for the achievement of 
corporate scorecard measures or personal objectives unless the 
minimum profit target, which is higher than the 2010/11 out-turn, 
has been achieved.

As in prior years, specific performance targets have not been 
disclosed as they are considered to be commercially confidential, 
but they will be demanding.

Bonuses for the management tier immediately below Executive 
Director level will be awarded on similar terms to the above but  
at reduced levels.

All Employee Sharesave Scheme
The Group operates a Sharesave Scheme which is approved  
by HM Revenue & Customs. All eligible employees, including 
Executive Directors, may be invited to participate on similar terms 
to save up to a maximum of £250 each month for a fixed period  
of three years. At the end of the savings period, individuals may  
use their savings plus a tax-free bonus to buy ordinary shares in  
the Group at a discount capped at up to 20% of the market price,  
set at the relevant launch date. A grant was made under the  
plan during 2010 at the maximum 20% discount, details of  
which are set out on pages 84 and 85 of the Notes to the Group  
financial statements.

Long Term Incentive Plan
The Long Term Incentive Plan is designed to reward management 
for achieving the Group’s strategic objectives and to provide an 
appropriate level of long term performance pay.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

42

Directors’ remuneration report – continued

Each year, participants receive conditional awards of shares in the 
Group which will normally vest three years after they are awarded 
subject to the satisfaction of performance conditions, measured 
over a three year period, and continued service. The plan’s 
individual annual limit is 300% of salary (face value of shares).

In 2010, awards were made to 928 participants, including Executive 
Directors, their direct reports and management tiers below 
(including supermarket store managers). An award of shares worth 
275% of salary was made to Dalton Philips with awards worth 
240% of salary for the other Executive Directors, in each case in 
April 2010. For tiers below Executive Director, awards were made 
during the year at lower levels dependent upon seniority.

Share award for Richard Pennycook
As a result of Marc Bolland’s resignation as Chief Executive towards 
the end of the 2009/10 financial year, the Remuneration 
Committee considered it essential to secure Richard Pennycook’s 
services as Group Finance Director. Following consultation with  
a number of the Company’s largest shareholders at that time,  
the appointment of Dalton Philips as Chief Executive and the 
completion of his strategic review, the Committee agreed that  
he should be granted an award over restricted shares worth 
£1,250,000 (based on the dealing day before the grant date) in 
March 2011 which will vest on the second anniversary of grant, 
subject to continued employment and the Group’s Underlying  
EPS growth meeting or exceeding the growth in the Retail Prices 
Index over the period to the end of the 2012/13 financial year.

Performance under the plan is measured over three years.  
As was the case in 2010/11, the performance measures for 
2011/12 awards will be 75% based on earnings per share (EPS)  
and 25% based on like-for-like non-fuel sales growth as measured 
against the IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution) Index. These 
performance metrics were selected for the following reasons:

•   they are directly linked to the objectives set out in the Group’s 
strategy – improving EPS and sales performance reflects the 
need for basic profit growth and should flow through to 
increased shareholder value;

•   there is a clear line of sight between performance and reward; and

•   they are relatively easy to understand and communicate.

To guard against the possibility of individuals receiving value from 
the LTIP as a result of sales targets being hit but EPS targets being 
missed, no awards can vest under the sales targets unless the 
threshold EPS target has been met.

For the awards intended to be granted in April 2011, the following 
targets will apply.

25% of the EPS related component of the award will vest if the 
Group’s Underlying EPS grows in line with the growth in the Retail 
Prices Index (RPI) plus an average of 4% per annum, rising on a 
pro-rata basis until 100% vests for outperforming the index by at 
least 10% per annum over the three years ending with the 2013/14 
financial year. Underlying EPS will be as referred to in note 9 to the 
financial statements. The Group will report EPS in this way in its 
Annual report.

25% of the sales growth related component of the award will vest  
if the Group’s like-for-like sales match the IGD Index, rising on a 
pro-rata basis until 100% vests for outperforming the Index by at 
least 2% over the three years ending with the 2013/14 financial 
year. Like-for-like sales are defined as the reported sales from 
existing space (excluding VAT), less total fuel sales. As has been  
the previous practice, no part of the award relating to sales growth 
can vest unless the minimum EPS target is achieved.

While this is an unusual arrangement, the Committee considers 
that the granting of this award is in the long term interests of 
shareholders and is satisfied that it is appropriate. Richard 
Pennycook’s participation in the annual bonus arrangement and 
LTIP will continue in line with the policy stated above.

Listing Rule 9.4.3 requires the following additional detail to be 
disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report and Accounts. If  
Mr Pennycook ceases employment by way of death, retirement 
with the Company’s consent, disability or injury or any other reason 
as agreed by the Committee, the award will vest on the date of 
cessation subject to the Remuneration Committee’s assessment  
of the Company’s EPS performance. Otherwise, the award will 
lapse on cessation of employment. The award will also vest early  
in the event of a change of control subject to the Remuneration 
Committee’s assessment of the Company’s EPS performance.  
The award will not, unless the Committee decides otherwise,  
vest on an internal reorganisation but will instead be exchanged  
for an equivalent award over shares in the new holding company. 
The award will not confer any shareholder rights on Mr Pennycook  
until it vests, except that Mr Pennycook will be entitled to a 
payment (in cash and/or shares) shortly after vesting to reflect  
the dividends that would have been paid on those shares between 
grant and vesting. In the event of any variation of the Company’s 
share capital or any other event which materially affects the price 
of the Company’s shares, the award may be adjusted in such 
manner as the Committee sees fit. The terms of the award may be 
amended in such manner as the Committee and Mr Pennycook may 
agree provided that amendments to the benefit of Mr Pennycook 
may only be made with the prior consent of shareholders (unless 
they are minor amendments to benefit the administration of the 
award, to take account of a change in legislation or to obtain or 
maintain favourable tax, exchange control or regulatory treatment 
for the Company or Mr Pennycook).

The above award, which is non-pensionable, will be granted 
pursuant to the authority contained in Listing Rule 9.4.2R2.  
To the extent that the award vests, it will be satisfied with existing 
shares other than treasury shares. Shares received from this award 
will be subject to the retention provisions set out in the Company’s 
shareholding guidelines for Executive Directors.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

43

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Performance graph
The graph below shows the Company’s total shareholder return 
(TSR) compared with the TSR of the FTSE 100 and FTSE Food & 
Drug Retailers indices over the five-year period to 30 January 
2011. These indices have been selected as being appropriate in 
giving a broad equity view and the Company is a constituent of 
both indices.

Total shareholder return

180

160

140

120

100

80

g
n

i

d

l

o
h
0
0
1
£
l
a
c
i
t
e
h
t
o
p
y
h
f
o
e
u

l
a
V

60
29 Jan
2006

4 Feb
2007

3 Feb
2008

1 Feb
2009

31 Jan
2010

30 Jan
2011

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC 
FTSE 100 

FTSE All Share Food  
& Drug Retailers Index

Source: Thomson Reuters

Directors’ contracts
a) Executive Directors
All Executive Directors have a service agreement without expiry 
dates. These contracts can be terminated by either the Group or 
the relevant Director giving 12 months’ notice.

The Remuneration Committee has in place a model contract which 
provides that any compensation provisions for termination without 
notice will only extend to 12 months of salary, benefits and pension 
(which may be payable in instalments and subject to mitigation). 
Going forward all new Director contracts will be on that basis.  
The model contract does not contain change of control provisions. 
This policy was applied to Dalton Philips at the time of his 
recruitment and to Mark Gunter and Martyn Jones from 2007. 
Richard Pennycook’s contract provides that he has an obligation to 
mitigate his loss in the event of termination in breach of contract.

Name of Director
D Philips
R Pennycook
M Gunter
M Jones  
(ceased to be a Director  
on 9 September 2010) 
M Bolland  
(ceased to be a Director  
on 1 February 2010)

Date of contract
26 Jan 2010
23 May 2006
5 Apr 2007
5 Apr 2007

Notice period from 
Company (months)
12
12
12
12

7 June 2006 

12

Share ownership guidelines
The Group operates share ownership guidelines for Executive 
Directors. Under the guidelines, Executive Directors are expected 
to retain 50% of vested share awards (net of tax), including, in 
future years, shares from the deferred element of the annual bonus, 
until such time as they own shares worth 100% of their salary after 
which point they will be expected to retain, as a minimum, this level 
of holding. The Remuneration Committee will review Executive 
Directors’ shareholdings annually in the context of this policy.  
The shareholdings for the Executive Directors, as at 30 January 
2011, are shown in the Directors’ interests section on page 48  
of this remuneration report.

Pension arrangements
The Executive Directors (with the exception of Dalton Philips who 
received a salary supplement equal to 25% of base salary during 
the year) participate in the Morrisons Defined Benefit Pension 
Scheme. From October 2009 the basis of future pension accrual 
changed from final salary to career average revalued earnings 
(CARE). Under these new defined benefit arrangements, pension 
entitlements for participating Executive Directors accrue at the 
rate of a maximum of 3% for each year. Accrued benefits, including 
those preserved from the former final salary arrangement, increase 
in line with the Retail Prices Index to the date of leaving the Group.

The maximum pension of two-thirds pensionable salary at age  
62 has been retained for CARE accrual. Pensionable pay for the 
Executive Directors is annual salary as at 6 April each year. Mark 
Gunter, Richard Pennycook and Martyn Jones (who stepped down 
from the Board on 9 September 2010) are all subject to Company 
maximum earnings limit which is currently £123,600 and is 
reviewed annually from 1 April in line with RPI.

The pension arrangements include life assurance cover whilst  
in employment, a pension in the event of ill health or disability  
and a pension for the individual’s spouse and any dependent 
children on death.

No contributions were paid or are payable by any directors under 
the terms of the scheme. There are no enhanced early retirement 
rights. Post-retirement pensions increase in line with the annual 
increase in the RPI or by 5% per annum compound for pensions 
accrued prior to 6 April 2006 and 2.5% for pensions accrued from 
6 April 2006, whichever is the lower.

Mr Pennycook, Mr Gunter and Mr Jones, who were all subject to 
the pensions earnings cap in place before April 2006 which has 
been retained for benefits accruing thereafter, received a cash 
supplement of 15% of basic salary in excess of the Company 
maximum earnings limit in 2010/11.

Benefits
Benefits in kind include transport costs, private health provision 
and in certain cases a telephone allowance. The Executive Directors 
are eligible for an allowance towards the cost of independent 
financial advice and also receive the Company’s normal staff 
discount entitlement which is not taxable.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
44

Directors’ remuneration report – continued

As disclosed last year, Marc Bolland’s contract of employment and 
directorship was terminated on 1 February 2010. Under the 
termination agreement, a payment in lieu of notice of £282,331 
was made in respect of salary, pension and benefits for the period 
1 February 2010 to 30 April 2010. There was no entitlement to  
an annual bonus in respect of the financial year ended 31 January 
2010 and all outstanding LTIP awards lapsed. Mr Bolland also 
retained the use of his Company leased flat for the three month 
period to which his payment in lieu of notice applied. Further 
details are provided within the Directors’ emoluments and share 
awards tables in the audited section of this remuneration report.

On 9 September 2010, Martyn Jones stepped down from the Board 
following his appointment as Group Corporate Services Director,  
to head the newly formed Corporate Services function. Mr Jones 
continues to be employed by the Group.

Mark Gunter has indicated his intention to retire from the Company 
following a career with Morrisons spanning over 25 years.  
Mr Gunter has provided advanced notice of his intention to  
retire to enable an orderly succession and handover of his 
accountabilities. It is anticipated that he will retire during  
2012 having served his full notice period and on that basis no 
termination payment will be made to Mr Gunter on leaving the 
Company. Mr Gunter will participate in the annual bonus plan  
for the 2011/12 financial year on a pro-rata basis. His share  
plan awards will be treated in accordance with the relevant plan 
rules. Shares from deferred annual bonus awards will vest at his 
retirement, LTIP awards will continue to vest at the normal vesting 
dates subject to performance conditions and time pro-rating and 
options under the Sharesave scheme may be exercised for a period 
of 6 months following retirement.

Subject to Board approval, Executive Directors are permitted to 
accept outside appointments on external boards or committees  
as long as these are not deemed to interfere with the business of 
the Company. Any fees received in respect of these appointments, 
which are disclosed under the Directors’ emoluments table, are 
retained by the Executive Directors concerned.

b) Non-Executive Directors
The dates of commencement of the original term of appointments 
and the date the current term commenced are set out in the  
table below.

With the exception of Sir Ian Gibson, the appointments may  
be terminated earlier by, and at the discretion of, either party  
upon one month’s written notice. Sir Ian Gibson’s notice  
period was reduced from 12 months to three months on  
his re-appointment as Non-Executive Chairman following  
the end of his initial three year term.

Name of Director
I Gibson
P Cox
B Flanagan
P Hughes
P Manduca
N Robertson
J Waterous

Date original  
term commenced
1 Sep 2007
1 Apr 2009
1 Jul 2005
1 Jan 2010
6 Sep 2005
1 Jul 2005
1 Feb 2010

Date current  
term commenced
1 Sep 2010
1 Apr 2009
1 Jul 2008
1 Jan 2010
6 Sep 2008
1 Jul 2008
1 Feb 2010

Expected date  
of expiry of  
current term
1 Sep 2013
1 Apr 2012
1 Jul 2011
1 Jan 2013
9 Mar 2011
1 Jul 2011
1 Feb 2013

The Board makes the initial appointment of Directors who are  
then subject to re-election by the shareholders at the first AGM 
following appointment, and thereafter at least every three years.

The remuneration of the Non-Executive Directors is a matter  
for the Non-Executive Chairman and Executive members of the 
Board and is reviewed from time-to-time with regard to the time 
commitment required and the level of fees paid in comparable 
companies. The remuneration of the Non-Executive Chairman  
is a matter for the Remuneration Committee and the Board and is 
reviewed from time-to-time with regard to the time commitment 
required and the level of fees paid in comparable companies. 
Non-Executive Directors receive no benefits from their office other 
than fees and staff discount entitlement, and are not eligible to 
participate in the Group’s pension arrangements.

The Chairman’s fee, which had previously remained unchanged 
since it was set in September 2007, was reviewed during the year 
taking account of the individual’s increased time commitments and 
prevailing market rates within the comparator companies as used 
for Executive Directors. As a consequence, the fee was increased 
from £300,000 to £375,000 with effect from 1 July 2010.

The fee levels for Non-Executive Directors, which were last 
increased in May 2008, were reviewed during the year by Board 
members comprising the Chairman and the Executive Directors. 
This review took account of factors including market rates, 
individual time commitment and the responsibilities of each  
role. The Committee Chairmanship fee for the Audit and the 
Remuneration Committee were both increased from £10,000  
to £20,000 with effect from 1 October 2010. The base fee,  
the additional fee for the Senior Independent Director and the  
fee for chairing the Corporate Compliance and Responsibility 
Committee were unchanged. Current fee levels are as follows:

Name
I Gibson
P Cox
B Flanagan
P Hughes
P Manduca
N Robertson
J Waterous

Base  
£000
375
60
60
60
60
60 
60

Committee  
Chairmanship 
£000
–
20
–
–
20
10 
–

Senior 
Independent  
Director 
£000
–
–
–
–
20
–
–

Total
£000
375
80
60
60
100
70
60

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

45

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Audited information
Directors’ emoluments and pension entitlements
The emoluments of the Directors were as follows:

Name
Non-Executive Chairman
I Gibson
Executive Directors
D Philips1
R Pennycook
M Gunter
M Jones3
M Bolland2,4
Non-Executive Directors
P Cox
B Flanagan
P Hughes
P Manduca 
N Robertson 
J Waterous1
Former Directors
S Murray2
Total

Directors 
salaries/fees 
£000

Benefits in
kind5
£000

Pension 
supplement 
£000

Annual cash
bonus6
£000

Payments 
following 
termination 
£000

Total year 
to 30 Jan 2011 
£000

Total year 
to 31 Jan 2010 
£000

344

676
541
541
275
3

73
60
60
93
70
60

–

234
37
33
20
–

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

169
63
63
30
1

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

478
340
339
167
–

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

344

300

–
–
–
–
300

–
–
–
–
–
–

1,557
981
976
492
304

73
60
60
93
70
60

–
1,165
1,172
969
1,159

54
60
5
90
63
–

–
2,796

–
324

–
326

–
1,324

–
300

–
5,070

61
5,098

1   Dalton Philips was appointed as an Executive Director on 29 March 2010. Johanna Waterous was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 

1 February 2010.

2   Susan Murray resigned from the Board with effect from 31 December 2009. Marc Bolland resigned from the Board with effect from 1 February 2010.
3   On 9 September 2010 Martyn Jones stepped down from the Board following his appointment as Group Corporate Services Director. Mr Jones has 

received no additional payments as a consequence of this change and his ongoing remuneration package will reflect his new below-Board 
responsibilities.

4   Details of the termination payment made to Marc Bolland, which were disclosed in last year’s remuneration report, and which comprised a payment 

in lieu of notice for salary, pension, benefits and the use of his Company leased flat are summarised on page 44 of this remuneration report.

5   Details of benefits in kind are set out on page 43 of this remuneration report. For Dalton Philips the figure in the table includes the cost to the Company 

of his relocation from Canada to the UK, as agreed at the time of his recruitment.

6   For all Executive Directors, 50% of the total bonus earned is paid in cash as shown in the table with 50% deferred in shares for three years under the 
Deferred Share Bonus Plan. Details of this plan are described under the annual bonus section on page 41 of this remuneration report. The bonus for 
Dalton Philips has been pro-rated to reflect the period of time worked in the Company during the financial year. The bonus payment shown in the table 
for Martyn Jones is for the period to 9 September 2010 during which he was an Executive Director (the bonus paid in cash for the full financial year was 
£275,490). The deferred share awards in respect of the 2010/11 annual bonus will be granted in March 2011 and details of the shares comprising these 
awards will be included in next year’s remuneration report. Further details of the bonus payments to the Executive Directors are set out on page 41 of 
this remuneration report.

In addition to the emoluments detailed above, a charge of £3.3m has been made to the income statement in respect of Directors’ 
share-based payments.

None of the Directors has a material interest in any contract significant to the Group’s business.

For the period 2010/11 Richard Pennycook received cash fees from Persimmon Plc of £54,115 for his role as Non-Executive Director  
at Persimmon Plc.

The following Directors had accrued entitlements under defined benefit schemes as follows:

Accrued pension at 
31 Jan 2010 
£000

Increase in accrued 
pension (excluding 
inflation) in year 
ended 30 Jan 2011 
£000

Transfer value of 
the increase in 
accrued pension 
during the year 
£000

Accrued pension at 
30 Jan 2011 
£000

Transfer value of 
accrued pension at 
31 Jan 2010 
£000

Transfer value of 
accrued pension at 
30 Jan 2011 
£000

Movement in 
transfer value 
during the year 
£000

18
53
43
114

4
2
2
8

40
37
321
109

22
58
471
127

186
748
599
1,533

245
858
689
1,792

59
110
90
259

Name
Executive Directors
R Pennycook
M Gunter
M Jones
Total

1  as at 9 September 2010

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

46

Directors’ remuneration report – continued

Share awards
As at 30 January 2011, Directors’ interests under the Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) and one-off recruitment awards for Dalton Philips 
were as follows:

Note

Date of grant 

Share price on 
date awards 
granted

At 31 Jan 2010

Shares 
granted

Shares  
lapsed

Shares
 vested6 At 30 Jan 2011

Share price at
 date awards
 vested6

Vesting date

D Philips
Unrestricted 
Share Award
Restricted  
Share Award 
LTIP

R Pennycook
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP

M Gunter
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP

M Jones
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP

M Bolland
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP
LTIP

5 31 Mar 2010

293.50p

–

319,401

5 31 Mar 2010
3 22 Apr 2010

293.50p
296.80p

120,965
–
–
744,148
– 1,184,514

1 24 May 2007
2 14 Apr 2008
9 Apr 2009
29 Jan 2010
3
3 22 Apr 2010

3

313.75p
277.25p
260.25p
289.10p
296.80p

1 24 May 2007
2 14 Apr 2008
9 Apr 2009
29 Jan 2010
3
3 22 Apr 2010

3

313.75p 
277.25p 
260.25p 
289.10p
296.80p

1 24 May 2007
1 24 Oct 2007
2 14 Apr 2008
9 Apr 2009
3
3 22 Apr 2010

 313.75p
 296.75p
 277.25p
 260.25p
 296.80p

305,798
374,410
415,562
184,770
–
1,280,540

318,540
390,010
415,562
184,770
–
1,308,882

–
–
–
–
438,979
438,979

–
–
–
–
438,979
438,979

168,857
78,553
306,527
345,821
–
899,758

–
–
–
–
365,309
365,309

–

–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–

319,401

–

293.50p  31 Mar 2010

–
–
319,401

120,965
744,148
865,113

– 25 Mar 2012
– 22 Apr 2013

305,798
–
–
–
–

374,410
415,562
184,770
438,979
305,798 1,413,721

– 262.20p 24 May 2010
– 14 Apr 2011
9 Apr 2012
–
–
29 Jan 2013
– 22 Apr 2013

– 318,540
390,010
–
–
415,562
–
–
184,770
–
–
438,979
–
–
– 318,540 1,429,321

– 262.20p 24 May 2010
– 14 Apr 2011
9 Apr 2012
–
–
29 Jan 2013
– 22 Apr 2013

–
–
–
–
–
–

168,857
78,553
–
–
–
247,410

– 262.20p 24 May 2010
– 298.30p 24 Oct 2010
– 14 Apr 2011
–
9 Apr 2012
– 22 Apr 2013

306,527
345,821
365,309
1,017,657

1,4 24 May 2007
2,4 14 Apr 2008
2,4 14 Oct 2008
9 Apr 2009

3,4

313.75p
277.25p
243.50p
260.25p

557,445
682,518
175,547
816,523
2,232,033

557,445
–
682,518
–
175,547
–
–
816,523
– 2,232,033

–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–

– 24 May 2010
– 14 Apr 2011
– 14 Oct 2011
9 Apr 2012
–

1 LTIP awards granted in 2007 were subject to three year performance targets, measured to 31 January 2010. Performance measures 

were 75% based on EPS (25% of the EPS related component of the award vested for Group EPS in 2009/10 of 15.8p per share, rising on 
a pro-rata basis to 100% for an EPS of 19.0p per share) and 25% based on like-for-like non-fuel sales growth (25% of the sales growth 
related component vested if the Group’s like-for-like non-fuel sales grew by 3% per annum compound rising on a pro-rata basis to 100% 
for growth of 5% per annum compound). Following the end of the 2009/10 financial year, the Remuneration Committee was satisfied 
that these performance targets had been met in full. As explained in last year’s remuneration report, for tax planning purposes the 2007 
LTIP awards in the above table (other than for Marc Bolland) were converted to forfeitable shares on 16 March 2010 so that sufficient 
shares could be sold on behalf of participants to pay the Income Tax and National Insurance liability in the 2009/10 tax year. In relation 
to these 2007 LTIP awards which vested in the year, recipients received a cash sum as payment for the dividends that would have been 
paid on the vested shares between the grant and vesting dates. Richard Pennycook received £48,545; Mark Gunter received £50,568 
and Martyn Jones received £42,010.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

47

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

2 LTIP awards granted in 2008 are subject to three year performance targets. Performance measures are 75% based on EPS and 25% 

based on like-for-like non-fuel sales growth. 25% of the EPS related component of the award will vest if the Group’s EPS in 2010/11 is 
19.6p per share rising on a pro-rata basis until 100% vests for an EPS of 23.5p per share. 25% of the sales growth related component 
will vest if the Group’s like-for-like non-fuel sales grow by 3% per annum compound rising on a pro-rata basis until there is 100% vesting 
for growth of 5% per annum compound. No awards can vest under the sales targets unless the threshold EPS target has been met. 
Following the end of the 2010/11 financial year, the Remuneration Committee is satisfied that the EPS performance of 23.0p will result 
in approximately 90% vesting of the shares comprising the EPS measure and that the sales measure has been met in full. Approximately 
93% of the total 2008 LTIP award will therefore vest on 14 April 2011.

3 LTIP awards granted in 2009 and 2010 are subject to three year performance targets. Performance measures are 75% based on EPS 

and 25% based on like-for-like non-fuel sales growth against the IGD Index. 25% of the EPS related component of the award will vest  
if the Group’s Underlying EPS grows in line with the growth in the Retail Prices Index plus an average of 4% per annum, rising on a 
pro-rata basis until 100% vests for outperforming the Index by at least 10% per annum over three years. 25% of the sales growth 
related component will vest if the Group’s like-for-like non-fuel sales match the IGD Index, rising on a pro-rata basis until 100% vests  
for outperforming the Index by at least 2% over three years. No awards can vest under the sales targets unless the threshold EPS target 
has been met.

4 Marc Bolland’s outstanding LTIP awards lapsed on 1 February 2010 when he ceased to be employed by the Company.

5 As disclosed in last year’s remuneration report, Dalton Philips was granted two share awards to facilitate his recruitment, compensating 

him for share awards forfeited upon leaving his previous employer. On 31 March 2010, Mr Philips was granted, pursuant to the 
authority contained in Listing Rule 9.4.2R2: (i) an unrestricted share award over 319,401 shares (designed to replace an award  
which was due to vest in March 2010); and (ii) a restricted share award over 120,965 shares which will vest on 25 March 2012 subject  
to continued employment (designed to replace a restricted share award where vesting was dependant upon continued employment  
but with no performance conditions).

6 The monetary value of awards that have vested will be calculated by multiplying the relevant number of shares by the market price 

at the date of vesting.

Share options
Options granted to Directors to acquire ordinary shares in the Group are as follows:

Date of grant

R Pennycook
18 May 2007

M Gunter
2 Apr 2003
12 Nov 2004
14 May 2009

M Jones
5 Apr 2001
2 Apr 2003
14 May 2009

At 31 Jan 
2010

3,8251
3,825

260,000
220,000
4,6211
484,621

50,000
88,000
4,6211
142,621

Number of options during the 52 weeks 
ended 30 Jan 2011

Granted

Exercised

Lapsed

At 30 Jan 
2011

Exercise 
price

Market price 
on day of 
exercise

Gain on 
exercise 
£000

Exercisable

From

To

–
–

3,825
3,825

– 260,000
– 220,000
–
–
– 480,000

50,000
–
88,000
–
–
–
– 138,000

–
–

–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–

–
–

–
–
4,621
4,621

–
–
4,621
4,621

247p

262.7p

1
1

1 Jul 2010

1 Jan 2011

175p
222p
198p

300p
300p
–

2 Apr 2006

2 Apr 2013
325
172 12 Nov 2007 12 Nov 2014
1 Jan 2013

1 Jul 2012

–
497

187p
175p
198p

300p
300p
–

57
110
–
167

5 Apr 2004
2 Apr 2006
1 Jul 2012

5 Apr 2011
2 Apr 2013
1 Jan 2013

1  Options granted under the Sharesave scheme

The 1995 Senior Executive Share Option Scheme expired at the end of its 10-year life on 25 May 2005 and no grants have been made under 
it since November 2004. All performance conditions attached to options granted under this scheme have been satisfied in prior years.

The ordinary share mid-market price ranged from 257.60p to 306.30p and averaged 282.46p during the period. The price on 30 January 
2011 was 264.0p compared to 291.30p on 1 February 2010.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
48

Directors’ remuneration report – continued

Dilution and share usage
Awards under the Group’s share option and SAYE schemes are satisfied by the issue of new shares within the limits agreed by 
shareholders when the plans were approved. These limits comply with the Association of British Insurers’ guidelines restricting  
dilution from employee share plans. The overall limits under the guidelines are that no more than 10% of a Group’s issued share  
capital may be used in any 10-year period. Within the 10% limit, up to 5% may be used for discretionary share plans. As at  
30 January 2011, the Group’s share usage against these limits was 4.02% and 0.53% respectively.

It is currently intended that LTIP awards be satisfied by market purchased shares which are held in an Employee Benefit Trust.

Directors’ interests
The beneficial interests of the Directors and their families in the shares of the Company were as follows:

I Gibson
D Philips
R Pennycook
M Gunter
P Cox
B Flanagan
P Hughes
P Manduca
N Robertson
J Waterous

30 January 2011  
Ordinary shares
108,055
188,183
275,043
232,085
–
–
–
25,000
–
6,716

31 January 2010  
Ordinary shares
108,055
–
182,098
44,409
–
–
–
25,000
–
–

There were no changes in the above interests in the period from 30 January 2011 to 9 March 2011.

Approval
This report in its entirety has been approved by the Remuneration Committee and the Board of Directors and signed on its behalf by

Paul Manduca
Chair of the Remuneration Committee
9 March 2011

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

General information

49

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

The Directors’ report and business review
Pages 2 to 51 inclusive of this Annual report consist of a Directors’ 
report and business review that has been drawn up and presented 
in accordance with, and in reliance on, English company law.  
The liabilities of the Directors in connection with that Directors’ 
report and business review shall be subject to the limitations  
and restrictions provided by the Companies Act 2006.

Forward-looking statements
The Directors’ report is prepared for the members of the Company 
and should not be relied upon by any other party or for any other 
purpose. Where the Directors’ report includes forward-looking 
statements, these are made by the Directors in good faith based  
on the information available to them at the time of their approval 
of this report. Consequently such statements should be treated 
with caution due to the inherent uncertainties, including both 
economic and business risk factors, underlying such forward-
looking statements and information.

Result and dividend
The profit for the period after taxation attributable to the owners 
of the Company amounted to £632m (2009/10: £598m). The 
Directors have declared and recommend the following dividends:

Paid interim dividend of 1.23p per share  
(2009/10: 1.08p)
Recommended final dividend of 8.37p per share 
(2009/10: 7.12p)

£m
32

222

The final dividend, if approved by shareholders at the Annual 
General Meeting (AGM), is to be paid on 15 June 2011 to ordinary 
shareholders on the register of members at close of business on  
13 May 2011. If the final dividend is approved by shareholders,  
the total ordinary dividend for the year will be 9.60p per share.

Auditors
A resolution to re-appoint KPMG Audit Plc as auditors and a 
separate resolution to authorise the Directors to set their 
remuneration is to be proposed at the forthcoming AGM.

Annual General Meeting
The notice of the 2011 AGM of the Company (to be held at the 
Company’s headquarters at Gain Lane in Bradford on 9 June 2011) 
is to be sent to shareholders with an accompanying explanatory 
letter from the Chairman. The Directors believe each of the 
resolutions to be proposed at the AGM are in the best interests  
of the Group and recommend shareholders to vote in favour of 
each of them. Shareholders will also receive notification of the 
availability of the results on the Group’s website, unless they  
have positively elected to receive a printed version of the results.

Share capital
The authorised and called-up share capital of the Company, 
together with details of shares allotted during the year, are shown 
in note 22 of the Group financial statements.

At the AGM of the Company held in 2010, a special resolution was 
passed to renew the authority given at the AGM held in June 2009 
to the purchase by the Company of up to 262,983,160 ordinary 
shares representing approximately 10% of the issued ordinary 
share capital at that time. This authority remained valid on  
31 January 2011. During the period the Company did not purchase 
any of its own shares pursuant to that authority, which will expire 
at the close of the 2011 AGM. 

In addition, 6,666,293 ordinary shares were issued during the 
period to employees exercising share options.

Borrowing powers
The Articles of Association of the Company restrict the borrowings 
of the Company and its subsidiary undertakings to a maximum 
amount equal to twice the share capital and consolidated reserves.

Substantial shareholdings
As at 9 March 2011 the Company had been notified by the  
following shareholders (excluding Directors) that they have 
interests in 3% or more of the issued share capital of the Company:

Black Rock Inc
Invesco
Brandes Investment Partners LP
Ameriprise Financial Inc
Nigel Pritchard
Walter Scott & Partners Ltd
Legal & General Group Plc
Susan Pritchard
Zurich Financial Services

Number 
of shares 
265,248,903
133,357,656
132,155,077
131,284,252
112,883,882
107,775,155
104,976,462
94,720,169
81,286,130

% of 
holding
9.98
5.02
4.97
4.90
4.25
4.06
3.94
3.56
3.06

The number of shares appearing above is that appearing in the 
relevant notification to the Company. The percentage appearing 
above is the percentage that number represents of the issued  
share capital of the Company as at 9 March 2011.

Relating to beneficial owners of shares with  
‘information rights’
Beneficial owners of shares who have been nominated by the 
registered holder of those shares to receive information rights 
under section 146 of the Companies Act 2006 are required to 
direct all communications to the registered holder of their shares 
rather than to the Company’s registrar, Capita Registrars, or to the 
Group directly. 

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

50

General information – continued

Directors
The current Directors of the Group and their biographies are shown 
on page 33. Marc Bolland resigned from the Board on 1 February 
2010 and Johanna Waterous was appointed as a Non-Executive 
Director on the same day. Martyn Jones retired from the Board on 
9 September 2010. On 31 January 2011, the Company announced 
that Mark Gunter will step down from the Board at the 2011 AGM, 
scheduled for 9 June 2011, and will leave the Group in June 2012. 
Paul Manduca served on the Board throughout the year and retired 
from the Board on 9 March 2011. 

On 9 March 2011, Brian Flanagan informed the Board that he will 
step down from the Board at the 2011 AGM.

In line with the best practice guidance of Provision B.7.1 of the  
UK Corporate Governance Code, the Board has resolved that  
all Directors will submit themselves for re-election annually. 

Accordingly, save for Mark Gunter and Brian Flanagan, who will 
both step down from the Board at the 2011 AGM, all of the current 
Directors, being eligible, will offer themselves for re-election at  
the 2011 AGM.

The interests of the Executive and Non-Executive Directors of  
the Company and their immediate families in the shares of the 
Company, along with share options, are contained in the  
Directors’ remuneration report set out on pages 39 to 48.

At no time during the year did any of the Directors have a material 
interest in any significant contract with the Company or any of  
its subsidiaries.

Employee relations
Morrisons is an Equal Opportunities employer. Equal Opportunities 
are offered to all regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic 
origin, sex (including gender reassignment), marital or civil 
partnership status, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, 
age or trade union membership.

The Group gives full and fair consideration to applications for 
employment made by people with disabilities. The policy is to offer 
equal opportunity to all disabled candidates and employees who 
have a disability or become disabled in any way during the course 
of their employment. A full assessment of the individual’s needs  
is undertaken and reasonable adjustments are made to the work 
environment or practices in order to assist those with disabilities.

All candidates and employees are treated equally in respect of 
recruitment, promotion, training, pay and other employment 
policies and conditions. All decisions are based on relevant  
merits and abilities.

Political and charitable donations
During the period the Group made charitable donations  
amounting to £0.1m (2010: £0.1m). The donations were mainly 
small donations to support local communities. In addition the 
Group supported various charities and in the year over £1.3m 
(2010: £1.8m) was raised by customers and colleagues for the 
Charity of the Year and £0.4m raised for the Pakistan flood  
appeal. No political donations were made, which is Group policy.

Disclosure of information to auditors
The Directors who held office at the date of approval of this 
Directors’ report confirm that, so far as they are each aware, there 
is no relevant audit information of which the Group’s auditors are 
unaware; and each Director has taken all steps that he or she ought 
to have taken as a Director to make himself or herself aware of any 
relevant audit information and to establish that the Group’s 
auditors are aware of that information.

Going concern
The Directors’ assessment of the Group and the Company’s ability 
to continue as a going concern has taken into consideration the 
effect that the current economic climate has on the Group. 

The Group’s ability to borrow cash has not been adversely affected 
by the continuing lack of liquidity in the financial markets and  
the Group has negotiated and has available to it committed, 
competitive facilities that will meet the Group’s needs in the short 
and medium term. 

The principal risks that the Group is challenged with have been  
set out on page 20 along with how the Directors mitigate these 
risks in the current economic climate. 

After reviewing the Group’s financial forecasts including an 
assessment of working capital and other medium term plans,  
the Directors are confident that the Company and the Group  
have adequate financial resources available to continue in 
operational existence for the foreseeable future. The going  
concern basis has continued to be adopted in the preparation  
of the financial statements.

Payment to creditors
Supplier credit is an important factor in the success of the business. 
It is Group policy to ensure all payments are made within mutually 
agreed credit terms. Where disputes arise the Group attempts  
to sort these out promptly and amicably to ensure delays in 
payment are kept to a minimum. Trade creditors for the Group  
at the financial year end represented 28 days of purchases  
(2010: 29 days).

Groceries Supply Code of Practice
The Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) came into effect 
on 4 February 2010. GSCOP replaced the existing Supermarket 
Code of Practice.

The new code, which applies to all grocery retailers with annual 
turnover in excess of £1bn, was part of a package of remedies 
introduced to address a number of issues identified by the 
Competition Commission at the conclusion of its market 
investigation into the supply of groceries in the UK. 

Prior to implementation of GSCOP, the Group appointed a Code 
Compliance Officer and provided comprehensive training to in 
excess of 650 colleagues who work with the GSCOP code in their 
everyday dealings with suppliers. As required under the provisions 
of GSCOP, training has also been provided to all new employees 
who will be subject to the GSCOP code.

During the period since implementation, matters relating to 
GSCOP have been reported to the Board, through appropriate 
sub-committees, on a periodic basis. Although only recently 
implemented, the GSCOP process appears to be working well.  
The Board will continue to keep the important issue of GSCOP 
compliance under close supervision.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

51

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

The Directors may refuse to register any transfer of any share which 
is not a fully-paid share, although such discretion may not be 
exercised in a way which the Financial Services Authority regards  
as preventing dealings in the shares of the relevant class or classes 
from taking place on an open or proper basis. The Directors may 
likewise refuse to register any transfer of a share in favour of more 
than four persons jointly. The Company is not aware of any other 
restrictions on the transfer of shares in the Company other than 
certain restrictions that may from time to time be imposed by laws 
and regulations (for example, insider trading laws).

The Company is not aware of any agreements between 
shareholders that may result in restrictions on the transfer of 
securities or voting rights.

Appointment and powers of Directors 
Directors are appointed by ordinary resolution at a general meeting 
of ordinary shareholders. The Directors have the power to appoint 
a Director during the year but any person so appointed must be put 
up for appointment at the next AGM. 

Subject to its Articles of Association and relevant statutory law  
and to such direction as may be given by the Company in general 
meeting by special resolution, the business of the Company shall  
be managed by the Directors, who may exercise all powers of the 
Company which are not required to be exercised by the Company  
in general meeting.

Articles of Association 
The Company’s Articles of Association may only be amended  
by a special resolution at a general meeting of shareholders.

Other disclosures 
There are no persons with whom the Group has contractual  
or other arrangements which are essential to the business of  
the Group.

The Company is not party to any significant arrangements which 
take effect, alter or terminate upon a change of control of the 
Company following a takeover bid. 

The Company does not have any employee share schemes where 
the shares to which the scheme relates have rights with regard to 
the control of the Company which are not exercisable by employees.

By the order of the Board

Greg McMahon
Company Secretary
9 March 2011

Health and safety policy 
It is the Group’s intention, so far as is reasonably practicable,  
to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all its employees, 
customers and visitors to its premises. In order to achieve this,  
a comprehensive health and safety manual is in place for each 
division of the Company and subsidiary companies within the 
Group. Each health and safety manual contains the policy and 
procedures for complying with the Health and Safety at Work  
Act 1974, including the provision, based on risk assessment,  
of safe working practices for all work activities across the  
Group. The Group’s health and safety policy is approved by  
the Management Board. The Group has adopted the national 
targets set by the Health and Safety Commission for the reduction 
of workplace accidents and work-related ill health, and is on course 
to meet or exceed these targets. Health and safety performance  
is monitored to ensure continuous improvement in all areas.

Additional shareholder information 
Additional information for shareholders is required by the 
implementation of the EU Takeover Directive into UK Law.

Pursuant to section 992 of the Companies Act 2006, the  
Company is required to disclose certain additional information. 
Such disclosures, which are not covered elsewhere in this report, 
include the following paragraphs. The disclosures set out below  
are in some cases a summary of the relevant provisions of the 
Company’s Articles of Association and the relevant full provisions 
can be found in the Articles which are available for inspection  
at the Company’s registered office.

Share capital and rights attaching to the Company’s shares 
Under the Company’s Articles of Association, any share in the 
Company may be issued with such rights or restrictions, whether  
in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise as the 
Company may from time-to-time by ordinary resolution determine 
(or, in the absence of any such determination, as the Directors  
may determine). 

At a general meeting of the Company every member has one vote 
on a show of hands and, on a poll, one vote for each share held.  
The notice of general meeting specifies deadlines for exercising 
voting rights either by proxy or present in person in relation to 
resolutions to be passed at a general meeting. 

No member is, unless the Board decides otherwise, entitled to 
attend or vote either personally or by proxy at a general meeting  
or to exercise any other right conferred by being a shareholder  
if he or any person with an interest in shares has been sent a notice 
under section 793 of the Companies Act 2006 (which confers  
upon public companies the power to require information with 
respect to interests in their voting shares), and he or any interested  
person failed to supply the Company with the information 
requested within 14 days after delivery of that notice. The Board 
may also decide that no dividend is payable in respect of those 
default shares and that no transfer of any default shares shall be 
registered. These restrictions end seven days after receipt by the 
Company of a notice of an approved transfer of the shares or all  
the information required by the relevant section 793 notice,  
whichever is the earlier.

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Annual report and financial statements 2011

52

Statement of Directors’ responsibilities in respect  
of the Annual report and financial statements

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual report and 
the Group and Parent Company financial statements in accordance 
with applicable law and regulations.

•  prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis 
unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Group and the 
Parent Company will continue in business.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare Group and Parent 
Company financial statements for each financial year. Under that 
law they are required to prepare the Group financial statements  
in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU and applicable  
law and have elected to prepare the Parent Company financial 
statements in accordance with UK Accounting Standards and 
applicable law (UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Under company law the Directors must not approve the financial 
statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and  
fair view of the state of affairs of the Group and Parent Company 
and of their profit or loss for that period. In preparing each of the 
Group and Parent Company financial statements, the Directors  
are required to:

•  select suitable accounting policies and then apply them 

consistently;

•  make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

•  for the Group financial statements, state whether they have  
been prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU;

•  for the Parent Company financial statements, state whether 

applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject 
to any material departures disclosed and explained in the Parent 
Company financial statements; and

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting 
records that are sufficient to show and explain the Parent 
Company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy  
at any time the financial position of the Parent Company and 
enable them to ensure that its financial statements comply with  
the Companies Act 2006. They have general responsibility for 
taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard  
the assets of the Group and to prevent and detect fraud and  
other irregularities.

Under applicable law and regulations, the Directors are also 
responsible for preparing a Directors’ report, Directors’ 
remuneration report and Corporate governance statement  
that complies with that law and those regulations.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity  
of the corporate and financial information included on the 
Company’s website. Legislation in the UK governing the 
preparation and dissemination of financial statements may  
differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Responsibility statement

We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:

•  the financial statements, prepared in accordance with the 
applicable set of accounting standards, give a true and fair  
review of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit  
or loss of the Company and its subsidiaries included in the 
consolidation as a whole; and

•  the Directors’ report includes a fair review of the development  

of the business and the position of the Company and its 
subsidiaries included in the consolidation taken as a whole, 
together with a description of the principal risks and 
uncertainties that they face.

By order of the Board

Greg McMahon 
Company Secretary
9 March 2011

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

Independent auditors’ report  
to the members of Wm Morrison 
Supermarkets PLC

We have audited the financial statements of Wm Morrison 
Supermarkets PLC for the year ended 30 January 2011 set out  
on pages 54 to 101. The financial reporting framework that has 
been applied in the preparation of the Group financial statements 
is applicable law and International Financial Reporting Standards 
(IFRSs) as adopted by the EU. The financial reporting framework 
that has been applied in the preparation of the Parent Company 
financial statements is applicable law and UK Accounting Standards 
(UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

This report is made solely to the Company’s members, as a body,  
in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. 
Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the 
Company’s members those matters we are required to state to 
them in an auditors’ report and for no other purpose. To the fullest 
extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility 
to anyone other than the Company and the Company’s members, 
as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions  
we have formed.

Respective responsibilities of directors and auditors
As explained more fully in the Directors’ responsibilities statement 
set out on page 52, the Directors are responsible for the preparation 
of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give  
a true and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit, and express an 
opinion on, the financial statements in accordance with applicable 
law and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). 
Those standards require us to comply with the Auditing Practices 
Board’s (APB’s) Ethical Standards for Auditors.

Scope of the audit of the financial statements
A description of the scope of an audit of financial statements  
is provided on the APB’s website at  
www.frc.org.uk/apb/scope/private.cfm

Opinion on financial statements
In our opinion:

•  the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of 

the Group’s and of the Parent Company’s affairs as at 30 January 
2011 and of the Group’s profit for the year then ended;

•   the Group financial statements have been properly prepared  

in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU;

•  the Parent Company financial statements have been properly 

prepared in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting 
Practice; and

•  the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 
the requirements of the Companies Act 2006; and, as regards 
the Group financial statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

53

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies  
Act 2006
In our opinion:

•  the part of the Directors’ remuneration report to be audited  

has been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies 
Act 2006; and

•  the information given in the Directors’ report for the financial 

year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent 
with the financial statements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception
We have nothing to report in respect of the following:

Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, 
in our opinion:

•  adequate accounting records have not been kept by the  
Parent Company, or returns adequate for our audit have  
not been received from branches not visited by us; or

•  the Parent Company financial statements and the part of  
the Directors’ remuneration report to be audited are not  
in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

•  certain disclosures of Directors’ remuneration specified  

by law are not made; or

•  we have not received all the information and explanations  

we require for our audit.

Under the Listing Rules we are required to review:

•  the Directors’ statement, set out on page 50, in relation  

to going concern;

•  the part of the Corporate governance statement relating  
to the Company’s compliance with the nine provisions of  
the June 2008 Combined Code specified for our review; and

•  certain elements of the report to shareholders by the Board  

on Directors’ remuneration.

Chris Hearld
(Senior Statutory Auditor)  
for and on behalf of KPMG Audit Plc, Statutory Auditor

Chartered Accountants 
1 The Embankment 
Neville Street 
Leeds 
LS1 4DW 
9 March 2011

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

54

Consolidated financial statements
under International Financial Reporting Standards

Group accounting policies
General information
Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC is a public limited company 
incorporated in the United Kingdom under the Companies Act 
2006 (Registration number 358949). The Company is domiciled  
in the United Kingdom and its registered address is Hilmore House, 
Gain Lane, Bradford, BD3 7DL, United Kingdom.

Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared for the 52 weeks 
ended 30 January 2011 (2010: 31 January 2010) in accordance 
with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and 
International Financial Reporting Interpretation Committee 
interpretations (IFRIC) as adopted by the European Union and  
with those parts of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to 
companies reporting under IFRS. IFRS and IFRIC are issued by  
the International Accounting Standards Board (the IASB) and must 
be adopted into European Union law, referred to as endorsement, 
before they become mandatory under the IAS Regulation. Shown 
below are recent standards and interpretations that have been 
issued by the IASB, indicating their status of endorsement.

The adoption of the amendment to IAS 17 Leases has resulted in 
a) derecognising long-lease land premiums previously classified 
within non-current asset lease prepayments, and the current 
element classified within debtors; and b) recognising a 
corresponding increase in the closing net book value of leasehold 
land and buildings to reflect the carrying value of the leased assets.  
The impact on previously disclosed costs and net book value for 
each of the balance sheet dates of 30 January 2011, 31 January 
2010 and 1 February 2009 is detailed in notes 11 and 15.

The Group has assessed the present value of future minimum  
lease payments and considers these obligations to be immaterial 
for disclosure.

The depreciation rate on the newly classified leases is consistent 
with the annual amortisation charge incurred on the previous  
lease prepayments. Therefore there is no impact on profit for  
the period for the year ended 30 January 2011, or reserves of 
comparative periods.

There is no impact on earnings per share previously disclosed.

The financial statements have been prepared on a going  
concern basis. The Directors’ assessment of going concern has  
been considered within the general information section of the  
Directors’ report.

New IFRS and amendments to IAS and interpretations
There are a number of standards and interpretations issued by the 
IASB that are effective for financial statements after this reporting 
period. The following have not been adopted by the Group:

The financial statements are presented in Pounds Sterling, rounded 
to the nearest million, except in some instances, where it is deemed 
relevant to disclose the amounts up to one decimal place. They 
have been prepared on the historical cost basis of accounting, 
except for share-based payments and derivative financial 
instruments, which are measured at fair value, and pension  
scheme liabilities that are measured using actuarial valuations.

The Group’s accounting policies are set out below and have,  
unless otherwise stated, been applied consistently to all periods 
presented in these consolidated financial statements.

Business combinations
IFRS 3 (revised) Business combinations and consequential 
amendments to IAS 27 Consolidated and separate financial 
statements, IAS 28 Investments in associates and IAS 31 Interests in 
joint ventures, are effective prospectively to business combinations 
for which the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the 
first annual reporting period beginning on or after 1 July 2009.

During the period, the Group has made two acquisitions as set  
out in note 27, and the requirements of these standards have  
been applied in accounting for these transactions. The Group’s 
accounting policy under the new standards is set out within 
significant accounting policies.

Long-leasehold land
The amendment to IAS 17 Leases is effective for annual periods 
beginning on or after 1 January 2010. During the period, the Group 
has reassessed the classification of unexpired land leases between 
operating and finance leases. Leases newly classified as finance 
leases have been accounted for retrospectively in accordance with 
IAS 8 Accounting policies, changes in accounting estimates and errors, 
and the required disclosures have been made. 

International Financial  
Reporting Standards

IAS 24*

IFRS 7

IAS 12

Related party disclosures 
(revised)

Amendment to Financial 
instruments: Disclosures 
on derecognition

Amendment to Income 
taxes on deferred tax

Effective for 
accounting periods 
starting on or after

1 January 2011

1 July 2011

1 January 2012

IFRS 9

Financial instruments

1 January 2013

International Financial Reporting 
Interpretations Committee

IFRIC 14*

IFRIC 19*

IAS 19 Prepayment of a 
minimum funding 
requirement (amendment)

Extinguishing financial 
liabilities with equity 
instruments

1 January 2011

1 July 2010

*  These standards and interpretations have been endorsed by the European Union.

The application of these standards and interpretations is  
not anticipated to have a material effect on the Group’s  
financial statements.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

55

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

b) Other sales
Other revenue primarily comprises income from concessions and 
commissions based on the terms of the contract and manufacturing 
sales made direct to third party customers recognised on despatch 
of goods. Revenue collected on behalf of others is not recognised 
as turnover, other than the related commission. Sales are recorded 
net of value added tax and intra-group transactions.

Cost of sales
Cost of sales consists of all costs to the point of sale including 
manufacturing, warehouse and transportation costs. Store 
depreciation, store overheads and store-based employee costs  
are also allocated to cost of sales.

Supplier income
Supplier incentives, rebates and discounts are collectively referred 
to as supplier income in the retail industry. Supplier income is 
recognised as a deduction from cost of sales on an accruals basis 
based on the expected entitlement which has been earned up to 
the balance sheet date for each relevant supplier contract. The 
accrued incentives, rebates and discounts receivable at year end  
are included within prepayments and accrued income. Where 
amounts received are in the expectation of future business,  
these are recognised in line with that future business.

Other operating income
Other operating income primarily consists of income not directly 
related to the operating of supermarkets and mainly comprises 
rental income from investment properties and income generated 
from recycling of packaging. Rental income arising from operating 
leases on investment properties is accounted for on a straight-line 
basis over the lease term. Details of rental income from investment 
property are provided in note 12.

Property transactions
Property includes the balance sheet headings of Property,  
plant and equipment and Investment property. The results  
of transactions relating to disposal of property are reported  
in profit for the period under Profit arising on property 
transactions. Depreciation and any impairment charges or  
reversals are recognised in cost of sales or administrative  
expenses, as appropriate.

Borrowing costs
All borrowing costs are recognised in the Group’s profit for the 
period on an effective interest rate basis except for interest costs 
that are directly attributable to the construction of buildings and 
other qualifying assets which are capitalised and included within 
the initial cost of the asset. Capitalisation of interest ceases when 
the asset is ready for use.

Basis of consolidation
The consolidated financial statements incorporate the financial 
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, being those 
undertakings that it controls. Control is achieved where the 
Company has the power to govern the financial and operating 
policy of an investee entity so as to obtain benefits from its 
activities. The financial statements of subsidiaries used in the 
preparation of the consolidated financial statements are prepared 
for the same reporting period as the Parent Company and are 
based on consistent accounting policies. The results of subsidiaries 
acquired or disposed of during the period are included in the 
consolidated financial statements from the effective date of 
acquisition up to the effective date of disposal, as appropriate.

Intra-group balances and any unrealised gains and losses or  
income and expenses arising from intra-group transactions, are 
eliminated in preparing the consolidated financial statements.

Significant accounting policies
The Directors consider the following to be significant accounting 
policies in the context of the Group’s operations:

Segmental reporting
The Group is required to determine and present its operating 
segments based on the way in which financial information is 
organised and reported to the chief operating decision-maker 
(CODM). During the period there has been an internal 
reorganisation of the senior management structure, leading to the 
foundation of the Management Board (see page 35 for discussion 
of the role of this board and details of its members). Following this 
reorganisation, the CODM has been identified as the Management 
Board as it is this Board that makes the key operating decisions of 
the Group. Previously the CODM was reported as being the 
Executive Board.

The Directors consider, based on its internal reporting framework 
and management and operating structure, that it has one operating 
segment, that of grocery retailing. The level of disclosure of 
segmental and other information is driven by such assessment. 
Further details of the considerations made and the resulting 
disclosures are provided in note 3 to the financial statements.

Revenue recognition
Revenue is recognised when significant risks and rewards of 
ownership have been transferred to the buyer, there is reasonable 
certainty of recovery of the consideration and the amount of 
revenue, associated costs and possible return of goods can be 
estimated reliably.

a) Sale of goods in-store and fuel
Sale of goods in-store is recorded net of value added tax, staff 
discounts, coupons, vouchers and the free element of multi-save 
transactions. Sale of fuel is recognised net of value added tax  
and Morrisons Miles award points. Revenue is recognised when 
transactions are completed in-store.

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Annual report and financial statements 2011

56

Group accounting policies – continued

Deferred and current tax
The current income tax charge is calculated on the basis of the tax 
laws in effect during the period and any adjustments to tax payable 
in respect of previous periods. Taxable profit differs from the profit 
as reported in profit for the period as it is adjusted both for items 
that will never be taxable or deductible and temporary differences. 
Current tax is charged to profit for the period, except when it 
relates to items charged or credited directly in equity in which  
case the current tax is reflected in equity.

The excess of consideration transferred, the amount of any 
non-controlling interest in the acquiree and the acquisition-date 
fair value of any previous equity interest in the acquiree over  
the fair value of the Group’s share of the identifiable net assets 
acquired is recorded as goodwill. If this is less than the fair value  
of the net assets of the subsidiary acquired in the case of a  
bargain purchase, the difference is recognised directly in profit  
for the period.

Deferred tax is recognised using the balance sheet method. 
Provision is made for temporary differences between the carrying 
amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes 
and the amounts used for taxation purposes. No deferred tax is 
recognised for temporary differences that arise on the initial 
recognition of goodwill or the initial recognition of assets and 
liabilities that is not a business combination and that affects 
neither accounting nor taxable profits. Deferred tax is calculated 
based on tax law that is enacted or substantively enacted at the 
reporting date and provided at rates expected to apply when  
the temporary differences reverse. Deferred tax is charged or 
credited to profit for the period except when it relates to items 
charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred  
tax is reflected in equity.

Deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable 
that taxable profit will be available against which the asset can be 
utilised. Deferred tax assets recognised are reviewed at each 
reporting date as judgement is required to estimate the availability 
of future taxable income. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are  
not discounted and are offset where amounts will be settled on  
a net basis as there is a legally enforceable right to offset.

Accruals for tax contingencies require management to make 
judgements and estimates of ultimate exposures in relation to tax 
compliance issues. All accruals are included in current liabilities.

Intangible assets
a) Business combinations and goodwill
The acquisition method of accounting is used to account for 
business combinations by the Group. The consideration transferred 
for the acquisition of a subsidiary is the fair value of the assets 
transferred, the liabilities incurred and the equity interests issued 
by the Group. The consideration transferred includes the fair value 
of any asset or liability resulting from a contingent consideration 
arrangement. Acquisition-related costs are expensed as incurred. 
Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities and contingent liabilities 
assumed in a business combination are measured initially at their 
fair values at the acquisition date. On an acquisition-by-acquisition 
basis, the Group recognises any non-controlling interest in the 
acquiree either at fair value or at the non-controlling interest’s 
proportionate share of the acquiree’s net assets.

Goodwill arising on a business combination is not amortised but  
is reviewed for impairment on an annual basis or more frequently  
if there are indicators that goodwill may be impaired.

b) Software development costs
Costs that are directly attributable to the creation of identifiable 
software, which meet the development asset recognition criteria  
as laid out in IAS 38 Intangible assets are recognised as intangible 
assets. Direct costs include consultancy costs, the employment 
costs of internal software developers and borrowing costs. 
Borrowing costs are capitalised until such time as the software  
is substantially ready for its intended use.

All other software development and maintenance costs are 
recognised as an expense as incurred.

Computer software development costs recognised as assets  
are amortised over their estimated useful lives (3 to 10 years)  
on a straight-line basis. 

c) Licences
Separately acquired pharmaceutical licences and software licences 
are recognised at historic cost. Those acquired in a business 
combination are recognised at fair value at the acquisition date. 
Pharmaceutical licences and software licences are amortised over 
their useful lives (3 to 10 years) on a straight-line basis.

Property, plant and equipment
a) Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less 
accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. 
Costs include directly attributable costs. Annual reviews are made 
of estimated useful lives and material residual values. 

b) Depreciation rates used to write off cost less residual value 
on a straight-line basis are:

Freehold land 

Freehold buildings 

Leasehold land 

0%

2.5%

Over the lease period

Leasehold buildings 

Over the shorter of lease period and 2.5%

Plant, equipment, fixtures and vehicles 

Assets under construction 

10–33%

0%

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

57

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Lessor accounting – finance leases
The Group does not lease any assets on a finance lease basis.

Lessee accounting – operating leases
Rental payments are taken to profit for the period on a straight-line 
basis over the life of the lease. Property leases are analysed into 
separate components for land and buildings and tested to establish 
whether the components are operating leases or finance leases. 

Lessee accounting – finance leases
The present value, calculated using the interest rate implicit in the 
lease, of the future minimum lease payments is included within 
Property, plant and equipment and financial liabilities as an 
obligation to pay future rentals. Depreciation is provided at the 
same rates as for owned assets, or over the lease period, if shorter.

Rental payments are apportioned between the finance charge  
and the outstanding obligation so as to produce a constant rate  
of finance charge on the remaining balance.

Provisions
Provisions are created where the Group has a present obligation  
as a result of a past event, where it is probable that it will result  
in an outflow of economic benefits to settle the obligation from  
the Group, and where it can be reliably measured.

Provisions are made in respect of individual properties where  
there are obligations for onerous contracts, dilapidations and 
certain decommissioning obligations for petrol filling stations.  
The amounts provided are based on the Group’s best estimate  
of the likely committed outflow to the Group. Where material, 
these estimated outflows are discounted to net present value.

Foreign currencies
Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the rates of 
exchange at the dates of the transactions. At each balance sheet 
date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in 
foreign currency are retranslated at the rates of exchange at the 
balance sheet date. Gains and losses arising on retranslation  
are included in profit for the period.

Retirement benefits
The Group operates defined benefit and defined contribution 
schemes. A defined contribution scheme is a pension scheme 
under which the Group pays fixed contributions into a separate 
entity. A defined benefit scheme is one that is not a defined 
contribution scheme. Pension benefits under defined benefit 
schemes are defined on retirement based on age at date  
of retirement, years of service and a formula using either  
the employee’s compensation package or career average  
revalued earnings.

Investment property
Property held to earn rental income is classified as Investment 
property. Investment property is recorded at cost less accumulated 
depreciation and any recognised impairment loss. The depreciation 
policy is consistent with that described for property, plant and 
equipment.

Income from investment properties is disclosed in ‘Other operating 
income’ and details are shown in note 12 Investment property.  
The related operating costs are immaterial and are included within 
Administrative expenses.

Impairment of non-financial assets
Property, plant and equipment, Investment property and Intangible 
assets are annually reviewed for indications of impairment, or  
when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying 
amount may not be recoverable. This is performed for each cash 
generating unit, which in the case of a supermarket is an individual 
retail outlet. If there are indications of possible impairment then  
a test is performed on the asset affected to assess its recoverable 
amount against carrying value. An asset impaired is written down 
to its recoverable amount which is the higher of value in use or its 
fair value less costs to sell. In assessing value in use, the estimated 
future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a 
pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments  
of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset.

If there is indication of an increase in fair value of an asset that  
had been previously impaired, then this is recognised by reversing 
the impairment, but only to the extent that the recoverable  
amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have  
been determined if no impairment loss had been recognised  
for the asset.

Stocks
Stocks are measured at the lower of cost and net realisable value. 
Cost is calculated on a weighted average basis and comprises 
purchase price, import duties and other non-recoverable taxes  
less rebates. Stocks represent goods for resale.

Net realisable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary 
course of business, less the estimated costs necessary to make  
the sale.

Leases
Leases in which substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership 
are retained by the lessor are classified as operating leases; all 
other leases are classified as finance leases.

Lessor accounting – operating leases
Assets acquired and made available to third parties under operating 
leases are recorded as property, plant and equipment and are 
depreciated on a straight-line basis to their estimated residual 
values over their estimated useful lives. Operating lease income is 
charged on a straight-line basis to the date of the next rent review.

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Annual report and financial statements 2011

58

Group accounting policies – continued

The Group operates two defined benefit retirement schemes which 
are funded by contributions from the Group and members. The 
defined benefit schemes are not open to new members. Pension 
scheme assets, which are held in separate trustee administered 
funds, are valued at market rates. Pension scheme obligations are 
measured on a discounted present value basis using assumptions  
as shown in note 20. The operating and financing costs of the 
scheme are recognised separately in profit for the period when 
they arise. Death-in-service costs are recognised on a straight-line 
basis over their vesting period. Actuarial gains and losses are 
recognised immediately in other comprehensive income.

The Group has a right to recognise an asset, should one arise,  
in respect of the Group’s net obligations to the pension schemes. 
Therefore either an asset or a liability is recognised in the balance 
sheet, calculated separately for each scheme.

Payments by the Group to the defined contribution scheme  
are charged to profit for the period as they arise.

Share-based payments
The Group issues equity settled share-based payments to certain 
employees in exchange for services rendered by them. The fair 
value of the share-based award is calculated at the date of grant 
and is expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period  
with a corresponding increase in equity. This is based on the 
Group’s estimate of share options that will eventually vest. This 
takes into account movement of non-market conditions, being 
service conditions and financial performance, if relevant.

Fair value is measured by use of a binomial stochastic model.  
The expected life used in the model has been adjusted, based  
on management’s best estimate, for effects of non-transferability, 
exercise restrictions and behavioural considerations.

Financial instruments
Financial assets and liabilities are recognised on the Group’s 
balance sheet when the Group becomes a party to the contractual 
provisions of the instrument.

a) Financial assets
i) Trade and other debtors
Trade and other debtors are carried at the lower of their original 
invoiced value and recoverable amount. Provision is made when 
there is objective evidence that the Group will not be able to 
recover balances in full, with the charge being recognised in 
Administrative expenses in profit for the period. Balances are 
written off when the probability of recovery is assessed as  
being remote.

ii) Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents for cash flow purposes includes 
cash-in-hand, cash-at-bank and bank overdrafts together with  
short term, highly liquid investments that are readily convertible 
into known amounts of cash, with an insignificant risk of a  
change in value, within three months from the date of acquisition. 
In the balance sheet bank overdrafts are presented within  
current liabilities.

b) Financial liabilities
i) Trade and other creditors
Trade and other creditors are stated at cost.

ii) Borrowings
Interest-bearing bank loans and overdrafts are initially recorded  
at fair value, net of attributable transaction costs. Subsequent  
to initial recognition, any difference between the redemption  
value and the initial carrying amount is recognised in profit for  
the period over the period of the borrowings on an effective 
interest rate basis.

c) Derivative financial instruments and hedge accounting
Derivative financial instruments are initially measured at fair  
value, which normally equates to cost, and are remeasured at  
fair value through profit or loss.

Cash flow hedges
Derivative financial instruments are classified as cash flow  
hedges when they hedge the Group’s exposure to variability  
in cash flows that are either attributable to a particular risk 
associated with a recognised asset or liability, or a highly  
probable forecasted transaction.

To minimise the risk from potential movements in energy prices, 
the Group has energy price contracts which are designated as  
cash flow hedges. To minimise the risk from potential movements 
in foreign exchange rates, the Group uses forward exchange 
contracts which are designated as cash flow hedges. In the prior 
year, the Group had a cross-currency swap designated as a cash 
flow hedge. This derivative financial instrument, which matured 
during the current financial year, was used to match or minimise 
risk from potential movements in foreign exchange rates inherent 
in the cash flows of certain financial liabilities. 

Derivatives are reviewed quarterly for effectiveness. Where a 
derivative financial instrument is designated as a hedge of the 
variability in cash flows of a recognised asset or liability, or highly 
probable forecast transaction, the effective part of any gain or  
loss on the movement in fair value of the derivative financial 
instrument is recognised in other comprehensive income and 
presented in the hedging reserve in equity.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

59

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

b) Pension scheme assumptions and mortality table
The carrying value of defined benefit pension schemes is  
valued using actuarial valuations. These valuations are based  
on assumptions including the selection of mortality tables for  
the profile of members in each scheme. All these are estimates of 
future events. The mortality experience study conducted as part  
of the Safeway scheme triennial valuation is statistically significant 
and the longevity assumption is adjusted to reflect its results. As 
both of the Group’s schemes have a similar composition and type 
of members, this adjustment is also made to the Morrisons scheme. 
The mortality assumptions, financial assumptions and mortality 
experience study are based on advice received from the schemes’ 
actuaries. Where appropriate these are corroborated from 
time-to-time with benchmark surveys and ad-hoc analysis. 

c) Determination of useful lives, residual values and carrying 
values of Intangible assets, Property, plant and equipment,  
and Investment property
Depreciation is provided so as to write down the assets to their 
residual values over their estimated useful lives as set out in the 
accounting policies for Intangible assets, Property, plant and 
equipment and Investment property. The selection of these 
residual values and estimated lives, particularly in respect  
of plant and equipment, requires the exercise of judgement.

The Group is required to assess whether there is indication  
of impairment to the carrying values of assets. In making that 
assessment, judgements are made in estimating value in use.  
The Directors consider that the individual carrying values of  
stores and other operating assets are supportable either by  
value in use or market values.

The gain or loss on any ineffective part of the hedge is immediately 
recognised in profit for the period within Cost of sales in relation  
to the energy price contracts and within Finance income/costs  
in relation to the cross-currency swap. If a hedge of a forecast 
transaction subsequently results in the recognition of a financial 
asset or liability, the associated cumulative gains or losses that 
were recognised directly in equity are reclassified into profit for  
the period when the transaction occurs.

Net debt
Net debt is cash and cash equivalents, long term cash on deposit, 
bank and other current loans, finance lease debt, bonds and 
derivative financial instruments (stated at current fair value).

Share capital
Ordinary shares are classified as equity. Incremental costs directly 
attributable to the issue of new shares or options are shown in 
equity as a deduction, net of tax, from the proceeds.

Where any Group company purchases the Company’s equity  
share capital, the consideration paid, including directly attributable 
incremental costs, is deducted from retained earnings until the 
shares are cancelled. On cancellation, the nominal value of the 
shares is deducted from share capital and the amount is transferred 
to the capital redemption reserve.

Treasury shares
The Group has an employee trust for the granting of Group shares 
to executives and members of the employee share plans. Shares  
in the Group held by the employee share trust are treated as 
treasury shares and presented in the balance sheet as a deduction 
from retained earnings.

The shares are deducted for the purpose of calculating the Group’s 
earnings per share.

Use of critical accounting assumptions and estimates
Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based 
on historical experience and other factors, including expectations 
of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the 
circumstances.

The Group makes estimates and assumptions concerning the 
future. The resulting accounting estimates will, by definition, 
seldom equal the related actual results. The estimates and 
assumptions that have significant risk of causing a material 
adjustment to the carrying value of assets and liabilities are 
discussed below.

a) Property provisions
Provisions have been made for onerous leases, dilapidations  
and decommissioning costs. These provisions are estimates  
based on the condition of each property and market conditions  
for the relevant location. The actual costs and timing of future  
cash flows are dependent on future events. Any difference 
between expectations and the actual future liability will be 
accounted for in the period when such determination is made.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

60

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

Turnover
Cost of sales
Gross profit

Other operating income
Administrative expenses
(Losses)/profits arising on property transactions
Operating profit

Analysed as:
Operating profit before pensions credit
Pensions credit within administrative expenses
Operating profit

Finance costs
Finance income
Profit before taxation
Taxation
Profit for the period attributable to the owners of the Company

Other comprehensive income/(expense):
Actuarial gain/(loss) arising in the pension scheme
Foreign exchange movements
Cash flow hedging movement
Tax in relation to components of other comprehensive income/(expense)
Other comprehensive income/(expense) for the period, net of tax

Total comprehensive income for the period attributable to the owners of the Company

Earnings per share (pence)

– basic
– diluted

Note
2

5

20

6
6

7

20

7

9
9

2011 
£m
16,479
(15,331)
1,148

2010 
£m
15,410
(14,348)
1,062

80
(323)
(1)
904

904
–
904

(43)
13
874
(242)
632

34
–
3
(11)
26

65
(224)
4
907

816
91
907

(60)
11
858
(260)
598

(71)
(1)
(11)
22
(61)

658

537

23.93
23.43

22.80
22.37

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

Consolidated balance sheet
30 January 2011

Assets
Non-current assets
Intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Investment property
Net pension asset
Other financial assets

Current assets
Stocks
Debtors
Other financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents

Liabilities
Current liabilities
Creditors
Other financial liabilities
Current tax liabilities

Non-current liabilities
Other financial liabilities
Deferred tax liabilities
Net pension liabilities
Provisions

Net assets

Shareholders’ equity
Called-up share capital
Share premium
Capital redemption reserve
Merger reserve
Retained earnings and hedging reserve
Total equity attributable to the owners of the Company

61

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Note

2011  
£m

Restated
(note 11) 
2010 
£m

Restated
(note 11) 
2009 
£m

10
11
12
20
14

15
14

16
17

17
19
20
21

22
22
23
23
23

184
7,557
229
38
3
8,011

638
268
4
228
1,138

(1,914)
–
(172)
(2,086)

(1,052)
(499)
–
(92)
(1,643)
5,420

266
107
6
2,578
2,463
5,420

–
7,439
229
–
–
7,668

577
199
71
245
1,092

(1,845)
(213)
(94)
(2,152)

(1,027)
(515)
(17)
(100)
(1,659)
4,949

265
92
6
2,578
2,008
4,949

–
6,838
242
–
81
7,161

494
244
–
327
1,065

(1,915)
(1)
(108)
(2,024)

(1,049)
(472)
(49)
(112)
(1,682)
4,520

263
60
6
2,578
1,613
4,520

The financial statements on pages 54 to 88 were approved by the Board of Directors on 9 March 2011 and were signed on its behalf by:

Dalton Philips 
Chief Executive 

Richard Pennycook 
Group Finance Director

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
62

Consolidated cash flow statement
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

Cash flows from operating activities
Cash generated from operations
Interest paid
Taxation paid
Net cash inflow from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities
Interest received
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment
Purchase of property, plant and equipment and investment property
Purchase of intangible assets
Cash outflow from acquisition of subsidiaries
Net cash outflow from investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from issue of ordinary shares
New borrowings
Repayment of borrowings
Dividends paid to equity shareholders
Net cash (outflow)/inflow from financing activities

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at start of period
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net debt in the period

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents
Cash outflow from decrease in debt and lease financing
Cash inflow from increase in loans
Other non-cash movements
Debt acquired on acquisition of subsidiaries
Opening net debt
Closing net debt

Note

24

27

Note

27

25

2011 
£m

1,141
(52)
(191)
898

5
8
(494)
(98)
(3)
(582)

16
25
(154)
(220)
(333)

(17)
245
228

2011 
£m
(17)
154
(25)
(1)
(4)
(924)
(817)

Restated
(note 11) 
2010 
£m

1,014
(60)
(209)
745

8
7
(916)
–
–
(901)

34
200
(1)
(159)
74

(82)
327
245

2010 
£m
(82)
2
(200)
(2)
–
(642)
(924)

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

Consolidated statement of changes in equity
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

63

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Attributable to the owners of the Company

Share 
capital 
£m

Share 
premium 
£m

Capital 
redemption 
reserve 
£m

Note

Merger 
reserve 
£m

Hedging 
reserve 
£m

Retained 
earnings 
£m

Total  
equity 
£m

Current year
At 31 January 2010
Profit for the period
Other comprehensive income:

Actuarial gain arising in the pension scheme
Cash flow hedging movement
Tax in relation to components of other 
comprehensive income

Total comprehensive income for the period
Employees share options schemes:

Share-based payments
Share options exercised

Dividends
Total transactions with owners
At 30 January 2011

20

7

26
22
8

265
–

–
–

–
–

–
1
–
1
266

92
–

–
–

–
–

–
15
–
15
107

6
–

–
–

–
–

–
–
–
–
6

2,578
–

–
–

–
–

–
–
–
–
2,578

3
–

–
3

(1)
2

–
–
–
–
5

2,005
632

4,949
632

34
–

(10)
656

34
3

(11)
658

17
–
(220)
(203)
2,458

17
16
(220)
(187)
5,420

Attributable to the owners of the Company

Share 
capital 
£m

Share 
premium 
£m

Capital 
redemption 
reserve 
£m

Note

Merger 
reserve 
£m

Hedging 
reserve 
£m

Retained 
earnings 
£m

Total  
equity 
£m

Prior year
At 1 February 2009
Profit for the period
Other comprehensive income:

Actuarial loss arising in the pension scheme
Foreign exchange movements
Cash flow hedging movement
Tax in relation to components of other 
comprehensive income

Total comprehensive (expense)/ 
income for the period
Employees share options schemes:

Share-based payments
Share options exercised

Dividends
Total transactions with owners
At 31 January 2010

20

7

26
22
8

263
–

–
–
–

–

–

–
2
–
2
265

60
–

–
–
–

–

–

–
32
–
32
92

6
–

–
–
–

–

–

–
–
–
–
6

2,578
–

–
–
–

–

–

–
–
–
–
2,578

12
–

–
–
(11)

2

(9)

–
–
–
–
3

1,601
598

4,520
598

(71)
(1)
–

20

(71)
(1)
(11)

22

546

537

17
–
(159)
(142)
2,005

17
34
(159)
(108)
4,949

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
64

Notes to the Group financial statements
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

1  Underlying profit
The Directors consider that underlying earnings per share measures referred to in the Chairman’s statement, Operational review  
and Financial review provide additional useful information for shareholders on underlying trends and performance and reflects  
how the business is monitored internally. The adjustments are made to reported profit to (a) remove the impact of pension interest  
income volatility on profit for the period; (b) remove the one-off pensions credit as a result of the move from final salary to CARE  
(note 20); (c) remove losses or profits arising on property transactions since they do not form part of the Group’s principal activities;  
and (d) apply an effective tax rate of 30%, being an estimated normalised tax rate.

Profit after tax
Add back: tax charge for the period1
Profit before tax
Adjustments for:

Net pension interest (income)/cost (note 6)1
Pensions credit1
Loss/(profit) arising on property transactions1

Underlying profit before tax
Taxation1
Underlying profit after tax charge

Underlying earnings per share (pence)

– basic (refer note 9(b))
– diluted (refer note 9(b))

2011 
£m
632
242
874

(6)
–
1
869
(261)
608

2010 
£m
598
260
858

4
(91)
(4)
767
(230)
537

23.03
22.54

20.47
20.08

1  Adjustments marked 1 equal £24m (2010: £61m) as shown in the reconciliation of earnings disclosed in note 9(b).

2  Sales analysis
This table is provided to reconcile like-for-like sales described in the Operational review with the total turnover.

Sale of goods in-stores
Fuel
Total store based sales
Other sales
Total turnover

Like-for-like  
stores
12,242
3,391
15,633
116
15,749

Other
695
35
730
–
730

2011
Total 
£m
12,937
3,426
16,363
116
16,479

2010
Total 
£m
12,423
2,893
15,316
94
15,410

Fuel sales are removed from quoted like-for-like figures given the volatility in the fuel price to provide a more stable measure.

3  Segmental Reporting
The Group’s principal activity is that of grocery retailing, derived solely from the UK. The Group is not reliant on any major customer  
of 10% or more of revenues.

Consideration of IFRS 8 Operating segments
The Group has made the following considerations in arriving at conclusions and the corresponding disclosure in these financial 
statements:

IFRS 8 requires the consideration of the chief operating decision maker (CODM) within the Group. In line with the Group’s internal 
reporting framework and management structure, the key operating decisions are made by the Management Board.

Consideration in particular was given to retail outlets, the fuel resale operation and the manufacturing entities.

Key internal reports received by the CODM, primarily the Board Management Accounts, focus on the performance of the Group  
as a whole. The operations of all elements of the business are driven by the retail sales environment and hence have fundamentally  
the same economic characteristics. All operational decisions made are focused on the performance and growth of the retail outlets  
and the ability of the business to meet the supply demands of the stores. Given this, the Group has considered the overriding core 
principals of IFRS 8 and has determined that it has one operating segment.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

65

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

3  Segmental Reporting – continued
Reconciliation of reportable segment revenues, profit or loss, assets and liabilities and other material items
Performance is measured by the CODM based on profit as reported in the Board Management Accounts. This report presents the 
financial position before (a) income tax; (b) pension interest income volatility; and (c) profit arising from property related transactions. 
This underlying profit figure is used to measure performance as management believes that this is the most relevant in evaluating the 
results of the Group relative to other entities that operate within the retail industry. This information and the reconciliation to the 
statutory position can be found in note 1.

4  Employees and Directors

Employee benefit expense for the Group during the period
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Share-based payments (note 26)
Pension costs
Pensions credit (note 20)
Other staff costs

Average monthly number of people employed by business group
Stores
Manufacturing
Distribution
Centre2

2011 
£m

2010 
£m

1,663
122
19
32
–
2
1,838

1,638
113
17
29
(91)
1
1,707

2011 
No.

2010 
No.

117,821
5,861
5,679
2,713
132,074

120,135
4,810
5,890
2,908
133,743

2 In 2010 centre included employees on maternity leave and long term sick leave. In 2011 employees on maternity leave have been allocated to the appropriate business group.

In the prior year, key management comprised Executive and Non-Executive Directors. Following the internal reorganisation of  
the senior management structure leading to the foundation of the Management Board, the Group also considers members of  
the Management Board to be key management. 

The aggregate remuneration paid to or accrued for the Directors for services in all capacities during the period is as follows:

Directors
Short term employee benefits
Pension costs
Termination benefits
Share-based payments

2011 
£m

5.0
0.4
0.3
3.3
9.0

2010 
£m

5.3
0.5
–
1.9
7.7

There are two Executive Directors (2010: three) who have retirement benefits accruing under the Group’s defined benefit pension 
scheme.

Additional information on Directors’ emoluments (including the highest paid Director and gains on the exercise of share options and  
long term incentive schemes) can be found in the Directors’ remuneration report on pages 39 to 48.

The aggregate remuneration paid or accrued for the period from which the Management Board formed in October 2010, excluding 
members already included in the Directors table above, is as follows:

Management Board
Short term employee benefits
Pension costs
Share-based payments

2011 
£m

2.3
0.1
0.7
3.1

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

66

Notes to the Group financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

5  Operating profit

The following items have been included in arriving at operating profit:
Depreciation:

– property, plant and equipment – owned assets
– property, plant and equipment – under finance lease
– investment property

Charge to profit for the period
Amortisation
Operating lease rentals:

– minimum lease payments
– sublease receipts
Value of stock expensed

Services provided by the Group’s auditor
During the period KPMG Audit Plc, the Group’s auditor, provided the following services:

Audit services

– statutory Group and Company audit
– statutory audit of subsidiaries
– audit related regulatory reporting

Tax services

– advisory services

Other

– independent project assurance

6  Finance costs and income

Interest payable on short term loans and bank overdrafts
Interest payable on bonds
Interest capitalised
Total interest payable
Fair value movement of derivative instruments
Other finance costs
Finance costs
Bank interest received
Amortisation of bonds
Other finance income
Pension liability interest cost
Expected return on pension assets
Net pension interest income/(expense)
Finance income
Net finance cost

2011 
£m

300
2
7
309
10

Restated
(note 11) 
2010 
£m

298
2
6
306
–

44
(6)
12,380

40
(6)
11,548

2011 
£m

0.5
0.2
–

0.1

0.5
1.3

2011 
£m
(6)
(36)
7
(35)
(1)
(7)
(43)
3
3
1
(120)
126
6
13
(30)

2010 
£m

0.4
0.2
0.1

0.1

0.9
1.7

2010 
£m
(5)
(45)
5
(45)
(8)
(7)
(60)
4
8
3
(109)
105
(4)
11
(49)

Interest is capitalised at the effective interest rate incurred on borrowings before taxation. Tax relief is obtained on interest paid and this 
reduces the tax charged for the period.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

7  Taxation
a) Analysis of charge in the period

Corporation tax

– current period
– adjustment in respect of prior period

Deferred tax

– current period

– adjustment in respect of prior period

Tax charge for the period

b) Tax on items charged/(credited) in other comprehensive income

Actuarial gain/(loss) arising in the pension scheme
Cash flow hedges
Total tax on items included in other comprehensive income

Analysis of items (credited)/charged to other comprehensive income:
Current tax
Deferred tax (note 19)

67

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

2011 
£m

280
(5)
275

(33)

–
(33)
242

2011 
£m
10
1
11

(6)
17

2010 
£m

205
(27)
178

54

28
82
260

2010 
£m
(20)
(2)
(22)

17
(39)

c) Tax reconciliation
The tax for the period is lower (2010: higher) than the standard rate of corporation tax in the UK of 28% (2010: 28%). The differences 
are explained below:

Profit before tax
Profit before tax at 28% (2010: 28%)
Effects of:
Expenses not deductible for tax purposes
Non-qualifying depreciation
Deferred tax on Safeway acquisition assets
Divestment profits not taxable
Effect of change in tax rate
Other
Prior period adjustments
Tax charge for the period

8  Dividends

Amounts recognised as distributed to equity holders in the year:
Interim dividend for the year ended 30 January 2011 of 1.23p (2010: 1.08p)
Final dividend for the year ended 31 January 2010 of 7.12p (2009: 5.0p)

2011 
£m
874
245

1
31
(11)
–
(20)
1
(5)
242

2011 
£m

32
188
220

2010 
£m
858
240

4
24
(8)
1
–
(2)
1
260

2010 
£m

28
131
159

The Directors are proposing a final dividend in respect of the financial period ending 30 January 2011 of 8.37p per share which will 
absorb an estimated £222m of shareholders’ funds. Subject to approval at the AGM, it will be paid on 15 June 2011 to shareholders  
who are on the register on 13 May 2011.

A dividend reinvestment plan is available in respect of the final dividend.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

68

Notes to the Group financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

9  Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share are calculated by dividing the earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average number  
of ordinary shares outstanding during the period.

For diluted earnings per share, the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue is adjusted to assume conversion of all potentially 
dilutive ordinary shares. The Company has two (2010: two) classes of instrument that are potentially dilutive: those share options 
granted to employees where the exercise price is less than the average market price of the Company’s ordinary shares during  
the period and contingently issuable shares under the Group’s Long Term Incentive Plan.

a) Basic and diluted earnings per share (unadjusted)
Reconciliations of the earnings and weighted average number of shares used in the calculations are set out below: 

Unadjusted EPS
Basic EPS
Earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders
Effect of dilutive instruments
Share options and LTIPs
Diluted EPS

2011

Weighted 
average 
number of 
shares 
millions

Earnings 
£m

2010

Weighted 
average 
number of 
shares 
millions

EPS 
pence

EPS 
pence

Earnings 
£m

632 2,640.5

23.93

598 2,623.3

22.80

–

56.4
632 2,696.9

(0.50)
23.43

–

50.5
598 2,673.8

(0.43)
22.37

b) Underlying earnings per share
Given below is the reconciliation of the earnings used in the calculations of underlying earnings per share:

Underlying EPS
Basic EPS
Earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders
Adjustments to determine underlying profit (note 1)

Effect of dilutive instruments
Share options and LTIPs
Diluted EPS

2011

Weighted 
average 
number of 
shares 
millions

Earnings 
£m

2010

Weighted 
average 
number of 
shares 
millions

EPS 
pence

EPS 
pence

Earnings 
£m

632 2,640.5
(24)
–
608 2,640.5

23.93
(0.90)
23.03

598 2,623.3
(61)
–
537 2,623.3

22.80
(2.33)
20.47

–

56.4
608 2,696.9

(0.49)
22.54

–

50.5
537 2,673.8

(0.39)
20.08

c) Adjusted earnings per share
In prior years earnings per share calculations for the purposes of the LTIP performance conditions varied from underlying earnings per 
share. However, for all schemes existing at the current year end and future schemes, the performance conditions are based on underlying 
earnings per share without further adjustment.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

10  Intangible assets

Current year
Cost 
At 31 January 2010
Acquired in a business combination (note 27)
Transferred from property, plant and equipment
Additions
Interest capitalised
At 30 January 2011 

Accumulated amortisation and impairment
At 31 January 2010
Charge for the period
Reclassified from property, plant and equipment
At 30 January 2011

Net book amount
At 30 January 2011
At 31 January 2010

69

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Goodwill 
£m

Software 
development 
costs 
£m

Licences 
£m

Total 
£m

–
7
–
–
–
7

–
–
–
–

7
–

–
–
78
89
6
173

–
6
3
9

164
–

–
–
11
9
–
20

–
4
3
7

13
–

–
7
89
98
6
200

–
10
6
16

184
–

Software development costs includes £6m (2010: £nil) in respect of capitalised borrowing costs. 

During the year software development costs and licences previously held within Property, plant and equipment have been reclassified 
and presented separately within Intangible assets. During the implementation of the Group’s new IT systems, these costs have become 
more significant that in previous years and management consider that given the increased cost associated with these assets, presenting 
them separately provides more useful information to the users of the financial statements. The reclassification has no impact on profit 
for the period.

11  Property, plant and equipment

Current year
Cost
At 31 January 2010 (restated)
Acquisition of subsidiary undertakings (note 27)
Additions at cost
Interest capitalised
Transfer from investment properties
Transfer to intangible assets
Disposals
At 30 January 2011

Accumulated depreciation and impairment
At 31 January 2010 (restated)
Charge for the period
Transfer from investment properties
Transfer to intangible assets
Disposals
At 30 January 2011

Net book amount at 30 January 2011

Assets under construction included above

Land and buildings

Freehold 
£m

Leasehold 
£m

Plant, 
equipment, 
fixtures
& vehicles 
£m

6,894
6
242
1
17
–
(8)
7,152

797
90
1
–
(3)
885

6,267

110

833
3
53
–
–
–
(3)
886

106
21
–
–
(2)
125

761

2

1,777
5
186
–
–
(89)
(34)
1,845

1,162
191
–
(6)
(31)
1,316

529

25

Total 
£m

9,504
14
481
1
17
(89)
(45)
9,883

2,065
302
1
(6)
(36)
2,326

7,557

137

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

70

Notes to the Group financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

11  Property, plant and equipment – continued
Since 3 February 1985, the cost of financing property developments prior to their opening date has been included in the cost of the 
project. The cumulative amount of interest capitalised in the total cost above amounts to £246m (2010: £245m).

The totals above includes a net book amount of £273m (2010: £259m) and depreciation of £13m (2010: £11m) in relation to property, 
plant and equipment held under finance lease. 

Leasehold land and buildings have been restated for the comparative periods as a result of an amendment to IAS 17 Leases. At 30 January 
2011, the effect is a decrease of £271m (2010: £257m; 2009: £250m) to non-current asset lease prepayments and an increase to closing 
net book value of leasehold land and buildings of £273m (2010: £259m; 2009: £251m).

Land and buildings

Freehold 
£m

Restated
Leasehold
£m

Plant, 
equipment, 
fixtures
& vehicles 
£m

Restated 
Total 
£m

Prior year
Cost
At 1 February 2009 (restated)
Additions at cost
Interest capitalised
Transfer from investment properties
Disposals
At 31 January 2010 (restated)

Accumulated depreciation and impairment
At 1 February 2009 (restated)
Charge for the period
Transfer from investment properties
Disposals
At 31 January 2010 (restated)

Net book amount at 31 January 2010 (restated)

Assets under construction included above

12 Investment property

Cost
At start of period
Additions
Transfer to property, plant and equipment
At end of period

Accumulated depreciation
At start of period
Charge for the period
Transfer to property, plant and equipment
At end of period

6,519
346
5
28
(4)
6,894

681
107
10
(1)
797

6,097

32

635
196
–
2
–
833

86
20
–
–
106

727

2

1,449
337
–
–
(9)
1,777

998
173
–
(9)
1,162

615

158

2011 
£m

277
23
(17)
283

48
7
(1)
54

8,603
879
5
30
(13)
9,504

1,765
300
10
(10)
2,065

7,439

192

2010 
£m

294
13
(30)
277

52
6
(10)
48

Net book amount at end of period

229

229

Included in other operating income is £22m (2010: £21m) of rental income generated from investment properties.

The fair value of investment properties at the end of the period was £279m (2010: £281m). The Directors do not believe that there has 
been a material change in yield since last year.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

13  Capital commitments

Contracts placed for future capital expenditure not provided in the financial statements

14 Other financial assets

Non-current assets
Energy price contracts
Current assets
Cross-currency swaps
Energy price contracts

71

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

2011 
£m
178

2011 
£m

3

–
4

2010 
£m
95

2010 
£m

–

71
–

The cross-currency swaps covered the Group from currency exposure arising from payments of interest and repayment of the principal  
in relation to Euro bonds. The cross-currency swaps and the Euro bonds matured and were repaid during the year.

The notional principal amount of the outstanding cross-currency swaps at 30 January 2011 was €nil (2010: €250m).

15  Debtors

Trade debtors
Less: Provision for impairment of trade debtors

Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income

2011 
£m
201
(4)
197
18
53
268

Restated
(note 11) 
2010 
£m
148
(3)
145
11
43
199

Debtors have been restated for the comparative periods as a result of an amendment to IAS 17 Leases. The impact at 30 January 2011 
is a decrease of £2m (2010: £2m; 2009: £1m).

The ageing analysis of trade debtors is as follows:

Neither past due nor impaired
Past due but not impaired:

– not more than three months
– greater than three months

Impaired debt

2011 
£m
191

3
3
4
201

2010 
£m
137

6
2
3
148

As at 30 January 2011, trade debtors, that were neither past due nor impaired, related to a number of debtors for whom there is no 
recent history of default.

The other classes of debtors do not contain impaired assets.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

72

Notes to the Group financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

16  Creditors – current

Trade creditors
Other taxes and social security payable
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income

17  Other financial liabilities
The Group had the following current and non-current borrowings and other financial liabilities:

Current
Bank loans, bonds overdrafts due within one year or on demand:
€250m Euro bonds 6.50% April 2010

Energy price contracts
Forward foreign exchange contracts

Non-current
£150m Sterling bonds 6.50% August 2014
£200m Sterling bonds 6.00% January 2017
£200m Sterling bonds 6.12% December 2018
Total non-current bonds

Floating credit facility – 1.13% (2010: 0.81%)
Other loans – 9.38%
Energy price contracts
Finance lease obligations

2011 
£m
1,400
33
127
354
1,914

2010 
£m
1,350
32
134
329
1,845

2011 
£m

2010 
£m

–
–

–
–
–

2011 
£m

154
201
204
559

475
11
–
7
1,052

198
198

14
1
213

2010 
£m

154
202
205
561

450
11
5
–
1,027

Borrowing facilities
Borrowings are denominated in Sterling and bear fixed interest rates, with the exception of the floating credit facility which bears floating 
interest rates. All borrowings are unsecured.

The expiry date for the floating credit facility is consistent with the undrawn element of the facility disclosed below.

In the event of default of covenants on the bank facility, the principal amounts and any interest accrued are repayable on demand.

The Group has the following undrawn floating committed borrowing facilities available in respect of which all conditions precedent  
had been met at that date:

Undrawn facilities expiring:
– between 1 and 2 years
– between 2 and 3 years

2011 
£m

625
–

2010 
£m

–
650

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

73

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

18 Financial instruments
a) Financial risk management
The Group’s treasury operations are controlled centrally by the Treasury Committee in accordance with clearly defined policies  
and procedures that have been authorised by the Board. There is an amount of delegated authority to the Treasury Committee,  
but all activities are summarised in half yearly treasury reports which are presented to the Audit Committee.

The Group’s principal financial liabilities, other than derivatives, comprise bank loans and overdrafts, bonds, other borrowings,  
finance leases and trade and other creditors. The main purpose of these financial liabilities is to raise finance for the Group’s operations. 
The Group has various financial assets such as trade debtors and cash and short term deposits which arise directly from its operations.

The Group enters into derivative transactions, in the form of forward currency contracts, cross-currency swaps and energy price 
contracts. The purpose of these derivative instruments is to manage risks arising from the Group’s operations and its sources of  
finance. As part of normal banking arrangements, the Group utilises letters of credit in order to facilitate contracts with third parties.  
The financial derivatives relating to commitments entered into during the year are to manage the risks arising from its usage of  
energy and foreign currency. It remains the Group’s policy not to engage in speculative trading of financial instruments.

The objectives, policies and processes for managing these risks, which remain unchanged from the prior year, are stated below:

i) Foreign currency risk
The Group makes the majority of its purchases in Sterling, however it incurs currency exposure in respect of overseas trade purchases 
made in currencies other than Sterling, primarily being Euro and US Dollar. The Group’s objective is to reduce risk to short term profits 
and losses from exchange rate fluctuations. It is Group policy that any transactional currency exposures recognised to have a material 
impact on short term profits and losses will be hedged through the use of derivative financial instruments. As at the balance sheet date, 
the Group had entered into forward foreign exchange contracts to mitigate foreign currency exposure on up to 50% (2010: 50%) of its 
forecasted purchases within the next six months. 

The sensitivity to a reasonably possible change (+/– 20%) in the US Dollar/Euro exchange rate has been determined as being immaterial.

ii) Liquidity risk
The Group policy is to maintain a balance of funding with a range of maturities and a sufficient level of undrawn committed borrowing 
facilities to meet any unforeseen obligations and opportunities. Short term cash balances, together with undrawn committed facilities, 
enable the Group to manage its liquidity risk. The Group finances its operations with a combination of bank credit facilities and bonds.

The Treasury Committee monitors rolling forecasts of the Group’s liquidity reserve on a quarterly basis, which comprises committed  
and uncommitted borrowing facilities on the basis of expected cash flow. At the year end, the Group had undrawn committed facilities  
of £625m (note 17); these facilities remain available to the Group.

The table below summarises the maturity profile of the Group’s other financial liabilities based on contractual undiscounted payments, 
which includes interest payments. Creditors and current tax liabilities have been excluded from this analysis as these balances are due 
within 12 months and their contractual undiscounted payments equal their carrying balances as the impact of discounting is not 
significant. Where borrowings are subject to a floating rate, an estimate for interest has been made.

As the amounts included in the table are the contractual undiscounted cash flows, these amounts do not agree to the amounts disclosed 
on the balance sheet for borrowings. 

Less than one year
One to two years
Two to three years
Three to four years
Four to five years
More than five years

2011 
£m
41
516
42
185
25
468

2010 
£m
270
39
487
35
185
493

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

74

Notes to the Group financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

18 Financial instruments – continued
a) Financial risk management – continued
ii) Liquidity risk – continued
The table below analyses the Group’s derivative financial instruments into relevant maturity groupings based on the remaining period at 
the balance sheet date to the contractual maturity date. The amounts disclosed in the table are the contractual undiscounted cash flows.

At 30 January 2011
Derivatives settled on a gross basis
Forward contracts – cash flow hedges

– Outflow
– Inflow

Derivatives settled on a net basis
Energy price contracts – cash flow hedges

– Outflow

At 31 January 2010
Derivatives settled on a gross basis
Cross-currency swap – cash flow hedges

– Outflow
– Inflow

Forward contracts – cash flow hedges

– Outflow
– Inflow

Derivatives settled on a net basis
Energy price contracts – cash flow hedges

– Outflow

< 1 year 
£m

1–2 years 
£m

2–3 years 
£m

3–4 years 
£m

(54)
54

–
–

(4)

(3)

–
–

–

–
–

–

< 1 year 
£m

1–2 years 
£m

2–3 years 
£m

3–4 years 
£m

(160)
231

(51)
50

–
–

–
–

–
–

–
–

(14)

(4)

(2)

–
–

–
–

–

iii) Credit risk
Credit risk is managed on a Group basis. Credit risk arises from cash and cash equivalents, deposits with banking groups as well as  
credit exposures from other sources of income such as supplier income and tenants of investment properties.

The Group maintains deposits with banks and financial institutions with an acceptable credit rating for a period not exceeding  
six months. Further, the Group has specified limits that can be deposited with any banking group or financial institution at any point.  
The maximum exposure on cash and cash equivalents and deposits is equal to the carrying amount of these instruments. The Group  
does not expect any significant performance losses from counterparties.

The Group trades only with recognised, creditworthy third parties. It is the Group’s policy that tenants of investment properties  
who wish to trade on credit terms are subject to credit verification procedures. In addition, receivable balances are monitored on  
an ongoing basis with the result that the Group’s exposure to bad debts is not significant. The maximum exposure is the carrying  
amount as disclosed in note 15. There are no significant concentrations of credit risk within the Group.

iv) Other risk
Pricing risk: The Group manages the risks associated with the purchase of electricity, gas and diesel consumed by its activities. This  
does not include fuel purchased for resale to customers. The Treasury Committee reviews the Group’s market price exposure to these 
commodities on a quarterly basis and determines a strategy for utilising derivative financial products in order to mitigate the volatility  
of energy prices.

The Group intends to hold derivatives to maintain cover of its energy purchases of up to 75% over an appropriate timescale.

Cash flow interest rate risk: The Group’s long term policy is to protect itself against adverse movements in interest rates by  
maintaining up to 60% of its consolidated total net debt in fixed rate borrowings over a four-year horizon. As at the balance sheet date 
55% (2010: 61%) of the Group’s borrowings are at fixed rate, thereby substantially reducing the Group’s exposure to adverse movements 
in interest rates.

Cash and cash equivalents are a significant interest-bearing asset held by the Group. At year end, a 1% movement in interest rate would 
have had a £2m (2010: £2m) impact on the Group’s annual finance income/(expense). There are no other significant interest-bearing 
assets held by the Group.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

75

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

18 Financial instruments – continued
b) Capital management
The Group defines the capital that it manages as the Group’s total equity and net debt balances.

The Group’s objectives are to safeguard its ability to continue as a going concern providing returns to shareholders, through the 
optimisation of the debt and equity balance, and to maintain a strong credit rating and headroom. The Group manages its capital 
structure and makes appropriate decisions in light of the current economic conditions and strategic objectives of the Group. Initiatives 
available to achieve the Group’s desired capital structure include adjusting the amount of dividends paid to shareholders, issuing new 
shares and buying back share capital.

A key objective of the Group’s capital management is to maintain compliance with the covenants set out in the revolving credit facility.

The Group’s policy is to maintain both a gearing ratio and interest cover, which represents headroom of at least 10% over and above  
the requirements laid down in the revolving credit facility. Throughout the year, the Group has comfortably complied with this policy.

There has been no change in the objectives, policies or processes with regards to capital management during the years ended 30 January 
2011 and 31 January 2010.

c) Fair values
i) Financial assets
All financial derivatives are held at fair value which has been determined by reference to prices available from the markets on which  
the instruments are traded.

Cash and cash equivalents and Debtors are held at book value which equals the fair value. The values of the financial assets are disclosed 
within note 14.

ii) Financial liabilities
All financial liabilities are carried at amortised cost. The Euro bonds are retranslated at balance sheet date spot rates. The fair value of  
the Sterling and Euro bonds are measured using closing market prices. These compare to carrying values as follows:

Total bonds – current
Total bonds – non-current

2011

Amortised 
cost
£m
–
559
559

2011

Fair 
value 
£m
–
621
621

2010

Amortised 
cost
£m
198
561
759

2010

Fair 
value 
£m
220
598
818

The fair value of other items within current and non-current borrowing equals their carrying amount, as the impact of discounting  
is not significant.

d) Hedging activities
Cash flow hedge
At 31 January 2010, the Company held a cross-currency swap was been designated as a cash flow hedge. This derivative financial 
instrument was used to minimise risk from potential movements in foreign exchange rates inherent in cash flow of certain liabilities 
which have been settled during the current year. 

To minimise the risk from potential movements in energy prices, the Group has energy price contracts which are also designated as  
cash flow hedges.

The Group uses forward foreign exchange contracts to hedge the cost of future purchases of goods for resale, where those purchases  
are denominated in a currency other than the functional currency of the purchasing company. The hedging instruments are primarily 
used to hedge purchases in Euros and US dollars. The cash flows hedged will occur within one year of the balance sheet date.

At 30 January 2011, the total notional amount of outstanding forward foreign exchange contracts to which the Group has committed 
was £54m (2010: £51m). The fair value of these outstanding forward exchange contracts at the balance sheet date was a liability of  
£nil (2010: £1m).

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

76

Notes to the Group financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

18 Financial instruments – continued
e) Fair value hierarchy
IFRS 7 requires an analysis of financial instruments carried at fair value, by valuation method. The different levels have been defined  
as follows:

•  Level 1: quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

•  Level 2: inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly  

(that is, as prices) or indirectly (that is, derived from prices); and

•  Level 3: inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (that is, unobservable inputs).

All financial instruments carried at fair value within the Group at 30 January 2011 and 31 January 2010 are financial derivatives  
and all are categorised as Level 2 instruments.

19  Deferred tax

Deferred tax liability
Deferred tax asset
Net deferred tax liability

2011 
£m
(544)
45
(499)

2010 
£m
(563)
48
(515)

IAS 12 Income taxes permits the offsetting of balances within the same tax jurisdiction. All of the deferred tax assets were available 
for offset against deferred tax liabilities.

The movements in deferred tax (liabilities)/assets during the period are shown below.

Current year
At 31 January 2010
Credited/(charged) to profit for the period
Charged to other comprehensive income
At 30 January 2011

Prior year
At 1 February 2009
Charged to profit for the period
Credited to other comprehensive income
At 31 January 2010

Property,  
plant and 
equipment 
£m

Pensions 
£m

Share-based 
payments 
£m

Other 
short term 
temporary 
differences 
£m

(563)
29
–
(534)

(546)
(17)
–
(563)

5
(5)
(10)
(10)

14
(29)
20
5

3
–
–
3

6
(3)
–
3

40
9
(7)
42

54
(33)
19
40

Total
£m

(515)
33
(17)
(499)

(472)
(82)
39
(515)

Included within the total credited/(charged) to profit for the period is an amount credited of £20m (2010: £nil) and within the total 
charged to other comprehensive income of £2m (2010: £nil) in respect of the change in the tax rate at which deferred tax balances  
are expected to reverse.

It has been announced that the tax rate will continue to be reduced by 1% per year to 24%. This has yet to be enacted.

20  Pensions
a) Defined benefit pension scheme
The Group operates two defined benefit pension schemes, the ‘Morrison’ and ‘Safeway’ schemes, providing benefits defined on 
retirement based on age at date of retirement, years of service and a formula using either the employee’s compensation package or 
career average revalued earnings (CARE). The assets of the schemes are held in separate trustee administered funds; no part of the 
schemes is wholly unfunded. The latest full actuarial valuations, which were carried out at 6 April 2010 and 1 April 2010 for the Morrison 
and Safeway schemes respectively, were updated for IAS 19 Employee benefits purposes for the period to 30 January 2011 by a qualified 
independent actuary.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

77

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

20  Pensions – continued
a) Defined benefit pension scheme – continued
During the prior year, the pension schemes moved from a final salary basis to career average revalued earnings representing an 
accounting curtailment of certain pension liabilities. In accordance with IAS 19 Employee benefits, the defined pension schemes’ 
obligations were revalued by the schemes’ actuaries immediately prior to the change and assumptions reviewed at that date.  
As a result a pensions credit of £91m was recognised in profit for the period during the prior year.

On 8 July 2010 the Government announced that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rather than the Retail Price Index (RPI) will be used  
as the basis for inflationary increases to pensions in its next update of the statutory requirement. Following this, the Accounting 
Standards Board has issued UITF 48 Accounting implications of the replacement of the retail prices index with the consumer prices index 
for retirement benefits clarifying the required accounting treatment and indicating the use of CPI rather than RPI where the scheme 
rules allow. In the absence of specific guidance issued under IFRS, the requirements of this UITF have been applied in accounting for  
this change. The Group has consulted with its advisors and based on review of certain clauses in the schemes’ trust deeds has concluded 
that this change is applicable to certain deferred members within the Group’s defined benefit schemes. The trust deeds state that for 
those members affected, a statutory index should be used and therefore the actuarial assumptions applied within this financial report 
have been updated accordingly. This has resulted in a credit of £72m recognised in other comprehensive income within actuarial gains/
(losses) during the year.

The Deed and Rules of the Morrison Pension Scheme gives the Trustees power to set the level of contributions. In the Safeway Scheme 
this power is given to the Group, subject to regulatory override.

The current best estimate of employer contributions to be paid for the year commencing 31 January 2011 is £36m (2010: £42m).

b) Assumptions
The major assumptions used in this valuation to determine the present value of the schemes’ defined benefit obligation are shown  
below. The assumptions used at the valuation date of 2 July 2009, used in calculating the pension credit recognised in the year to  
31 January 2010 of £91m, remained the same as the previous year end (1 February 2009) apart from the discount rate, which reduced 
from 6.25% to 6.0%.

i) Financial

Rate of increases in salaries
Rate of increase in pensions in payment and deferred pensions
Discount rate applied to scheme liabilities
Inflation assumption

2011
5.05%
3.30%–3.80%
5.60%
3.80%

2010
4.85–5.85%
3.60%
5.65%
3.60%

2009
4.75–5.75%
3.50%
6.25%
3.50%

ii) Longevity
The average life expectancy in years of a member who reaches normal retirement age of 65 and is currently aged 45 is as follows:

Male
Female

2011
24.2
25.1

The average life expectancy in years of a member retiring at the age of 65 at balance sheet date is as follows:

Male
Female

2011
21.8
22.8

2010
23.5
25.8

2010
22.2
24.7

2009
23.5
25.8

2009
22.2
24.7

Assumptions regarding future mortality experience are set based on actuarial advice and in accordance with published statistics.  
The longevity assumption considers how long a member will live when they reach the age of retirement. Amongst the UK population 
there is a continuing trend for a generation to live longer than the preceding generation, and this has been reflected in the longevity 
assumption. This means that a 45-year-old today is assumed to live on average longer than a 65-year-old today. This particular 
adjustment, described in the mortality tables below, is known as ‘Long Cohort’ and is in line with the latest advice from the  
Pension Regulator.

In calculating the present value of the liabilities the actuary selects the appropriate mortality table that reflects the longevity assumption. 
The most up-to-date tables are used in each period. 

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

78

Notes to the Group financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

20  Pensions – continued
ii) Longevity – continued
The current mortality table used is S1PMA/S1PFA-Heavy YOB (2010 and 2009: PNX00 YOB LC). As disclosed in the Critical accounting 
assumptions on page 59, the results of the experience study conducted for the Safeway scheme have been used to adjust the longevity 
assumption for both schemes.

iii) Expected return on assets
The major assumptions used to determine the expected future return on the schemes’ assets, were as follows:

Long term rate of return on:
Equities
Corporate bonds
Gilts
Property related funds
Cash

2011

2010

2009

7.45%
5.60%
4.44%
5.60%
1.50%

7.00%
7.25%
5.65%
6.00%
4.35% 4.25–4.50%
6.00%
5.65%
2.50%
1.50%

The assumptions used by the actuary are the best estimates chosen from a range of possible actuarial assumptions which, due to the 
timescales covered, may not necessarily be borne out in practice. The expected return on plan assets is based on market expectation  
at the beginning of the period for returns over the entire life of the benefit obligation.

c) Valuations
Assets of the schemes are held in order to generate cash to be used to satisfy the schemes’ obligations, and are not necessarily intended 
to be realised in the short term. The allocation of assets between categories is governed by the Investment Principles of each scheme  
and is the responsibility of the trustees of each respective scheme. The trustees should take due consideration of the Group’s views  
and a representative of the Group attends Trustee Investment Committees. The fair value of the schemes’ assets, which may be subject 
to significant change before they are realised, and the present value of the schemes’ liabilities which are derived from cash flow 
projections over long periods and are inherently uncertain, are as follows:

Equities
Corporate bonds
Gilts
Property and property related funds
Cash
Total fair value of schemes’ assets
Present value of defined benefit funded obligation
Net pension asset/(liability) recognised in the balance sheet
Related deferred tax (liability)/asset (note 19)
Net surplus/(deficit)

The movement in the fair value of the schemes’ assets over the year was as follows:

Fair value of scheme assets at start of period
Expected return on scheme assets
Actuarial gain/(loss) recognised in other comprehensive income
Employer contributions
Employee contributions
Benefits paid
Fair value of scheme assets at end of period

2011 
£m
1,001
667
622
4
10
2,304
(2,266)
38
(10)
28

2011 
£m
2,111
126
62
41
10
(46)
2,304

2010 
£m
798
636
609
54
14
2,111
(2,128)
(17)
5
(12)

2010 
£m
1,758
105
245
42
10
(49)
2,111

2009 
£m
592
547
545
71
3
1,758
(1,807)
(49)
14
(35)

2009 
£m
1,939
130
(425)
141
10
(37)
1,758

The above pension scheme assets do not include any investments in the Parent Company’s own shares or property occupied by any 
member of the Group.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

79

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

20  Pensions – continued
c) Valuations – continued
The movement in the present value of the defined benefit obligation during the period was as follows:

Defined benefit obligation at start of period
Current service cost
Employee contributions
Interest on defined benefit obligation
Actuarial (loss)/gain recognised in other comprehensive income
Benefits paid
Pensions credit
Defined benefit obligation at end of period

2011 
£m
(2,128)
(26)
(10)
(120)
(28)
46
–
(2,266)

2010 
£m
(1,807)
(26)
(10)
(109)
(316)
49
91
(2,128)

2009 
£m
(2,007)
(38)
(10)
(113)
324
37
–
(1,807)

d) Sensitivities
Below is listed the impact on the liabilities at 30 January 2011 of changing key assumptions whilst holding other assumptions constant:

Discount factor
Longevity

+/– 0.1%
+/– 1 year

£57m
£75m

e) Profit for the period
The following amounts have been (charged)/credited in employee benefits in arriving at operating profit:

Current service cost
Pensions credit

2011 
£m
(26)
–
(26)

2010 
£m
(26)
91
65

The amounts for current service cost and pensions credit have been (charged)/credited in the following income statement lines:

Cost of sales
Administrative expenses

The following amounts have been included in finance income:

Expected return on pension scheme assets
Interest on pension scheme liabilities

2011 
£m
(21)
(5)
(26)

2011 
£m
126
(120)
6

2010 
£m
(21)
86
65

2010 
£m
105
(109)
(4)

2009 
£m
(38)
–
(38)

2009 
£m
(30)
(8)
(38)

2009 
£m
130
(113)
17

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

80

Notes to the Group financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

20  Pensions – continued
f) Actuarial gains and losses recognised in other comprehensive income
The amounts included in the other comprehensive income were:

Actual return less expected return on scheme assets
Experience gains and losses arising on scheme obligation
Changes in financial assumptions underlying the present value of scheme obligations
Actuarial movement recognised in other comprehensive income
Taxation on actuarial movement in other comprehensive income
Net actuarial movement recognised in other comprehensive income

Cumulative gross actuarial movement recognised in other comprehensive income
Taxation on cumulative actuarial movement recognised in other comprehensive income
Cumulative net actuarial movement recognised in other comprehensive income

The actual return on schemes’ assets can therefore be summarised as follows:

Expected return on schemes’ assets
Actuarial movement recognised in other comprehensive income  
reflecting the difference between expected and actual return on assets
Actual return on schemes’ assets

2011 
£m
62
(128)
100
34
(10)
24

2011 
£m
(125)
34
(91)

2011 
£m
126

62
188

2010 
£m
245
–
(316)
(71)
20
(51)

2010 
£m
(159)
44
(115)

2010 
£m
105

245
350

2009 
£m
(425)
(4)
328
(101)
29
(72)

2009 
£m
(88)
24
(64)

2009 
£m
130

(425)
(295)

The expected return on schemes’ assets was determined by considering the expected returns available on the assets underlying the 
current investment policy. Expected yields on fixed interest investments are based on gross redemption yields as at the balance sheet 
date. Expected returns on equity and property investments reflect long term real rates of return experienced in the respective markets.

g) History of experience gains and losses

Difference between the expected and actual return  
on scheme assets:

– Amount
– Percentage of scheme assets

Experience gains and losses arising on scheme liabilities:

– Amount
– Percentage of present value of scheme obligation

Effects to changes in the demographic and financial 
assumptions underlying the present value of the  
scheme liabilities:

– Amount
– Percentage of present value of scheme obligation
Total amount recognised in other comprehensive income:

– Amount
– Percentage of present value of scheme obligation

Total value of schemes’ assets
Present value of defined benefit obligation
Net pension asset/(liability) recognised in the balance sheet

2011 
£m

2010 
£m

2009 
£m

2008 
£m

2007 
£m

62
2.7%

(128)
(5.6%)

245
11.6%

–
–

100
4.4%

(316)
(14.8%)

34
1.5%
2,304
(2,266)
38

(71)
(3.3%)
2,111
(2,128)
(17)

(425)
(24.2%)

(4)
(0.2%)

328
18.2%

(101)
(5.6%)
1,758
(1,807)
(49)

(113)
(5.8%)

83
4.1%

(6)
(0.3%)

(36)
(1.8%)
1,939
(2,007)
(68)

78
4.4%

37
1.9%

55
2.8%

170
8.6%
1,774
(1,972)
(198)

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

81

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

20  Pensions – continued
h) Defined contribution pension scheme
Employees joining the Company after September 2000 are no longer eligible to gain automatic entry into the defined benefit pension 
scheme. In June 2001, the Company established a stakeholder pension scheme, open to all employees, to which the Company makes 
matching contributions of a maximum of 5% of eligible earnings. Pension costs for the defined contribution scheme are as follows:

Stakeholder pension scheme
Life assurance scheme
Total costs

21  Provisions

At 31 January 2010
Charged to comprehensive income
Unused amounts reversed during the period
Utilised in period
Unwinding of discount
At 30 January 2011

2011 
£m
(4)
(2)
(6)

2010 
£m
(3)
(2)
(5)

2009 
£m
(3)
(1)
(4)

Property 
provisions 
£m
100
3
(10)
(6)
5
92

Property provisions comprise onerous leases provision, petrol filling station decommissioning reserve and provisions for dilapidations  
on leased buildings.

Onerous leases relate to sublet and vacant properties. Where the rent receivable on the properties is less than the rent payable,  
a provision based on present value of the net cost is made to cover the expected shortfall. The lease commitments range from  
1 to 62 years. Market conditions have a significant impact and hence the assumptions on future cash flows are reviewed regularly and 
revisions to the provision made where necessary. As noted in the Financial review, the amount reversed in the period primarily relates to 
a store that has been reopened as it fits well with our new smaller stores format and a number of tenants’ lease breakpoints being passed 
resulting in a continuing commitment from the tenants to continue the lease.

Other property provisions comprise petrol filling station decommissioning reserve and dilapidations cost. Provision is made for 
decommissioning costs for when the petrol filling station tanks reach the end of their useful life or when they become redundant and  
is based on the present value of costs to be incurred to decommission the petrol tanks. Dilapidation costs are incurred to bring a leased 
building back to the condition in which it was originally leased. Provision is made for these costs, which are incurred on termination of 
the lease.

22  Called-up share capital

Current year
At 31 January 2010
Share options exercised
At 30 January 2011

Prior year
At 1 February 2009
Share options exercised
At 31 January 2010

Number of 
shares 
millions

Share 
capital 
£m

Share 
premium 
£m

2,651
7
2,658

2,630
21
2,651

265
1
266

263
2
265

92
15
107

60
32
92

Total 
£m

357
16
373

323
34
357

The total authorised number of ordinary shares is 4,000 million shares (2010: 4,000 million shares) with a par value of 10p per share  
(2010: 10p per share). All issued shares are fully paid.

The holders of ordinary shares are entitled to receive dividends as declared from time-to-time and are entitled to one vote per share  
at the meetings of the Company.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

82

Notes to the Group financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

23  Reserves

Capital redemption reserve
Merger reserve
Hedging reserve
Retained earnings
Total

2011 
£m
6
2,578
5
2,458
5,047

2010 
£m
6
2,578
3
2,005
4,592

Included in retained earnings is a deduction of £31m (2010: £44m) in respect of treasury shares held at balance sheet date. This 
represents the cost of 13,181,346 (2010: 16,985,266) of the Company’s ordinary shares (nominal value of £1.3m (2010: £1.7m)).  
These shares are held by a trust using funds provided by the Group and were acquired to meet obligations under the share option 
schemes. The market value of the shares at 30 January 2011 was £35m (2010: £49m). The trust has waived its rights to dividends.  
These shares are not treasury shares as defined by the London Stock Exchange.

a) Capital redemption reserve
The Company purchased 57,788,600 of its own shares in the open market for cancellation between 31 March 2008 and 21 November 
2008 at a cost of £146m. The shares repurchased represented 2.15% of the ordinary share capital at 3 February 2008. There has not 
been any movement in this reserve in the current period.

b) Merger reserve
The merger reserve represents the reserve in the Company’s balance sheet arising on the acquisition in 2004 of Safeway Limited.  
In the opinion of the Directors, this reserve is not distributable and accordingly it will be carried forward as a capital reserve.

c) Hedging reserve
This represents the gains and losses arising on the cash flow hedges from the Group’s cross-currency swaps, energy price contracts  
and forward exchange contracts (note 18).

24 Cash flow from operating activities

Profit for the period
Adjustments for:
Taxation
Depreciation
Amortisation
Loss/(profit) on disposal of property, plant and equipment
Net finance cost (note 6)
Other non-cash changes1
Excess of contributions over pension service cost
Increase in stocks
(Increase)/decrease in debtors
increase/(decrease) in creditors
Decrease in provisions
Cash generated from operations

2011 
£m
632

242
309
10
1
30
16
(15)
(61)
(75)
60
(8)
1,141

Restated
(note 11) 
2010 
£m
598

260
306
–
(5)
49
(81)
(16)
(83)
44
(46)
(12)
1,014

1   Other non-cash changes includes the impact of the pensions credit arising on moving from a final salary basis to career average revalued earnings within the defined benefit pension schemes (note 20).

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

25  Analysis of net debt

Cash and cash equivalents per cash flow
Cross-currency swaps
Energy price contracts
Other financial assets (note 14)
Bonds
Energy price contracts
Forward foreign exchange contracts
Current financial liabilities (note 17)
Bonds
Floating credit facility
Other unsecured loans
Energy price contracts
Finance lease obligations
Non-current financial liabilities (note 17)
Net debt

83

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

2011 
£m
228
–
7
7
–
–
–
–
(559)
(475)
(11)
–
(7)
(1,052)
(817)

2010 
£m
245
71
–
71
(198)
(14)
(1)
(213)
(561)
(450)
(11)
(5)
–
(1,027)
(924)

26  Share-based payments
The Group operates a number of share-based payments schemes; (i) the Executive share option scheme, (ii) the Sharesave scheme, 
(iii) an equity-settled Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) and (iv) deferred share awards. 

The total charge for the period relating to employee share-based payment plans was £19m (2010: £17m), all of which related to 
equity-settled share-based payment transactions. After corporation and deferred tax, the total charge to profit for the period was  
£16m (2010: £16m). In addition £2m (2010: £nil) has been charged directly to equity in relation to dividends accrued and paid in 
accordance with the LTIP scheme rules.

a) Share option schemes
i) Executive share option scheme
In May 1995, the Group adopted the 1995 Senior Executive Share Option Scheme which was made available to Directors and other 
senior employees. The scheme was terminated on 25 May 2005. The scheme offered options at the market price two weeks prior to  
the date of the grant which are normally exercisable between three and ten years from the date of grant. The maximum exercise value  
of the ordinary shares subject to options held by an individual must not exceed the greater of four times earnings and £100,000.  
The exercise of options under the scheme is subject to performance criteria broadly requiring an increase in Group operating profits  
of at least 20% between the year prior to the date of the grant and its third or any succeeding anniversary. The scheme is equity-settled.

The fair value of options granted has been calculated using a binomial stochastic option pricing model and the assumptions were  
as follows:

Grant date
Share price at grant date
Fair value of options granted
Exercise price
Dividend yield
Annual risk free interest rate
Expected volatility*

12 Nov 2004
£2.33
£1.4m
£2.22
1.43%
4.61%
29.4%

02 Apr 2003
£1.81
£1.9m
£1.75
1.49%
4.12%
29.4%

* The volatility measured at the standard deviation of expected share price returns is based on statistical analysis on weekly share prices over the last six years prior to the date of grant.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

84

Notes to the Group financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

26  Share-based payments – continued
a) Share option schemes – continued
i) Executive share option scheme – continued

Movement in outstanding options
Outstanding at start of period
Exercised
Outstanding at end of period
Exercisable at end of period

Share options exercised in the financial period

Share options outstanding at the end of the period
Range of exercise prices
Weighted average remaining contractual life

2011

2010

Weighted  
average 
exercise price 
in £ per share

Options 
thousands

Weighted  
average 
exercise price 
in £ per share

1.88
1.89
1.79
1.79

1,059
(902)
157
157

1.84
1.80
1.88
1.88

Options 
thousands

1,814
(755)
1,059
1,059

2011

2010

Weighted  
average 
share price 
at date of 
exercise
£2.96

Number of 
shares
thousands
902

Weighted  
average 
share price 
at date of 
exercise
£2.91

Number of 
shares thousands
755

2011

2010

£1.75–£1.87
1.5 years

£1.75–£2.22
3.0 years

ii) Sharesave scheme
The Sharesave scheme has been in operation since 18 May 2000 and all employees (including Executive Directors) are eligible once the 
necessary service requirements have been met. The scheme allows participants to save up to a maximum of £250 each month for a fixed 
period of three years. Options are offered at a discount of 20% to the mid-market closing price on the day prior to the offer and are 
exercisable for a period of six months commencing after the end of the fixed period of the contract. The exercise of options under this 
scheme is only subject to service conditions and is equity-settled.

Those options which have been granted to those eligible employees, including Directors, who chose to participate in the scheme have 
been fair valued using a binomial stochastic option pricing model. The fair value of options granted and the assumptions were as follows:

Grant date
Share price at grant date
Fair value of options granted
Exercise price
Dividend yield
Annual risk free interest rate
Expected volatility 1

18 May 2010
£2.70
£9.7m
£2.37
3.04%
1.63%
26.5%

14 May 2009
£2.43
£17.4m
£1.98
2.38%
2.10%
28.0%

18 May 2007
£3.26
£12.3m
£2.47
1.23%
5.58%
23.5%

24 Apr 2006
£1.94
£16.2m
£1.58
1.91%
4.57%
25.6%

1  The volatility measured at the standard deviation of expect share price returns is based on statistical analysis on weekly share prices over the past 3.25 years prior to the date of grant.

The requirement that the employee has to save in order to purchase shares under the Sharesave plan is a non-vesting condition.  
This feature has been incorporated into the fair value at grant date by applying a discount to the valuation obtained from the binomial 
stochastic option pricing model using the assumptions disclosed above. The discount has been determined by estimating the probability 
that the employee will stop saving based on expected future trends in the share price and employee behaviour.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

85

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

2011

2010

Weighted  
average 
exercise price 
in £ per share

2.07
2.37
2.46
2.15
2.14
2.47

Options 
thousands

32,218
17,450
(5,764)
(5,203)
38,701
20

Weighted  
average 
exercise price 
in £ per share

1.83
1.98
1.58
2.16
2.07
1.58

Options 
thousands

29,073
27,650
(20,532)
(3,973)
32,218
29

2011

2010

Weighted  
average 
share price 
at date of 
exercise
£2.70

Number of 
shares
thousands
5,764

Weighted  
average 
share price 
at date of 
exercise
£2.48

Number of 
shares
thousands
20,532

2011

2010

£1.98–£2.47
2.3 years

£1.58–£2.47
2.5 years

26  Share-based payments – continued
a) Share option schemes – continued
ii) Sharesave scheme – continued

Movement in outstanding options
Outstanding at start of period
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited
Outstanding at end of period
Exercisable at end of period

Share options exercised in the financial period

Share awards outstanding at the end of the period
Range of exercise prices 
Weighted average remaining contractual life

b) Long Term Incentive Plans
i) Equity based Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP)
In May 2007, a discretionary Long Term Incentive Plan for the benefit of certain employees as approved by the Remuneration Committee 
was introduced. The awards are free share-based awards, with non-market vesting conditions attached, that accrue the value of dividends 
over the vesting period.

The maximum total market value of shares over which awards may be granted to any employee during any financial year of the Company 
is 300% of salary. Awards normally vest three years after the original grant date providing the relevant performance criteria have been met.

The fair value at the date of grant, which is being charged to profit for the period over the three year vesting period, has been calculated 
based on the following assumptions:

Grant date
Share price at grant date
Assumed leavers
Performance criteria achieved
Fair value of share awards granted

14 Oct 
2010
£2.96
8%
80%

24 May 
2007
£3.23
3%
90%
£1.1m £14.4m £1.1m £1.0m £18.8m £0.6m £12.5m £0.4m £0.1m £10.5m

6 Jun 
2007
£3.13
3%
90%

24 Oct 
2007
£2.88
4%
90%

14 Apr 
2008
£2.77
5%
90%

14 Oct 
2008
£2.42
5%
90%

9 April 
2009
£2.50
5%
90%

20 Oct 
2009
£2.71
5%
90%

29 Jan 
2010
£2.93
–
90%

22 Apr 
2010
£2.97
8%
80%

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

86

Notes to the Group financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

26  Share-based payments – continued
b) Long Term Incentive Plans – continued
i) Equity-based Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) – continued

Movement in outstanding share awards
Outstanding at start of period
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited
Outstanding at end of period
Exercisable at end of period

Share awards outstanding at the end of the period
Range of exercise prices
Weighted average remaining contractual life

2011

2010

Weighted  
average 
exercise price 
in £ per share

Share awards 
thousands

Weighted  
average 
exercise price 
in £ per share

Share awards 
thousands

–
–
–
–
–
–

17,976
7,862
(3,423)
(2,690)
19,725
–

–
–
–
–
–
–

10,598
8,055
–
(677)
17,976
–

2011

2010

–
1.4 years

–
1.5 years

ii) Deferred share awards
As part of the recruitment package for certain senior management deferred share awards may be granted. These are primarily to  
replace the value of share schemes forfeited from the previous employer. Vesting of these awards is only subject to service conditions 
and is equity settled.

The fair value at the date of grant, which is being charged to profit for the period over the vesting period, has been calculated based  
on the following assumptions

Grant date
Share price at grant date
Assumed leavers
Exercise price
Fair value of share awards granted

Movement in outstanding share awards
Outstanding at start of period
Granted
Outstanding at end of period
Exercisable at end of period

Share awards outstanding at the end of the period
Range of exercise prices
Weighted average remaining contractual life

25 Mar
2010
£2.95
0%
£nil
£0.4m

2011

2010

Weighted  
average 
exercise price 
in £ per share

Share awards 
thousands

Weighted  
average 
exercise price 
in £ per share

Share awards 
thousands

–
–
–
–

–
121
121
–

–
–
–
–

2011

2010

–
1.2 years

–
–
–
–

–
–

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

87

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

27  Business combinations
IFRS 3 (revised) Business combinations has been applied to the two acquisitions completed during the period which increase the 
manufacturing capabilities of the Group. 

a) Farmers Boy (Deeside) Limited
On 9 July 2010 Farmers Boy (Deeside) Limited acquired the trade of production of sliced meats and delicatessen products and associated 
assets of Brookfield Foods Limited, a company within the Cranswick plc group with 49% of the shares of Farmers Boy (Deeside) Limited 
being issued as consideration. 51% of the issued share capital was retained within the Group. As part of the transaction a put and call 
option has been put in place between the Group and Cranswick plc. As a result of the nature of these options, Farmers Boy (Deeside) 
Limited has been treated as a 100% subsidiary from acquisition, with the stake of Cranswick plc being treated as debt. The fair value  
of the Group’s commitment in relation to the 49% shareholding at the date of acquisition is £13m.

b) Band Camp Limited
On 12 July 2010 the Group acquired 100% of the issued share capital of Band Camp Limited from its previous owners for a cash 
consideration of £2m. Band Camp Limited is the parent company of Simply Fresh Foods Limited which is a producer of prepared 
vegetable products. Following the acquisition Band Camp Limited has changed its name to Simply Fresh Holdings Limited.

Assets and liabilities recognised as a result of the acquisitions

Property, plant and equipment
Trade and other receivables
Trade and other payables
Bank overdraft
Borrowings
Net identifiable assets acquired
Goodwill
Total consideration

Fair value

Farmers Boy  
(Deeside) 
Limited 
£m
6
–
–
–
–
6
7
13

Band Camp 
Limited 
£m
8
1
(2)
(1)
(4)
2
–
2

28  Operating lease arrangements
a) Lessee arrangements
The Group has outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due  
as follows:

2011

2010

Within one year
More than one year and less than five years
After five years

Property 
£m
44
202
518
764

Vehicles, 
plant and 
equipment 
£m
10
14
–
24

b) Lessor arrangements
The Group has non-cancellable agreements with tenants and the future minimum lease income is as follows:

Within one year
More than one year and less than five years
After five years

Property 
£m
35
134
427
596

2011 
£m
27
92
138
257

Vehicles, 
plant and 
equipment 
£m
7
14
–
21

2010 
£m
26
88
148
262

The Group sub-lets buildings of various nature under non-cancellable agreements. The leases have various terms, escalation clauses and 
renewal rights.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
88

Notes to the Group financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

29  Contingent liabilities
In April 2010, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) confirmed that it has dropped the allegations against Morrisons in relation to its ongoing 
Dairy Products investigation. Morrisons had always believed strongly that it had no case to answer, and therefore the OFT’s decision  
to drop all allegations against Morrisons was a welcome vindication of Morrisons position. At the same time, the OFT confirmed that  
of the four allegations it had originally made against the Company’s subsidiary company, Safeway Limited, two were also being dropped. 
The OFT’s investigation is expected to conclude in the first half of 2011.

Additionally, the OFT issued a decision that the Group was engaged in unlawful practices in relation to retail prices for tobacco products 
in the UK. The Board considers the OFT’s stance to be illogical and without foundation and expects that when the case is considered with 
proper judicial scrutiny by the Competition Appeals Tribunal, it will be overturned. The Board has not made a provision for such a liability.

30  Post balance sheet events
a) Business combinations
On 28 February 2011, the Group completed the acquisition of the trade and assets of Kiddicare, a multi-channel online retailer.  
The total cash consideration for the purchase was £70m. Due to the limited time available between the acquisition and the approval  
of these financial statements, the Group is still in the process of establishing the fair value of the assets and liabilities acquired.  
The net book value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed was £12m.

On 9 March 2011, the Group made a £32m investment to acquire a c10% stake in FreshDirect, an internet grocer serving the New York market.

b) Borrowings
On 4 March 2011, the Group concluded a renewal of its revolving finance facility. The new facility will be provided by a syndicate of  
8 banks, and will give the Group access to funding of £1,200m for a period of 5 years from the date of signing.

31  Principal subsidiaries
Subsidiaries of Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC
Bos Brothers Fruit and Vegetables BV
Farmers Boy Limited
Farock Insurance Company Limited
Neerock Limited
Wm Morrison Produce Limited
Safeway Limited
Rathbone Kear Limited
Optimisation Developments Limited
Optimisation Investments Limited
Subsidiaries of other Group companies
Safeway Overseas Limited
Safeway Stores Limited
Farmers Boy (Deeside) Limited
Simply Fresh Foods Limited

Principal activity
Produce wholesaler
Manufacturer and distributor of fresh food products
Captive insurer
Fresh meat processor
Produce packer
Holding company
Baker
Property development
Property investment

Grocery retailer
Grocery retailer
Manufacturer and distributor of fresh food products
Producer of prepared fresh vegetable products

Equity holding %
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
51
100

All of the above companies are registered in England and Wales except Bos Brothers Fruit and Vegetables BV which is incorporated in the 
Netherlands, and Farock Insurance Company Limited which is incorporated in the Isle of Man.

The principal area of trading for all the above companies is the United Kingdom apart from Bos Brothers Fruit and Vegetables BV and 
Safeway Overseas Limited who also trade in the rest of Europe.

The Group currently owns 51% of the share capital of Farmers Boy (Deeside) Limited. However, due to the nature of options in place to 
purchase the remaining 49% share capital in 2013, the subsidiary has been treated as if it were already 100% owned for accounting purposes.

The Company is also part of a Joint Venture, with The Great Steward of Scotland Dumfries House Trust, to form The Morrisons Farm at 
Dumfries House Limited, whose principal activity is to farm 859 acres of agricultural land located on the Dumfries House Estate near 
Cumnock in Ayrshire, Scotland. This has been accounted for as a Joint Venture in accordance with IFRS, however, as the results are not 
material to the Group, no further disclosure has been made of the accounting policies within the consolidated financial statements.

In addition to the above, the Company has a number of other subsidiary companies, particulars of which will be annexed to the next 
annual return.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC 
Company financial statements
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011 under UK GAAP

Company accounting policies
Basis of preparation
These separate financial statements of Wm Morrison Supermarkets 
PLC (the Company) have been prepared on a going concern basis 
under the historic cost convention, except for share-based 
payments and derivative financial instruments, which are measured 
at fair value, and pension scheme liabilities that are measured using 
actuarial valuations and in accordance with applicable accounting 
standards under UK GAAP and the Companies Act 2006.

The following accounting policies have been applied consistently  
in dealing with items which are considered material in relation to 
the Company’s financial statements.

Accounting reference date
The accounting period of the Company ends on the Sunday falling 
between 29 January and 4 February each year.

Investments
Investments in subsidiary undertakings are stated at cost less 
provision for impairment.

Fixed assets
Fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and 
accumulated impairment losses. Costs include directly attributable 
costs. Annual reviews are made of estimated useful lives and 
material residual values.

Depreciation
The policy of the Company is to provide depreciation at rates which 
are calculated to write off the cost less residual value of tangible 
fixed assets on a straight-line basis. The rates applied are:

Freehold land
Freehold buildings
Leasehold improvements

Plant, equipment, 
fixtures and vehicles
Assets under construction

0%
2.5%
Over the shorter of lease  
period and 2.5%
10–33%

0%

Fixed assets are reviewed for indications of impairment when 
events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying 
amount may not be recoverable. This is performed for each income 
generating unit, which in the case of a supermarket is an individual 
retail outlet. If there are indications of possible impairment then  
a test is performed on the asset affected to assess its recoverable 
amount against carrying value. An asset impaired is written down 
to its recoverable amount which is the higher of value in use or its 
net realisable value. In assessing value in use, the estimated future 
cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax 
discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time 
value of money and the risks specific to the asset.

If there is indication of an increase in fair value of an asset  
that had been previously impaired, then this is recognised  
by reversing the impairment, but only to the extent that the 
recoverable amount does not exceed the carrying amount that 
would have been determined if no impairment loss had been 
recognised for the asset.

89

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Financial instruments
Financial assets and liabilities are recognised on the Company’s 
balance sheet when the Company becomes a party to the 
contractual provisions of the instrument.

a) Financial assets
i) Trade and other debtors: Trade debtors are carried at the lower 
of their original invoiced value and recoverable amount. Provision  
is made when there is objective evidence that the Company will not 
be able to recover balances in full, with the charge being recognised 
in the profit and loss account. Balances are written off when the 
probability of recovery is assessed as being remote.

ii) Cash: Cash includes cash-in-hand, cash-at-bank and bank 
overdrafts together with short-term, highly liquid investments  
that are readily convertible into known amounts of cash, with  
an insignificant risk of a change in value, within three months  
from the date of acquisition. In the balance sheet bank overdrafts 
are presented within current liabilities.

b) Financial liabilities
Trade and other creditors: Trade and other creditors are stated  
at cost.

c) Derivative financial instruments
Derivative financial instruments are initially measured at fair value, 
which normally equates to cost, and are remeasured at fair value 
through profit or loss.

Cash flow hedges
Derivative financial instruments are classified as cash flow  
hedges when they hedge the Company’s exposure to variability  
in cash flows that are either attributable to a particular risk 
associated with a recognised asset or liability, or a highly  
probable forecast transaction.

To minimise the risk from potential movements in energy prices, 
the Company has energy price contracts which are designated  
as cash flow hedges.

Derivatives are reviewed quarterly for effectiveness. Where a 
derivative financial instrument is designated as a hedge of the 
variability in cash flows of a recognised asset or liability, or highly 
probable forecast transaction, the effective part of any gain or  
loss on the movement in fair value of the derivative financial 
instrument is recognised directly in equity through the  
statement of total recognised gains and losses (STRGL).

The gain or loss on any ineffective part of the hedge is immediately 
recognised in the profit and loss account within cost of sales.  
If a hedge of a forecast transaction subsequently results in  
the recognition of a financial asset or liability, the associated 
cumulative gains or losses that were recognised directly in equity 
are reclassified into the profit and loss account when the 
transaction occurs.

Capital management
The capital management policy of the Company is consistent with 
that of the Group set out in note 18.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

90

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC 
Company accounting policies – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011 under UK GAAP

Borrowing costs
All borrowing costs are recognised in the Company’s profit and  
loss account on an accruals basis except for interest costs that  
are directly attributable to the construction of buildings and other 
qualifying assets which are capitalised and included within the 
initial cost of the asset. Capitalisation of interest ceases when the 
asset is ready for use.

Pension costs
The Company operates defined benefit and defined contribution 
schemes. A defined contribution scheme is a pension scheme under 
which the Company pays fixed contributions into a separate entity. 
A defined benefit scheme is one that is not a defined contribution 
scheme. Pension benefits under defined benefit schemes are 
defined on retirement based on age at date of retirement, years of 
service and a formula using either the employee’s compensation 
package or career average revalued earnings.

The Company operates a defined benefit retirement scheme which 
is funded by contributions from the Company and members. The 
defined benefit scheme is not open to new members. Pension 
scheme assets, which are held in separate trustee administered 
funds, are valued at market rates. Pension scheme obligations are 
measured on a discounted present value basis using assumptions  
as shown in note 41. The operating and financing costs of the 
scheme are recognised separately in the profit and loss account  
in the period in which they arise. Death-in-service costs are 
recognised on a straight-line basis over their vesting period. 
Actuarial gains and losses are recognised immediately in the STRGL.

The Company has a right to recognise an asset, should one arise,  
in respect of the Company’s net obligations to the pension 
schemes. Therefore either an asset or a liability is recognised  
in the balance sheet, and is stated net of deferred tax.

A liability or asset is recognised in the balance sheet in respect  
of the Company’s net obligations to the scheme and is stated  
net of deferred tax.

The Company also operates a stakeholder pension scheme  
and contributions are charged to the profit and loss account  
as they arise.

Foreign currencies
Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the rates of 
exchange at the dates of the transactions. At each balance sheet 
date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in 
foreign currency are retranslated at the rates of exchange at  
the balance sheet date. Gains and losses arising on retranslation 
are included in the profit and loss account for the period.

Provisions
Provisions are created where the Company has a present legal  
or constructive obligation as a result of a past event, where  
it is probable that it will result in an outflow of economic benefits  
to settle the obligation from the Company, and where it can be 
reliably measured.

Provisions are made in respect of individual properties where  
there are obligations for onerous contracts, dilapidations and 
certain decommissioning obligations for petrol filling stations.  
The amounts provided are based on the Company’s best estimate 
of the likely committed outflow to the Company. Where material, 
these estimated outflows are discounted to net present value.

Leases
Leases in which substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership 
are retained by the lessor are classified as operating leases; all 
other leases are classified as finance leases. The Company has no 
finance leases.

Lessor accounting – operating leases
Assets acquired and held for use under operating leases are 
recorded as fixed assets and are depreciated on a straight-line basis 
to their estimated residual values over their estimated useful lives. 
Operating lease income is recognised on a straight-line basis to the 
date of the next rent review.

Lessee accounting – operating leases
Rental payments are taken to the profit and loss account on a 
straight-line basis over the life of the lease.

Deferred and current taxation
Current tax payable is based on the taxable profit for the year using 
tax rates enacted at the balance sheet date. Taxable profit differs 
from the profit as reported in the profit and loss account as it is 
adjusted both for items that will never be taxable or deductible  
and timing differences.

Deferred tax is provided in full on timing differences which result  
in an obligation at the balance sheet date to pay more tax, or a  
right to pay less tax, at a future date, at rates expected to apply 
when they crystallise, based on tax rates enacted or substantively 
enacted at the balance sheet date. Timing differences arise from 
the inclusion of items of income and expenditure in taxation 
computations in different periods from those in which they are 
included in the financial statements.

Deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is more 
likely than not that they will be recovered. Deferred tax assets  
and liabilities are not discounted.

Stocks
Stocks are measured at the lower of cost and net realisable value. 
Cost is calculated on a weighted average basis and comprises 
purchase price, import duties and other non-recoverable taxes  
less rebates. Stocks represent goods for resale.

Net realisable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary 
course of business, less estimated costs necessary to make the sale.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

91

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Share-based payments
The Company issues equity-settled share-based payments to 
certain employees in exchange for services rendered by them.  
The fair value of the share-based award is calculated at the date  
of grant and is expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting 
period with a corresponding increase in equity. This is based on  
the Company’s estimate of share options that will eventually vest. 
This takes into account movement of non-market conditions, being 
service conditions and financial performance, if relevant. The fair 
value of equity-settled awards granted is not subsequently revisited.

Fair value is measured by use of a binomial stochastic option pricing 
model. The expected life used in the model has been adjusted, 
based on management’s best estimate, for effects of non-
transferability, exercise restrictions and behavioural considerations.

The cost of the share-based award relating to each subsidiary is 
calculated based on an appropriate apportionment, and recharged 
between the parent company and the subsidiary.

Financial contracts
Where the Company enters into financial contracts to guarantee 
the indebtedness of other Companies within its Group, the 
Company considers these to be insurance arrangements, and 
accounts for them as such. In this respect, the Company treats  
the guarantee contract as a contingent liability until such time  
as it becomes probable that the Company will be required to  
make a payment under the guarantee.

Share capital
Ordinary shares are classified as equity. Incremental costs directly 
attributable to the issue of new shares or options are shown in 
equity as a deduction, net of tax, from the proceeds.

Where the Company has purchased its own equity share capital, 
the consideration paid, including directly attributable incremental 
costs, is deducted from retained earnings until the shares are 
cancelled. On cancellation, the nominal value of the shares is 
deducted from share capital and the amount is transferred to  
the capital redemption reserve.

Exemptions
The Company has taken advantage of the exemption from 
preparing a cash flow statement under the terms of FRS 1 Cash 
Flow Statement and exemption from the disclosure requirements 
of FRS 29 Financial instruments: disclosures. The cash flows of the 
Company and financial instruments disclosures are included in  
the consolidated financial statements.

The Company is also exempt under the terms of FRS 8 Related 
Parties from disclosing related party transactions with wholly 
owned entities that are part of the Wm Morrison Supermarkets  
PLC Group.

The Company has taken advantage of the exemption available 
under section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 and not presented  
a profit and loss account for the Company.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

92

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC 
Company balance sheet
30 January 2011

Fixed assets
Tangible assets
Derivative financial assets
Investments

Current assets
Stocks – goods for resale
Derivative financial assets
Debtors – amounts falling due within one year
Cash-in-hand

Creditors – amounts falling due within one year

Net current liabilities

Total assets less current liabilities

Creditors – amounts falling due after more than one year

Provisions for liabilities

Net assets – excluding pension asset
Net pension asset
Net assets – including pension asset

Capital and reserves
Called-up share capital
Share premium
Capital redemption reserve
Merger reserve
Profit and loss account and hedging reserve
Equity shareholders’ funds

Note

34
35
36

35
37

38

39

40

41

43
44
44
44
44

2011 
£m

2010 
£m

3,086
3
3,366
6,455

400
4
514
69
987
(3,032)

2,975
–
3,366
6,341

350
–
395
151
896
(2,766)

(2,045)

(1,870)

4,410

4,471

(475)

(455)

(96)

(90)

3,839
12
3,851

266
107
6
2,578
894
3,851

3,926
16
3,942

265
92
6
2,578
1,001
3,942

The accounting policies on pages 89 to 91 and notes on pages 93 to 101 form part of these financial statements.

The financial statements on pages 89 to 101 were approved by the Board of Directors on 9 March 2011 and signed on its behalf by:

Dalton Philips 
Chief Executive 

Richard Pennycook 
Group Finance Director

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
 
 
 
Notes to the Company financial statements
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

93

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

32  Profit and loss account
The profit for the Company for the 52 week period was £91m (2010: £83m).

33  Employees and Directors

Employee benefit expense for the Company during the period
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Share-based payments (note 45)
Pension costs
Pensions credit (note 41)
Other staff costs

Average monthly number of people employed

2011 
£m

805
64
11
18
–
1
899

2010 
£m

817
62
9
16
(39)
–
865

2011 
No.
61,759

2010 
No.
62,588

In the prior year, key management comprised Executive and Non-Executive Directors. Following the internal reorganisation of the senior 
management structure leading to the foundation of the Management Board, the Group also considers members of the Management 
Board to be key management. 

The aggregate remuneration paid to or accrued for the key management for services in all capacities during the period is the same  
as the Group and is shown in note 4.

34  Tangible fixed assets

Cost
At 31 January 2010
Additions at cost
Interest capitalised
Transfer to subsidiaries
Disposals
At 30 January 2011

Accumulated depreciation
At 31 January 2010
Charged in the period
Transfer to subsidiaries
Disposals
At 30 January 2011

Net book value
At 30 January 2011
At 31 January 2010

Assets under construction included above
At 30 January 2011
At 31 January 2010

Land and buildings

Freehold 
£m

Leasehold 
£m

Plant, 
equipment, 
fixtures
& vehicles 
£m

2,567
70
1
14
(1)
2,651

517
52
6
(1)
574

2,077
2,050

1
24

497
24
–
–
(2)
519

67
9
–
(2)
74

445
430

1
2

1,132
170
6
(9)
(24)
1,275

637
101
(3)
(24)
711

564
495

130
151

Total 
£m

4,196
264
7
5
(27)
4,445

1,221
162
3
(27)
1,359

3,086
2,975

132
177

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

94

Notes to the Company financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

34  Tangible fixed assets – continued
Included above is an amount of £712m (2010: £706m) relating to non-depreciable land. The cost of property assets held as lessor 
included in the above figures is £227m at 30 January 2011 (2010: £217m). The related accumulated depreciation is £47m (2010: £42m).

Since 3 February 1985, the cost of financing property developments prior to their opening date has been included in the cost of the 
project. The cumulative amount of interest capitalised in the total cost above amounts to £102m (2010: £95m).

35  Derivative financial assets

Fixed assets
Energy price contracts
Current assets
Energy price contracts

36  Investments

Cost
At 31 January 2010 and 30 January 2011
Provision for impairment
At 31 January 2010 and 30 January 2011
Net book value
At 31 January 2010 and 30 January 2011

A list of the Company’s principal subsidiaries is shown in note 31.

37  Debtors – amounts falling due within one year

Trade debtors
Amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings
Other debtors
Prepayments

Prepayments includes £30m (2010: £nil) relating to amounts falling due after more than one year.

38  Creditors – amounts falling due within one year

Trade creditors
Amounts owed to subsidiary undertakings
Other taxes
Other creditors
Energy price contracts
Accruals and deferred income

39  Creditors – amounts falling due after more than one year

Revolving credit facility – 1.13% (2010: 0.81%)
Energy price contracts

2011 
£m

2010 
£m

3

4

–

–

Investment in 
subsidiary 
undertakings 
£m

3,367

(1)

3,366

2011 
£m
156
290
8
60
514

2011 
£m
1,349
1,392
37
57
–
197
3,032

2011 
£m
475
–
475

2010 
£m
121
237
9
28
395

2010 
£m
1,252
1,155
32
147
14
166
2,766

2010 
£m
450
5
455

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

40 Provisions for liabilities

At 31 January 2010
Charge recognised in profit and loss
Charge recognised directly in the STRGL
Unwinding of discount
At 30 January 2011

95

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Deferred 
taxation 
£m
80
2
1
–
83

Property 
provisions 
£m
10
2
–
1
13

Total 
£m
90
4
1
1
96

Further details of the property provisions are provided in note 21.

The potential deferred taxation on timing differences, calculated at 28% (2010: 28%), is set out below and has been provided for in full.

Excess of capital allowances over depreciation
Provisions and short-term timing differences
Share-based payments
Provision at the year excluding deferred tax on pension asset
Deferred tax liability on pension asset (note 41)
Provision at the year end including deferred tax on pension asset

2011 
£m
115
(30)
(2)
83
4
87

2010 
£m
123
(40)
(3)
80
6
86

The deferred tax liability of £4m (2010: £6m) relating to the pension asset has been deducted in arriving at the net pension asset on the 
balance sheet.

41  Pensions
a) Defined benefit pension scheme
The Company operates a pension scheme providing benefits defined on retirement based on age at date of retirement, years of service 
and a formula using either the employee’s compensation package or career average revalued earnings (CARE). The assets of the scheme 
are held in a separate trustee administered fund. The latest full actuarial valuations were carried out at 6 April 2010 and were updated 
for FRS 17 Retirement benefits purposes for the period to 30 January 2011 by a qualified independent actuary.

During the prior year, the pension scheme moved from a final salary basis to career average revalued earnings representing an accounting 
curtailment of certain pension liabilities. In accordance with FRS 17, the defined pension scheme’s obligations were revalued by the 
scheme’s actuaries immediately prior to the change and assumptions reviewed at that date. As a result a pensions credit of £39m was 
recognised in the profit and loss account during the prior year.

On 8 July 2010 the Government announced that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rather than the Retail Price Index (RPI) will be used as 
the basis for inflationary increases to pensions in its next update of the statutory requirement. Following this, the Accounting Standards 
Board has issued UITF 48 Accounting implications of the replacement of the retail prices index with the consumer prices index for retirement 
benefits clarifying the required accounting treatment and indicating the use of CPI rather than RPI where the scheme rules allow. The 
Company has consulted with its advisors and based on review of certain clauses in the scheme’s trust deeds has concluded that this 
change is applicable to certain deferred members within the Company’s defined benefit scheme. The trust deeds state that, for those 
members affected, a statutory index should be used and therefore the actuarial assumptions applied within this financial report have 
been updated accordingly. This has resulted in a credit of £8m recognised in the STRGL within actuarial gains/(losses) during the year.

The current best estimate of employer contributions to be paid for the year commencing 31 January 2011 is £22m (2010: £22m).

b) Assumptions
The major assumptions used in this valuation to determine the present value of the scheme’s defined benefit obligation are shown  
below. The assumptions used at the valuation date of 2 July 2009, used in calculating the pensions credit recognised in the year to  
31 January 2010 of £39m, remained the same as the previous year end (1 February 2009) apart from the discount rate, which reduced 
from 6.25% to 6.0%.

i) Financial

Rate of increases in salaries
Rate of increase in pensions in payment and deferred pensions
Discount rate applied to scheme liabilities
Inflation assumption

2011

2010

2009

5.05% 4.85–5.85%
3.60%
5.65%
3.60%

3.30%–3.80%
5.60%
3.80%

4.75–5.75%
3.50%
6.25%
3.50%

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

96

Notes to the Company financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

41  Pensions – continued
b) Assumptions – continued
ii) Longevity
The average life expectancy in years of a member who reaches normal retirement age of 65 and is currently aged 45 is as follows:

Male
Female

2011
24.2
25.1

The average life expectancy in years of a member retiring at the age of 65 at balance sheet date is as follows:

Male
Female

2011
21.8
22.8

2010
23.5
25.8

2010
22.2
24.7

2009
23.5
25.8

2009
22.2
24.7

Assumptions regarding future mortality experience are set based on actuarial advice and in accordance with published statistics. The 
longevity assumption considers how long a member will live when they reach the age of retirement. Amongst the UK population there is 
a continuing trend for a generation to live longer than the preceding generation, and this has been reflected in the longevity assumption. 
This means that a 45 year old today is assumed to live on average longer than a 65 year old today. This particular adjustment, described 
in the mortality tables below, is known as ‘Long Cohort’ and is in line with the latest advice from the Pension Regulator.

In calculating the present value of the liabilities the actuary selects the appropriate mortality table that reflects the longevity assumption. 
The most up-to-date tables are used in each period. The current mortality table used is S1PMA/S1PFA-Heavy YOB (2010 and 2009: 
PNX00 YOB LC). 

iii) Expected return on assets
The major assumptions used to determine the expected future return on the scheme’s assets, were as follows:

Long term rate of return on:
Equities
Bonds
Gilts
Property
Cash

2011

2010

2009

7.45%
5.60%
4.44%
–
1.50%

7.00%
7.25%
5.65%
6.00%
4.35% 4.25–4.50%
6.00%
5.65%
2.50%
1.50%

The assumptions used by the actuary are the best estimates chosen from a range of possible actuarial assumptions which, due to the 
timescales covered, may not necessarily be borne out in practice.

c) Valuations
The fair value of the scheme’s assets, which are not intended to be realised in the short term and may be subject to significant change 
before they are realised, and the present value of the scheme’s liabilities which are derived from cash flow projections over long periods 
and are inherently uncertain, were as follows:

Equities
Bonds
Gilts
Property
Cash
Total market value of assets
Present value of scheme liabilities
Surplus/(deficit) in the scheme – pension asset/(liability)
Related deferred tax (liability)/asset
Net pension asset/(liability) in the balance sheet

2011 
£m
234
172
146
–
1
553
(537)
16
(4)
12

2010 
£m
158
162
142
26
2
490
(468)
22
(6)
16

2009 
£m
127
125
119
25
1
397
(400)
(3)
1
(2)

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

41  Pensions – continued
c) Valuations – continued
The movement in the fair value of the scheme’s assets over the year was as follows:

Fair value of scheme assets at start of period
Expected return on scheme assets
Actuarial gain/(loss)
Employer contributions
Employee contributions
Benefits paid
Fair value of scheme assets at end of period

97

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

2011 
£m
490
31
13
22
5
(8)
553

2010 
£m
397
26
48
22
5
(8)
490

2009 
£m
407
29
(85)
47
5
(6)
397

The above pension scheme assets do not include any investments in the Company’s own shares or property occupied by any member  
of the Group.

The movement in the present value of the defined benefit obligation during the period was as follows:

Defined benefit obligation at the beginning of the period
Current service cost
Employee contributions
Other finance income
Actuarial (loss)/gain
Benefits paid
Pensions credit
Defined benefit obligation at the end of the period

2011 
£m
(468)
(14)
(5)
(26)
(32)
8
–
(537)

2010 
£m
(400)
(14)
(5)
(24)
(72)
8
39
(468)

2009 
£m
(438)
(19)
(5)
(26)
82
6
–
(400)

d) Sensitivities
Below is listed the impact on the liabilities at 30 January 2011 of changing key assumptions whilst holding other assumptions constant:

Discount factor
Longevity

+/– 0.1%
+/– 1 year

£14m
£15m

e) Profit and loss account impact
The following amounts have been (charged)/credited in arriving at operating profit in respect of pension costs:

Current service cost
Pensions credit

2011 
£m
(14)
–
(14)

2010 
£m
(14)
39
25

The amounts for current service cost and pensions credit have been (charged)/credited in the following profit and loss account lines:

Cost of sales
Administrative expenses

The following amounts have been included in other finance income:

Expected return on pension scheme assets
Interest on pension scheme liabilities

2011 
£m
(11)
(3)
(14)

2011 
£m
31
(26)
5

2010 
£m
(11)
36
25

2010 
£m
26
(24)
2

2009 
£m
(19)
–
(19)

2009 
£m
(15)
(4)
(19)

2009 
£m
29
(26)
3

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

98

Notes to the Company financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

41  Pensions – continued
f) Amounts recognised in statement of total recognised gains and losses
The amounts included in the statement of total recognised gains and losses (STRGL) were:

Actual return less expected return on scheme assets
Experience gains and losses arising on scheme liabilities
Changes in assumptions underlying the present value of scheme liabilities
Actuarial loss recognised in the STRGL

Cumulative gross actuarial movement recognised in the STRGL
Taxation on cumulative actuarial movement recognised in the STRGL
Cumulative net actuarial movement recognised in the STRGL

The actual return on the scheme’s assets can therefore be summarised as follows:

Expected return on scheme’s assets
Actuarial movement recognised in the STRGL reflecting  
the difference between expected and actual return on assets
Actual return on scheme’s assets

2011 
£m
13
(52)
20
(19)

2011 
£m
(143)
39
(104)

2011 
£m
31

13
44

2010 
£m
48
–
(72)
(24)

2010 
£m
(124)
35
(89)

2010 
£m
26

48
74

2009 
£m
(85)
–
82
(3)

2009 
£m
(100)
29
(71)

2009 
£m
29

(85)
(56)

The expected return on scheme’s assets was determined by considering the expected returns available on the assets underlying the 
current investment policy. Expected yields on fixed interest investments are based on gross redemption yields as at the balance sheet 
date. Expected returns on equity and property investments reflect long term real rates of return experienced in the respective markets.

g) History of experience gains and losses

Difference between the expected and actual return  
on scheme assets:

Amount
Percentage of scheme assets

Experience gains and losses arising on scheme liabilities:

Amount
Percentage of present value of scheme liabilities
Effects of changes in the demographic and financial 
assumptions underlying the present value of the  
scheme liabilities:

Amount
Percentage of present value of scheme liabilities

Total amount recognised in statement of total recognised 
gains and losses

Amount
Percentage of present value of scheme liabilities

Total value of scheme’s assets
Present value of defined benefit obligation
Pension asset/(liability) – surplus/(deficit) in the scheme

2011
£m

2010 
£m

2009 
£m

2008 
£m

2007 
£m

13
2.4%

(52)
(9.7%)

48
9.8%

(85)
(21.4%)

–
–

–
–

20
3.7%

(72)
(15.4%)

82
20.5%

(19)
(3.5%)
553
(537)
16

(24)
(5.1%)
490
(468)
22

(3)
(0.8%)
397
(400)
(3)

(32)
(7.9%)

12
2.9%

(6)
(1.4%)

(26)
(5.9%)
407
(438)
(31)

16
4.4%

6
1.6%

12
2.9%

34
8.4%
368
(406)
(38)

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

99

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

41  Pensions – continued
h) Defined contribution pension scheme
Employees joining the Company after September 2000 are no longer eligible to gain automatic entry into the final salary pension 
scheme. In June 2001 the Company established a stakeholder pension scheme, open to all employees, to which the Company makes 
matching contributions of a maximum of 5% of eligible earnings. Pension costs for the defined contribution scheme are as follows:

Stakeholder pension scheme
Life assurance scheme
Total costs

42  Reconciliation of movements in equity shareholders’ funds

2011 
£m
(3)
(1)
(4)

Profit for the financial period
Dividends (note 8)
Retained loss for the financial period
Share-based payment (note 45)
Cash flow hedging movement
Tax relating to cash flow hedging movement
Actuarial loss on pension scheme
Tax relating to pension scheme
Share options exercised
Net reduction in equity shareholders’ funds
Opening shareholders’ funds
Closing equity shareholders’ funds

43  Share capital
a) Equity

Authorised
Equity share capital
4,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 10p each (2010: 4,000,000,000)
Issued and fully paid
Equity share capital
2,657,766,671 ordinary shares of 10p each (2010: 2,651,100,378)

Ordinary shares

At start of period
Shares options exercised
At end of period

2010 
£m
(2)
(1)
(3)

2011 
£m
91
(220)
(129)
17
26
(6)
(19)
4
16
(91)
3,942
3,851

2009 
£m
(2)
(1)
(3)

2010 
£m
83
(159)
(76)
17
(19)
4
(24)
7
34
(57)
3,999
3,942

2011 
£m

2010 
£m

400

400

266

265

2011 
£m
265
1
266

2010 
£m
263
2
265

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

100

Notes to the Company financial statements – continued
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

43  Share capital – continued
b) Non-equity
The authorised and issued preference share capital of the Company is as follows:

5.25% cumulative redeemable non-convertible preference shares of £1 each
Authorised 50,000,000 (2010: 50,000,000)
Issued and fully paid none (2010: none)

44 Reserves

At start of period
Retained in the period
Share options exercised
Share-based payments
Cash flow hedging movement
Tax arising on cash flow hedging movement
Actuarial loss recognised
Tax arising on actuarial loss
At end of period
Net pension asset
Profit and loss account excluding pension asset

Share 
premium 
account 
£m
92
–
15
–
–
–
–
–
107

Capital 
redemption 
reserve 
£m
6
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
6

Merger 
reserve 
£m
2,578
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2,578

2011 
£m

50
–

Hedging 
reserve 
£m
(15)
–
–
–
26
(6)
–
–
5

2010 
£m

50
–

Profit 
and loss 
account 
£m
1,016
(129)
–
17
–
–
(19)
4
889
12
901

a) Capital redemption reserve
The Company purchased 57,788,600 of its own shares in the open market for cancellation between 31 March 2008 and 21 November 
2008 at a cost of £146m. The shares repurchased represented 2.15% of the ordinary share capital of the Company at 3 February 2008.

b) Merger reserve
The merger reserve represents the reserve arising on the acquisition in 2004 of Safeway Limited. In the opinion of the Directors, this 
reserve is not distributable and accordingly it will be carried forward as a capital reserve.

c) Hedging reserve
This represents the gains and losses arising on cash flow hedges from the Company’s energy price contracts and forward exchange 
contracts.

45  Share-based payments
The disclosure requirements for FRS 20 Share-based payment are identical to that of IFRS 2 Share-based payment. Full IFRS 2 disclosures 
are provided in note 26.

46 Capital commitments

Contracts placed for future capital expenditure not provided in the financial statements

2011 
£m
75

2010 
£m
93

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

47  Operating lease commitments
Annual commitments under non-cancellable operating leases:

Expiring within one year
Expiring within two to five years inclusive
Expiring over five years

101

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

2011

2010

Land and 
buildings 
£m
–
2
22
24

Plant, 
equipment, 
fixtures  
and vehicles 
£m
1
8
–
9

Land and 
buildings 
£m
–
1
9
10

Plant, 
equipment, 
fixtures  
and vehicles 
£m
–
7
–
7

48 Contingent liabilities
The Company has given an unlimited guarantee in respect of the overdraft of all the subsidiary undertakings. At 30 January 2011,  
there was a credit balance of £35.6m including uncleared banking items (2010: £nil).

The Company has also provided a guarantee in respect of Sterling and Euro Bonds, amounting to £621m (2010: £818m) in respect  
of a subsidiary undertaking.

Where the Company enters into financial contracts to guarantee the indebtedness of other companies within its Group, the Company 
considers these to be insurance arrangements, and accounts for them as such. In this respect, the Company treats the guarantee  
contract as a contingent liability until such time as it becomes probable that the Company will be required to make a payment under  
the guarantee.

In April 2010, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) confirmed that it has dropped all allegations against Morrisons in relation to is ongoing 
Dairy Products investigation. Morrisons had always believed strongly that it had no case to answer, and therefore the OFT’s decision  
to drop all allegations against Morrisons was a welcome vindication of Morrisons position.

Additionally, the OFT issued a decision, alleging that the Company was engaged in unlawful practices in relation to retail prices for 
tobacco products in the UK. The Board considers the OFT’s stance to be illogical and without foundation and expects that when the case 
is considered with proper judicial scrutiny by the Competition Appeals Tribunal, it will be overturned. The Board has not made a provision 
for such a liability.

49  Related party transactions
The Company has taken the exemption available in FRS 8 Related parties from disclosing related party transactions with wholly owned 
entities that are part of the Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC Group.

The Company has provided services to Farmers Boy (Deeside) Limited, a non-wholly owned subsidiary within the Group, as it has paid  
for goods on behalf of Farmers Boy (Deeside) Limited totalling cash payments of £7m and has provided additional cash advances of  
£5m. In addition, Farmers Boy (Deeside) Limited has sold goods to the Company totalling £20m. At the year end the amount due to the 
Company from Farmers Boy (Deeside) Limited is £8m.

50  Post balance sheet events
a) Borrowings
On 4 March 2011, the Company concluded a renewal of its revolving finance facility. The new facility will be provided by a syndicate  
of 8 banks, and will give the Company access to funding of £1,200m for a period of 5 years from the date of signing.

b) Final dividend
The Directors are proposing a final dividend in respect of the financial period ending 30 January 2011 of 8.37p per share which will 
absorb an estimated £222m of shareholders’ funds. Subject to approval at the AGM, it will be paid on 15 June 2011 to shareholders  
who are on the register of members on 13 May 2011.

A dividend reinvestment plan is available in respect of the final dividend.

c) Company investment
On 9 March 2011, the Group made a £32m investment to acquire a c10% stake in FreshDirect, an internet grocer serving the New York market.

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

102

Five year summary of results
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income

Turnover
Cost of sales
Gross profit

Other operating income
Administrative expenses
(Losses)/profits arising on property transactions
Operating profit before pensions credit
Pensions credit
Operating profit
Net finance costs
Profit before taxation
Taxation
Profit for the period attributable to the owners of 
the Company

Earnings per share (pence)

– basic
– diluted
– underlying

Dividend per ordinary share (pence)

1  53 weeks.

Consolidated balance sheet

Assets
Intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Investment property
Net pension asset
Other financial assets
Non-current assets

Current assets
Liabilities
Current liabilities
Other financial liabilities
Deferred tax liabilities
Net pension liabilities
Provisions
Non-current liabilities

Net assets

Shareholders’ equity
Called-up share capital
Share premium
Capital redemption reserve
Merger reserve
Retained earnings and hedging reserves
Total equity attributable to the owners of the Company

1  53 weeks.
2  Restated for the amendment to IAS 17 Leases.

2011 
£m
16,479
(15,331)
1,148

2010 
£m
15,410
(14,348)
1,062

2009 
£m
14,528
(13,615)
913

2008 
£m
12,969
(12,151)
818

20071
£m
12,462
(11,826)
636

80
(323)
(1)
904
–
904
(30)
874
(242)

632

23.93
23.43
23.03

9.60

2011 
£m

184
7,557
229
38
3
8,011

1,138

(2,086)
(1,052)
(499)
–
(92)
(1,643)

5,420

266
107
6
2,578
2,463
5,420

65
(315)
4
816
91
907
(49)
858
(260)

598

22.80
22.37
20.47

8.20

37
(281)
2
671
–
671
(16)
655
(195)

460

17.39
17.16
16.67

5.80

30
(268)
32
612
–
612
–
612
(58)

554

20.79
20.67
14.38

4.80

21
(272)
38
423
–
423
(54)
369
(121)

248

9.32
9.31
8.28

4.00

Restated2
2010
£m

Restated2
2009
£m

Restated2
2008
£m

Restated2
20071
£m

–
7,439
229
–
–
7,668

1,092

(2,152)
(1,027)
(515)
(17)
(100)
(1,659)

4,949

265
92
6
2,578
2,008
4,949

–
6,838
242
–
81
7,161

1,065

(2,024)
(1,049)
(472)
(49)
(112)
(1,682)

4,520

263
60
6
2,578
1,613
4,520

–
6,445
239
–
43
6,727

909

(1,853)
(774)
(424)
(68)
(139)
(1,405)

4,378

269
57
–
2,578
1,474
4,378

–
6,346
241
–
19
6,606

765

(1,855)
(769)
(478)
(198)
(145)
(1,589)

3,927

268
42
–
2,578
1,040
3,927

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

Supplementary information
52 weeks ended 30 January 2011

103

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
  4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
 102  ——  105

Increase/(decrease) on previous year %
Turnover
Operating profit
Profit before taxation
Profit after taxation
Diluted earnings per share
Dividend per ordinary share
Shareholder funds

% of turnover
Operating profit
Profit before taxation
Profit after taxation

Retail portfolio
Size 000s sq ft (net sales area)
0–15
15–25
25–40
40+
Total
Petrol filling stations
Total sales area (000s sq ft)
Average store size (000s sq ft)
Average sales area (000s sq ft)2
Total supermarket takings ex petrol (gross) £m
Average per sq ft per week (£)
Average per store per week
Average number of customers per store per week
Average take per customer (£)

Employees
Full time
Part time
Total
Full time equivalent

Average per FTE employee:
Turnover (£000s)
Operating profit before pensions credit (£)
Employee costs (£)

1  53 weeks.
2  Includes sales area of divested stores.
3  Before pensions credit.

2011 
%

2010 
%

2009 
%

2008 
%

20071
%

6.94
10.78
1.86
5.69
4.74
17.07
9.91

5.49
5.30
3.84

45
137
213
44
439
296
12,261
27.9
11,959
13,916
22.38
624
25,583
24.40

6.07
21.603
30.99
30.00
30.36
41.38
9.41

5.59
5.57
3.88

42
141
199
43
425
293
11,867
28.5
11,452
13,241
22.24
632
25,932
24.90

12.02
9.74
6.98
(17.02)
(17.01)
20.83
3.24

4.62
4.51
3.16

13
135
190
44
382
287
11,131
29.1
11,061
12,180
21.41
617
25,928
23.86

4.07
44.57
65.89
123.67
122.13
20.00
11.49

4.72
4.72
4.27

12
141
180
42
375
284
10,837
28.9
10,675
11,238
20.18
576
24,411
23.10

2.86
260.97
217.93
198.90
198.37
8.11
7.63

3.40
2.96
1.99

13
143
173
39
368
278
10,505
28.5
10,762
10,841
19.34
541
24,343
22.53

58,287
73,787
132,074
95,181

55,703
78,041
133,743
94,724

50,934
73,596
124,530
89,855

50,018
67,436
117,454
83,736

51,502
66,302
117,804
84,653

173
9,498
19,311

163
8,615
18,021

162
7,472
17,996

155
7,307
17,973

147
4,999
17,787

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

104

Investor relations and financial calendar

Share price information
The investor information section of our website provides our 
current and historical share price data and other share price  
tools. Share price information can also be found in the financial 
press and the Cityline service operated by the Financial Times. 
Telephone: 0906 843 3545.

Online reports and accounts
Our Annual and Interim Group financial statements are available  
to download from the website along with Corporate Responsibility 
reports and other financial announcements. The 2011 Annual 
report is also available to view in HTML format at 
www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11 

The information in the Annual report and financial statements, 
Annual review and Summary financial statement and the Interim 
reports is exactly the same as in the printed version.

Environmental matters
The effect of our business on the environment is something that 
Morrisons takes very seriously. In the production of the 2011 
Annual reports, we have contributed to the reduction in 
environmental damage in the following ways:

a) Website
Shareholders receive notification of the availability of the results  
to view or download on the Group’s website, www.morrisons.co.uk, 
unless they have elected to receive a printed version of the results. 

Shareholders are encouraged to view the report on the website 
which is exactly the same as the printed version, but using the 
internet has clear advantages such as lowering costs and reducing 
the environmental impact.

b) Recycled paper
This document has been printed on recycled paper that is 
manufactured in mills with ISO 14001 accreditation from 100% 
recycled fibre. It is totally chlorine free and is an NAPM certified 
recycled product.

Photography and design
Permission to publish photographs was received from each 
individual. Where minors appear, parental approval was granted.

The Annual report and financial statements, the Annual review  
and summary financial statement in both paper and HTML  
format, and the Corporate Responsibility report were designed  
and produced by Salterbaxter. Telephone: 020 7229 5720.

13 May 2011
9 Jun 2011
15 Jun 2011
31 Jul 2011
8 Sep 2011
30 Sep 2011
30 Nov 2011
7 Nov 2011
29 Jan 2012
8 Mar 2012

Financial calendar 2011/12

Financial events and dividends
Final dividend record date 
Annual General Meeting 
Final dividend payment date 
Half year end 
Interim results announcement 
Interim dividend record date 
Quarterly management statement 
Interim dividend payment date 
Financial year end 
Preliminary results announcement 

Company Secretary
Greg McMahon

Registered office
Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC 
Hilmore House 
Gain Lane 
Bradford 
BD3 7DL 
Telephone: 0845 611 5000 
www.morrisons.co.uk

Investor relations
Telephone: 0845 611 5710 
Email: accinvr@morrisonsplc.co.uk

Corporate Responsibility enquiries
Telephone: 0845 611 5000

Annual General Meeting
The AGM will be held at 11.00 a.m. on Thursday 9 June 2011  
at Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC Head Office, Gain Lane, 
Bradford BD3 7DL. A separate notice convening the meeting  
is sent to shareholders, which includes an explanation of the  
items of special business to be considered at the meeting.

Dividend Reinvestment Plan
The Company has a Dividend Reinvestment Plan which allows 
shareholders to reinvest their cash dividends in the Company’s 
shares bought in the market through a specifically arranged share 
dealing service. Full details of the plan and its charges, together 
with mandate forms, are available from the Registrars.

Morrisons website
Shareholders are encouraged to visit our website,  
www.morrisons.co.uk to obtain information on Company history, 
stores and services, latest offers, press information and a local 
store finder.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

Different ...and better than ever

105

Strategic review
Performance review
Governance
Group financial statements
Company financial statements
Investor information

21
4  —— 
31
  22  —— 
51
  32  —— 
  52  —— 
88
  89  ——  101
  102  ——  105

Contents

The Directors’ report  
and business review

Introduction

1 
2  Chairman’s statement

 Strategic review

4  Chief Executive’s business review

5   Morrisons difference
12  Our strategy
14  Our Operational Plan
16 Corporate Responsibility
18  Our people
20 Risks and uncertainties

 Performance review
22  Operational review
26 Key Performance Indicators 
28  Financial review

 Governance
32  Board of Directors and 
Management Board

34  Corporate governance report
39  Directors’ remuneration report
49  General information

Financial statements

52 Group financial statements
52   Directors’ statements of 

responsibilities

53   Independent auditors’ report
54   Consolidated financial 

statements

54   Group accounting policies
60   Consolidated statement of 
comprehensive income
61   Consolidated balance sheet
62   Consolidated cash flow 

statement

63   Consolidated statement  
of changes in equity

64   Notes to the Group financial 

statements

89 Company financial statements

89   Company accounting policies
92   Company balance sheet
93   Notes to the Company  
financial statements

Investor information

102   Five year summary of results
103   Supplementary information
104   Investor relations  

and financial calendar

Committed to quality, 
from field to fork
Page 6

Registrars and Shareholding enquiries
Administrative enquiries about the holding of Morrisons  
shares, such as change of address, change of ownership,  
dividend payments and the Dividend Reinvestment Plan  
should be directed to:

Auditors
KPMG Audit Plc 
1 The Embankment, Neville Street 
Leeds  LS1 4DW

Capita Registrars 
The Registry 
34 Beckenham Road 
Beckenham 
Kent  BR3 4TU

Telephone: 0871 664 0300 Overseas: +44 208 639 3399 
Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras.

www.capitaregistrars.com

Solicitors
Gordons LLP 
Riverside West, Whitehall Road 
Leeds  LS1 4AW

Ashurst LLP 
Broadwalk House, 5 Appold Street 
London  EC2A 2HA

Wragge & Co LLP 
55 Colmore Row 
Birmingham  B3 2AS

Stockbrokers
RBS Hoare Govett Limited 
250 Bishopsgate 
London  EC2M 4AA

Merrill Lynch 
Merrill Lynch Financial Centre 
2 King Edward Street 
London  EC1A 1HQ

Investment bankers
NM Rothschild & Sons Limited 
1 King William Street  
London  EC4N 7AR

Designed by Salterbaxter 
Printed by Pureprint Group

Shareholder information
The number of shareholders at 30 January 2011 was 48,371 (31 January 2010 was 46,959) and the number of shares in issue was 
2,657,766,671 (31 January 2010: 2,651,100,378).

Analysis by shareholder
Private shareholder
Nominee companies
Deceased accounts
Limited companies
Other institutions
Bank & bank nominees
Investment trusts
Pension funds
Family interests
Insurance companies

Analysis by shareholder
1–1,000
1,001–10,000
10,001–1,000,000
over 1,000,000

Number of holders
41,024
6,566
322
234
86
73
29
24
8
5

Number of holders
25,527
20,084
1,939
821

% holders
84.81
13.57
0.67
0.48
0.18
0.15
0.06
0.05
0.02
0.01

% holders
52.80
41.50
4.01
1.69

 Balances at 30 January 2011
286,246,586
2,308,383,880
710,856
9,192,741
3,920,963
44,079,781
118,819
5,037,355
10,622
65,068

 Balances at 30 January 2011
11,452,824
58,347,097
53,036,698
2,534,930,052

% capital
10.78
86.85
0.02
0.35
0.15
1.66
0.00
0.19
0.00
0.00

% capital
0.43
2.20
2.00
95.37

Traditional craft  
skills in-store
Page 8

Focus on  
fresh food
Page 10

Morrisons at a glance

We are the UK’s fourth largest food retailer by sales with 
an annual turnover in excess of £16bn. We have 439 stores 
across Britain, ranging in size from 8,000 to over 40,000  
square feet. Over 11 million customers visit our stores 
each week, served by more than 132,000 employees.

Our strategy and vision

We are focused on delivering our next stage 
of growth, with a vision to be ‘Different and  
Better than Ever’.

   page 12 for more information on our strategy and vision

Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

Annual report and financial statements 2011

www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Annual report and financial statements 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC
Hilmore House
Gain Lane
Bradford
BD3 7DL
Telephone: 0845 611 5000

www.morrisons.co.uk

Information at your fingertips

Consumer

This area of our website allows you to learn 
more about Morrisons and our offering.

Offers
•  Latest promotions
•  Specific product offerings
•  Competitions
•  Press releases/marketing

Market Street
More about our unique in-store offering, 
along with video presentations of where  
our food comes from and how to buy,  
cook and present it.

Food
Information about our ranges, healthy 
eating and more mouth-watering recipes.

Drink
Information on how and what to buy,  
where our wines come from and, yes,  
more recipes.

Family life
From entertainments to bringing up baby  
and looking after your pets. Including 
gardening tips and even how to track  
where your eggs come from.

Fresh food
Giving details of seasonal food and how  
and what to buy. 

Let’s Grow
Information about our Let’s Grow scheme, 
including how to register, facts, how it 
works and teaching resources.

Great Taste Less Waste
All about getting more meals for your 
money by reducing waste and making  
the most of fresh food. Includes how  
to store food and keep leftovers fresher  
for longer and more recipes.

Today
Here you can find out about our Corporate  
Responsibility ethos, including how we  
take good care of our environment,  
society and how we go about business.  
www.morrisons.co.uk/today

Morrisons Magazine
The current and archived bi-monthly 
magazine is available to view online.

Health and pharmacy
Handy health information for the whole 
family, from tots to grown-ups.

Corporate

Work with Morrisons
Career opportunities and information  
about working for Morrisons. For our 
dedicated recruitment website go to  
www.iwantafreshstart.com

Press Office
Latest releases about the growing estate  
of Morrisons, along with promotions  
and product news.

Investors
User-friendly
Presentations, announcements and  
financial reports can be quickly and easily 
downloaded or viewed on-screen as PDFs. 
You can easily navigate around the Annual 
report and financial statements 2011 
on-screen, viewing only the parts you want 
to, www.morrisons.co.uk/annualreport11

Webcasts
Webcasts of the Directors delivering  
the preliminary results 2011 on 9 March 
2011 are available.

Shareholder information
Other relevant shareholder information  
is available, like share price history,  
financial calendar and AGM minutes.

Electronic communications
Electronic communications (eComms)  
is the fastest and most environmentally 
friendly way to communicate with our 
shareholders.

Instead of receiving paper copies of  
the annual and interim financial results,  
notices of shareholder meetings and  
other shareholder documents, you will 
receive an email to let you know this 
information is available on our website.

Visiting our website to obtain our results 
reduces our environmental impact by  
saving on paper and also reduces our  
print and distribution costs.

Sign up to eComms on our website at  
www.morrisons.co.uk/corporate/investors 
and follow the investor eComms link.

About Morrisons
You will find information about the Group,  
its operations, its strategy and structure,  
and past financial information.

Different
...and better than ever.

Annual report and  
financial statements 2011