The retail industry is still reeling from the loss of an industry legend.
Sir Ken Morrison was a man respected not only his inherent talent for business, but for his sharp wit and straight-talking manner.
Morrison was known for dismissing the idea of both a divide between the north and south, and between socio-economic classes:
“I don‘t even know what a middle-class shopper is.”
“Southern shoppers like to think they are sophisticated, don’t they? But they’re not. There’s not so much difference down there.
“They say poor people need a bargain. Wealthy people appreciate one.”
Despite his forward-thinking views on UK shoppers, his view often favoured more traditional values.
“I‘m not into women‘s lib and that sort of thing.”
(On home deliveries) “I started my career doing that [on a bicycle] and I don‘t intend to do it again.”
(On Internet Shopping) “I don‘t think it is awfully relevant. People like to smell and see their food before they buy it.”
Sad news about Sir Ken Morrison- one of retail’s greats; he was, and will continue to be an inspiration to industry colleagues
— The British Retail Consortium (@the_brc) February 1, 2017
Perhaps most famously was his scathing analysis of former Morrisons boss Dalton Philips‘ business strategy at the Morrisons AGM in 2014, during tough times for his company:
“The results were described by the chairman and chief executive as ‘disappointing‘. I personally thought they were disastrous.
“When I left work and started working as a hobby, I chose to raise cattle. I have something like 1,000 bullocks and, having listened to your presentation, Dalton, you‘ve got a lot more bullshit than me.”
Words of wisdom.. #kenmorrison #retail #yorkshire pic.twitter.com/NK7dhXiFXR
— Digital Dock (@DigitalDockUK) February 1, 2017
And of course, he was always a proud Yorkshireman:
“If in doubt, have a cup of tea.”
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