Morrisons has launched an app to track the efficiency of its store workers amid a slowdown in sales.

The app, which was initially reported by The Telegraph, enables the grocery giant to monitor employees’ performance in real time and see which staff members are faster or slower at stocking shelves.

While such data was previously held by the supermarket’s head office and passed onto managers quarterly, the new system shows managers continuous updates on underperforming workers.

Morrisons claimed the app was designed to “help teams understand their own performance”.

The system lets managers log staff members’ speed and measure it against allocated targets, under a wider push within the chain to boost shop standards.

A Morrisons spokeswoman said: “Along with a lot of our sector, we have used ‘time and motion’ data for some time now to help us allocate hours to a store and ensure we have fair, consistent and standardised ways of working.

“To support this, we have created an app to help teams understand their own performance.”

She added: “This will allow us to be fair and consistent in recognising colleagues, whilst also identifying opportunities to coach our colleagues and understand where additional support and training may be require.”

The move comes as Morrisons faces increasing competition from Lidl, with the German discounter surpassing its rival to become the fifth largest supermarket in the UK, in terms of food and drink revenues in August.

The budget retailer’s food and drink market share hit 7.7% during the 52 weeks to 13 July, compared to Morrisons’ 7.6%, unpublished Worldpanel by Numerator (formerly Kantar Worldpanel) data viewed by The Grocer revealed.

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