Morrison's staff were asked to invest thousands of dollars in their company.Morrisons

Morrisons’ private equity owners have asked store managers and hundreds of staff to invest thousands of pounds of their own money in the business.

More than 800 people have been asked to invest in struggling supermarkets in the last few months, with one well-informed source saying mid-level managers have been asked to pay £10,000 and department heads have each Asked for £25,000. We know that the minimum investment required to enter was £2,000 for him.

The donation was voluntary, sources said, but some staff were upset about being pressured to donate cash to struggling businesses at a time when the cost of living was skyrocketing. .

“People are used to being paid bonuses instead of being asked to invest,” the source said.

However, those who agreed to invest in Morrisons stock were paid a special bonus of 60% of their pre-tax investment, and it is understood that a significant number of people invested more than that.

A spokesperson said: “The opportunity to invest in the future of Morrisons has been incredibly popular across the business, with over 800 colleagues, or over 90% of eligible individuals choosing to invest.”

One expert said it is common to ask staff to invest as part of a private equity deal, with the stake seen as an incentive to help the business grow.

While it’s less common to ask general workers to participate, it’s a good thing that Morrisons’ plans are broader than usual, allowing more people to benefit from the potential return on investment. he said.

The grocery store, which was acquired by US private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) in a deal of around £7 billion last year, last week surpassed German discounter Aldi’s position as Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket chain. was stolen by

Morrisons’ market share is fluctuating as research suggests they are opening up few new spaces and are priced higher than their main competitors.

Sales were down 4.1% in the three months to September 4th. This is the time when all other major supermarkets, except Waitrose, have increased their sales.

As one industry insider said: [The product] Doesn’t look exciting and they miss out on quite a few opportunities. Sources say suppliers are starting to become disillusioned as the volume of merchandise sold by retailers has dropped.

Chief Executive Officer David Potts’ right-hand man, Trevor Strain, is believed to have told the company he plans to step down because he wants to find the best job elsewhere. According to a source, Strain, who joined Morrisons in 2009, to confirm CD&R investment plans, plus he didn’t want to be involved in the business for five years.

In April, Morrisons warned that profits were likely to take a big hit this year as the cost of living crisis and war-related disruptions in Ukraine weigh heavily on food markets.

The supermarket chain said the “evolving geopolitical environment” and “continued and growing inflationary pressures” since early February had hit consumer sentiment and spending.

The retailer also recently acquired McColl’s network of more than 1,000 convenience store outlets as it moved to secure wholesale supply contracts to the chain. McColl’s struggled with financial pressure for some time before going bankrupt.