Morrison supermarket hires Apple marketer for online store

Preparing for the launch of the supermarket's e-commerce site, and after experiencing growing sales and profits, Morrisons recently appointed Apple's former online store marketer Simon Thompson as the managing director for Morrisons.com.

Prior to working with the supermarket, Thompson was the general manager of Apple's online store in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. Then he assumed the role of Apple's worldwide strategy and customer experience director, Marketing Week reported.

Now, Thompson, along with a team of Morrisons executives, will travel to New York City to learn about online grocery retailing from Fresh Direct, which Morrisons holds a 10 percent stake in. Morrisons aims to have its supermarket website ready by 2012.

In addition, Morrisons acquired the baby wear retailer Kiddicare.com earlier this year, and plans to integrate special kiosks in 28 of its physical stores enabling customers to order children's products online and collect them at the sites for no delivery charge. The company acquired Kiddicare.com to boost its online non-food business, and plans for the kiosks to be running by the end of the third quarter.

In an interview with the Guardian, RBS analyst Justin Scarborough said, "Thompson's recruitment is a clear and bold statement of intent in terms of Morrison's online plans for the future."

According to the Guardian, the research firm IGD estimates UK online grocery sales accounts for 3.2 percent of total grocery spending, and expects the sector's worth to double by 2015.