Morrisons shoppers fume 'shelves are always empty' amid food shortage - what is the cause?

Morrisons customers have expressed their outrage as the supermarket chain grapples with food shortages and empty shelves. The retailer is currently facing shortfalls in fresh goods including produce, fruits, veg, and meats due to a cyber incident targeting Blue Yonder's software, which is used for warehouse management.

Morrisons has advised that non-perishable items such as tinned and dried foods, along with frozen products, remain fully stocked. The extent of the shortage across UK stores has not been confirmed by Morrisons, but social media posts hint at a widespread problem.

One disgruntled shopper queried, "Guys what's going on, most shelves in your Blackpool store empty today! " Another voiced concern, stating: "What's happened to your Wednesbury store today please? The shelves were half empty, like it is after a bank holiday etc!"

Frustrations continued with another customer saying, "Shelves are always empty and you can never get even the most basic ingredients. Can never get everything needed for a simple recipe. Today no broccoli, no lemons, no peppers, no loose onions. These are basic things! " A further comment read: "Went in Morrisons earlier, shelves were looking very empty. No eggs, bread, milk."

A Morrisons spokesperson commented: "We are currently operating satisfactorily on our back up systems and we're working very hard to deliver for our customers across the country."

Blue Yonder also released a statement, saying: "Blue Yonder experienced disruptions to its managed services hosted environment, which was determined to be the result of a ransomware incident.

"Since learning of the incident, the Blue Yonder team has been working diligently together with external cybersecurity firms to make progress in their recovery process. We have implemented several defensive and forensic protocols. We have notified relevant customers and will continue to communicate as appropriate."

In more news from Morrisons, an urgent recall warning has been issued by the supermarket pertaining to its own-brand crushed garlic due to an absent ingredient that inhibits microbiological growth, rendering it potentially unsafe for consumption. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Morrisons is expected to display alert notices within its stores where the recalled product is stocked, informing patrons about the corrective action to take with regard to the item.

The recall specifically targets products that bear the best before date of October 10, 2025.