The British supermarket group Morrisons, which is at the centre of a bid battle between two US private equity companies, reported a 37.1 percent profit drop in the first half of the year due to Covid-19 costs and loss of profits in cafes, fuel and food-to-go. The group, leaving behind market leader Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda in annual sales, said it saw a profit before tax and special items of € 122 million in the 6 months to August 1, compared to € 195 million in the same period last year.

Supermarket chain Morrisons expects the shortage of truck drivers in the UK to fuel inflation throughout the rest of the year. According to Morrisons, the shortage of drivers, combined with higher freight costs and raw material prices, can lead to higher prices.