The Morrisons logo is the visual identity of Wm Morrison Supermarkets, one of the UK’s largest grocery chains. Today it is a green lowercase wordmark under a golden tree, a long way from the black-and-yellow “M” many older shoppers remember. The tree arrived as a store trial in 2015, replacing a 2007 identity by Landor.
The change matters because Morrisons is often still described as a yellow-and-black brand. That was true for decades, and it is why the chain stood out among grocery store logos, but it has not been true on store fronts since green joined the palette in 2007.
What is the Morrisons Logo?
The Morrisons logo is a green lowercase-style wordmark topped by a golden tree whose trunk grows from the “i”. Morrisons trialled it at its Merrion Centre store in Leeds in September 2015 and rolled it out from 2016. No agency has been publicly credited for the design, which replaced Landor’s 2007 “M” identity.
| Symbol | Tree with golden leaves growing from the “i” |
| Designer/agency | Tree logo: not publicly credited. 2007 logo: Landor Associates |
| Current version since | Trialled 2015, rolled out from 2016; brighter version without “Since 1899” dated to 2021 by 1000 Logos |
| Colors (hex) | Green approx. #017431, yellow approx. #FDBE01, sampled from the current logo |
| Typeface | Custom lettering, no published font name; Crossten Bold and Rotunda Bold are cited as close matches |
| Previous major version | Landor’s yellow oval and green “M” with an uppercase wordmark, 2007 |
How Has the Morrisons Logo Evolved Over Time?
Morrisons started in June 1899, when William Morrison set up as an egg and butter merchant in Rawson Market, Bradford. Press reports firmly document the two most recent redesigns. The dates for the older marks come from logo-history compilations such as 1000 Logos, so treat those as approximate. No designer has been publicly credited for any version before 2007.
Old Morrisons Logo: Serif Lettering (1899-1961)
The earliest version shown in logo histories is the name in black, narrow, decorative serif capitals with a shadow, written with an apostrophe as “Morrison’s”. Ken Morrison took over the business in 1952, aged 21, and the first supermarket, in Bradford’s Girlington district, opened in 1961.
Pink Oval “M” Logo (1961-1979)
1000 Logos shows a black capital “M” in a pink oval, paired with “Morrisons Supermarkets” in capitals on a pink panel. The company listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1967, during this period.
Black and Yellow “M” Logo (1979-2007)
This is the old Morrisons logo most people mean. A heavy serif “M” sits in an oval inside a black square, with “MORRISONS” in capitals below. The oval was first shown in orange, then in a lighter yellow from about 1985. Contemporary reports described it as a distinctive black and yellow logo when it was retired. It also served through the 2004 purchase of Safeway, a £3.3 billion deal that took the chain into southern England, Wales and Scotland.
Landor’s Green and Yellow Logo (2007-2016)
Morrisons unveiled this identity in spring 2007 as part of a £450 million makeover led by chief executive Marc Bolland. Landor Associates won the job in a paid pitch against Wolff Olins. The firm kept the “M”, the yellow oval and the name below, but swapped black for green. Design Week recorded it as the point at which green entered the scheme. A reversed version with a yellow “M” on a green circle appears in logo histories from about 2014.
Tree Logo With “Since 1899” (2015-2021)
In September 2015 a relaunched Merrion Centre store in Leeds gained a new fascia: a “friendly” lowercase-style wordmark, a tree built on the “i” and “Since 1899” underneath. Morrisons said it was only a trial, yet it registered seven logo variations at the Intellectual Property Office. Six stores in northern England tested it in January 2016, and in March 2016 chief executive David Potts confirmed it would reach all stores through the Fresh Look refits. He refused to call the project a rebrand.
Current Morrisons Logo (2021-Present)
1000 Logos dates the present artwork to 2021: the same tree and wordmark, a brighter green, and no “Since 1899” line. Wikipedia simply treats the tree logo as in use since 2015, and “Since 1899” versions still appear on some packaging. If you searched for a Morrisons logo for 2026, this tree wordmark is the one in use, and I found no report of a newer redesign.
What Do the Design Elements of the Morrisons Logo Mean?
The tree is the only symbol, and its meaning is documented better than most supermarket symbolism. David Potts said it felt more British and that the leaves were in growth. Press at the time read the “Since 1899” line as a push on the company’s heritage, back to the egg and butter stall.
What Are the Morrisons Logo Colors?
Morrisons does not publish its color codes, so every value here is an estimate:
- Green: approx. #017431, sampled from the current logo
- Yellow: approx. #FDBE01, sampled from the current logo
- Earlier “Since 1899” version: a deeper green and a similar yellow, approx. #00563F and #FFC20E
I could not find a sourced Pantone value, and any RGB or CMYK figures you see elsewhere are conversions, not brand specs.
The yellow has real history behind it. In 2007, Landor’s creative director described it as a color Morrisons owned, one that signaled brightness and freshness. Whatever the color psychology, the practical effect is plain: green and gold have strong contrast on white and tie the brand to fresh food. The chain still sits among the better-known yellow logos in British retail, although yellow is now the accent.
What Font Does the Morrisons Logo Use?
Morrisons has not named a font for its logo. The trade press called the 2015 lettering a “friendlier” lower case, and the wordmark looks custom-drawn: a capital “M” with rounded lowercase letters and a dot on the “i” that doubles as the base of the tree. 1000 Logos suggests Crossten Bold and Rotunda Bold as the closest matches, and neither is confirmed as the source.
It is a rounded sans-serif font style, which is a real break from the old logos. Their typography relied on heavy serif capitals. Open letter spacing helps the name read from a distance on a store front.
What Are the Hidden Meanings in the Morrisons Logo?
There is no documented hidden symbol. The one clever detail is out in the open: the “i” acts as the trunk of the tree, so the name and the symbol grow out of each other. Commenters at the time also saw lemons or bread rolls in the leaves, but that was reaction, not intent.
How Does the Morrisons Logo Compare to Competitor Logos?
Morrisons now uses a green-led, symbol-topped mark, which is a different approach from most of its UK rivals. Asda is its closest visual neighbor, with a green logo that gained a yellow spark in 2015, the same year Morrisons began testing its tree.
The Sainsbury’s logo is built on orange lettering with no symbol.
The Tesco logo pairs red letters with blue stripes beneath them.
The Aldi logo and Lidl logo both use strong primary-color shapes to signal discount value. Morrisons’ lowercase lettering and leaves aim for something softer and closer to the market-stall origin story.
What Cultural Impact Has the Morrisons Logo Had?
In Yorkshire and northern England, Morrisons had the strongest following, and Landor’s team said so openly when it took on the 2007 work: loyal in the north, less known elsewhere. That is why it kept the “M” that year rather than throwing it away.
Public reaction to both redesigns was lively. Readers on Design Week mocked the 2007 oval, and the 2015 tree drew jokes of its own. The Yorkshire Post pointed out how big a job a logo change is for a supermarket, since it touches thousands of own-brand products as well as store fronts.
How Does the Morrisons Logo Fit Into the Overall Brand Identity?
The tree arrived with the Fresh Look store format and went on to appear on press releases, advertising and carrier bags. It sits alongside Market Street, the in-store fresh food identity, which was designed by the agency Elmwood.
Morrisons has not published its brand guidelines or a public brand style document that I could find, so anything said about its internal rules would be a guess. What you can see is a simple visual hierarchy: the tree and wordmark first, supporting lines below.
The company’s food-making business supports the “made by us” tone of the brand. In 2007, reports said its own packing factories supplied about a fifth of the goods it sold, an unusual setup among the big UK grocers. Ownership has changed since then: Clayton, Dubilier & Rice took the company private in October 2021.
How Should the Morrisons Logo Be Used?
This is general advice, not Morrisons’ own rules. The logo is a trade mark, so using it to sell something or to imply a partnership needs permission. News, review and commentary use is usually lower risk, though the rules vary by country and it is worth checking if money is involved.
For quality, choose vector formats where you can get them. A JPEG copied from the web will look soft in print, where DPI matters. Keep the colors and proportions as they are, and check that you have the current tree artwork and not the 2007 oval.
FAQ on the Morrisons Logo
What does the Morrisons logo look like?
It is a green wordmark with a capital “M” and lowercase letters, under a golden tree that grows from the “i”. Older versions used a heavy serif “M” in a yellow oval.
What colors does the Morrisons logo use?
Green and golden yellow, approximately #017431 and #FDBE01 when sampled from the current logo. Morrisons does not publish official codes. Black was dropped from the main logo in 2007.
What font is used in the Morrisons logo?
No font has been officially named. The lettering appears custom-drawn. 1000 Logos cites Crossten Bold and Rotunda Bold as close matches, but neither is confirmed.
When was the current Morrisons logo introduced?
The tree logo was first tested in September 2015 at the Merrion Centre store in Leeds and rolled out from 2016. 1000 Logos dates the brighter version without “Since 1899” to 2021.
Who designed the Morrisons logo?
No agency has been publicly credited for the tree logo. The previous 2007 identity was designed by Landor Associates.
What did the old Morrisons logo look like?
From about 1979 to 2007 it was a heavy black serif “M” in an oval inside a black square, with “MORRISONS” in capitals below. The oval was orange at first, then yellow. Landor’s 2007 version kept the oval and “M” but replaced black with green.
What does the tree in the Morrisons logo mean?
Chief executive David Potts said the tree felt more British and that its leaves were in growth. The “Since 1899” line used on the first version pointed to the company’s heritage as an egg and butter stall.
Has the Morrisons logo always been yellow?
No. Logo histories show black lettering first, then pink in the 1960s and 1970s, with yellow arriving around the 1980s. Green joined it in 2007, and today green leads with yellow as the accent.
When was Morrisons founded?
William Morrison founded the business in June 1899 as an egg and butter merchant in Rawson Market, Bradford. The first supermarket opened in 1961.
Who owns Morrisons now?
The private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice took over in October 2021 after a roughly £7 billion bid, so the company is now privately owned.
Can I download the Morrisons logo for free?
I could not find a public brand portal, and files on free logo sites are unofficial. The logo is protected as a trade mark, so ask Morrisons before any commercial use.
Conclusion
The Morrisons logo has changed more than its reputation suggests. Black and yellow lasted for decades, Landor brought in green in 2007, and a tree followed within a decade.
The tree logo is a retail redesign that was never officially called a rebrand, yet it reached the whole estate. It kept the one thing Morrisons had always traded on, the story of a Bradford market stall from 1899, and put a growing tree on top of it.
Sources
- Design Week, Landor updates Morrisons logo – https://www.designweek.co.uk/landor-updates-morrisons-logo/
- Design Week, Morrisons trials new logos but denies rebrand rumours – https://www.designweek.co.uk/morrison-trials-new-logos-but-denies-rebrand-rumours/
- Design Week, Full Morrisons rebrand increasingly likely – https://www.designweek.co.uk/full-morrisons-rebrand-increasingly-likely/
- Marketing Week, Morrisons unveils new logo ahead of revamp – https://www.marketingweek.com/morrisons-unveils-new-logo-ahead-of-revamp/
- The Grocer, Morrisons tests friendly new logo at Merrion Centre, Leeds – https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/marketing/morrisons-tests-friendly-new-logo-at-merrion-centre-leeds/524700.article
- Yorkshire Post, Off their tree? What do you think of Morrisons’ new logo? – https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/off-their-tree-what-do-you-think-of-morrisons-new-logo-881989
- 1000 Logos, Morrisons logo – https://1000logos.net/morrisons-logo/
- Wikipedia, Morrisons – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morrisons
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
- How to Replace an Image in Canva Without Breaking the Layout - 12 November 2026
- What’s the Best Bot-Free AI Note Taker for Client Calls in 2026 - 12 November 2026
- When Shared Hosting Is the Right Choice for Your Website - 11 November 2026
Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008. Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients. His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8. He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
You Might Also Like
