Asda completes record month of Express branded openings ahead of Christmas
Leeds-headquartered supermarket chain, Asda, says it opened a record 81 new Asda Express stores in December.
The conversions of its recent acquisition of Co-op and EG UK sites, alongside the opening of eight standalone Asda Express stores, brings the total number of Asda Express sites to 229 nationwide – with the rest of the 254 sites due to convert by the end of quarter one 2024.
The accelerated conversion process sets Asda on track to have 1,000 stores across the UK and Northern Ireland by March 2024 – giving the chain its biggest estate in its 58-year history.
Latest openings include Asda’s first convenience store in Manchester city centre and three new London stores in Romford, Acton and Ealing.
Asda says it plans to open a further 11 Express stores in the capital next year, as it looks to grow it footprint in an area where it has traditionally been underrepresented.
The new Asda Express stores stock up to 3,000 branded and own-label products to suit a broad range of customer needs.
Andy Perry, MD of convenience at the business, said: “It has been a Herculean effort by the teams involved in our Asda Express roll out to convert 81 stores in one month as part of our commitment to bringing Asda’s great value offer to even more communities.
“Expansion into the growing convenience market is a key pillar of our long-term strategy to become the UK’s second largest supermarket retailer – and we know how important Asda’s great value is to families managing cost of living pressures – especially in the run up to Christmas.
“As we head into 2024 it is incredibly exciting to see the continued roll out of Asda Express stores into more communities.”
Addressing Asda’s gap in the growing convenience market has been a key pillar of the retailer’s strategy since its acquisition by the Issa brothers and TDR Capital Ltd completed in 2021.
