UK retailer Asda has announced that it plans to open a new convenience store chain, Asda Express, as it seeks to grow sales and market share in a sector where it currently has a limited presence.
Sales in convenience stores are projected to grow by 13%, to over £50 billion (€57.4 billion), by 2027, Asda noted, citing an IGD convenience market forecast from June 2022.
The retailer will open the first two stand-alone convenience stores at Sutton Coldfield on 8 November and Tottenham Hale, London, on 6 December.
The new stores will create 37 new jobs in the local communities that they serve.
Mohsin Issa, Asda’s co-owner, said, “The launch of our first two Asda Express convenience stores is a landmark moment for our great business, and a key step on our journey to bring Asda to more customers in more communities right across the UK.”
Asda Express
Asda Express will be wholly owned and operated by Asda, and are separate from the Asda On the Move convenience stores, which are located on forecourts owned and operated by EG Group.
The banner is also separate from the 132 convenience stores that Asda is acquiring from the Co-op Group, the retailer said.
The two new Asda Express stores are located in residential areas, allowing customers the convenience to shop in neighbourhood locations.
Each store will offer around 3,000 SKUs, including a comprehensive range of fresh, ambient and chilled groceries, as well as products from Asda’s premium Extra Special range and a wide selection of beers, wines and spirits.
It will also feature hot and cold ‘food for now’ options from Asda and partner brands including Leon, as well as ‘food for later’ choices, such as ready meals and a selection of £10 meal deals for two people.
Both stores will also offer ToYou parcel collection and return services and a rapid delivery service through Uber Eats.
Issa added, “The stores have been designed to cater to a broad range of customer needs, whether that’s popping in for a pint of milk, grabbing a spot of lunch on the go, or buying the fresh ingredients to cook dinner from scratch.
“We are confident customers will find everything they need in these stores and enjoy the convenience of having a new type of Asda store on their doorstep.”
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
