Asda has announced a new partnership as it seeks to transition its online grocery business onto its own platform, from previous owner Walmart’s managed systems.
The programme will see Publicis Sapient work with the UK retailer on the transformation of its ecommerce capability, with the aim of delivering a new digital platform by April 2024.
Asda said that Publicis Sapient's core SPEED capabilities – strategy, product, experience, engineering and data and AI – will deliver an end-to-end transformation that will enable Asda to move off Walmart systems, while building an agile operating model.
'Seamless Transition'
“We are delighted to be partnering with Publicis Sapient, a leading digital business transformation company with a strong track record in e-commerce platforms," said Carl Dawson, vice president, chief digital & technology officer at Asda.
"We look forward to a successful partnership and to the delivery of a platform that will enable a seamless transition for our customers, moving from a legacy system run by Walmart to an entirely independent Asda-owned platform."
Possible Merger With EG Group
In January, it was reported that Asda could be merged with petrol forecourts business EG Group under plans being explored by the owners of both companies.
The combination would potentially create a retail giant worth between £11 billion and £13 billion (€12.5 billion to €14.8 billion) which would have more than 581 supermarkets, 700 petrol forecourts and 100 convenience stores in Britain, according to reports in The Times newspaper.
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