Asda will open 110 Asda Express convenience stores in February – a record for a month – to accelerate its growth strategy in convenience and put it firmly on track to reach 1,000 UK stores in total for the first time.
The supermarket will convert 109 former convenience stores acquired from the Co-op and EG Group to Asda Express this month (with one additional organic opening) as part of a multi-million-pound investment and its commitment to become the second largest grocery retailer in the UK.
This will ensure that Asda brings its great value in fuel, where it is already the price leader among the supermarkets, to many more communities across the UK. Additionally, customers shopping for groceries at Asda Express can expect to save an average of eight percent compared to the former Co-op stores and 15 percent compared to the former EG Group convenience sites.
Asda continues to deliver on its programme to convert all 470 convenience sites acquired from the Co-op and EG Group to Asda Express before the end of March. The supermarket had converted 259 sites by the end of January, in addition to the eight organic Asda Express sites already open.
The record number of openings in February will also bring Asda’s combined supermarket and convenience estate to its most significant in its 58-year history as the business hits 1,000 UK stores.
Asda’s ongoing expansion into the fast-growing £40bn convenience and £60bn food to go has been a critical pillar of the retailer’s strategy since the acquisition by the Issa brothers and TDR Capital completed in 2021.
Andy Perry, Asda’s Vice President of Convenience, said Asda’s significant investment in building a nationwide chain of convenience stores is a critical component of its long-term strategy to become the number two player in UK grocery.
“February is a transformational month for the programme with a record number of store openings and conversion of all former Co-op sites to Asda Express sites. The teams have worked at pace to reach this point, and we look forward to bringing Asda’s quality and low prices to many more communities across the UK,” said Perry.
The Asda Express stores will stock up to 3,000 branded and own-label products to suit a broad range of customer needs, including ‘top-up’ shops for essential items such as milk and bread, grabbing lunch on the go or cooking dinner from scratch.
The new stores opening in February are in all corners of the UK, from the Isle of Skye in the Hebrides to Plymouth in Devon and Ipswich in Suffolk. Many stores are opening across southern England, where Asda has traditionally been underrepresented.
