Asda revealed that it will be opening over 30 standalone convenience stores under a new banner, Asda Express. The first two stores will open before Christmas and the roll out of thirty sites is planned over the coming year. The format will offer 3,000 products across groceries, hot and cold ‘food for now’, coffee to go and also fresh ingredients to cook dinner from scratch.
The retailer has also just completed the acquisition of 132 forecourt-based convenience stores from Co-op. Asda says that the move is part of its strategy to enter the convenience retail space and create an exciting new part of the Asda business that brings the company’s value to more communities. With sales in the convenience sector forecast to grow by 13% to over £50bn by 2027, Asda sees a significant opportunity to grow sales and market share in a sector where it currently had a limited presence.