Total Sales
21.9 billion pounds for the year ending Dec. 31, 2023 (excluding fuel and value-added tax)
Total Stores
632 located across the nine regions of England as well as Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
Headquarters
Leeds, England
Key Facts
- Sells products in physical stores and via Asda.com and George.com
- Asda.com and George.com serve 98% of homes in the U.K.
- Third-largest supermarket in the U.K., and second largest in online grocery, according to Kantar
- Approximately 85% of Asda’s 2022 sales (excluding fuel) were in grocery; the remainder were primarily in the private label George clothing brand and general merchandise
- Commands 12% of the U.K. grocery market share in 2022, according to Kantar’s FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) Grocery Panel
- Serves more than 18 million weekly customers
- There are 3 million active members in the Asda Rewards loyalty program
- Processed 862.8 million transactions in 2022
- 16% of Asda’s food sales come through online channels (including home delivery and curbside pickup)
- Asda Logistics Services operates two hubs and 26 deconsolidation centers that serve 26 depots across the U.K.
- Employs a fleet of approximately 1,100 vehicles and 13,000 workers to keep stores stocked and fulfill online orders
- Makes approximately 17,000 deliveries weekly
- First U.K. supermarket to launch an online prescription service
Key Executives
- Co-Owner, Co-CEO: Mohsin Issa
- Co-Founder of Asda, and Co-CEO of EG Group: Zuber Issa
- Chief Financial Officer: Michael Gleeson
- Chief Digital Officer: Matt Kelleher
- Chief People and Corporate Affairs Officer: Hayley Tatum
- Chief Commercial Officer - Food: Kris Comerford
- Chief Commercial Officer - Non Food: Liz Evans
- Chief Transformation Officer: Mark Simpson
- Chief Customer Officer: David Hills
- Vice President, Marketing: Adam Zavalis
Financial Reports
Resources
Market Position and Strategy Overview
![asda rewards](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-10/screenshot_2023-10-09_at_3.08.14_pm.png)
Market Position and Strategy Overview
Asda is a British grocery retailer with headquarters in Leeds, U.K. The grocer operates 632 stores across the nine regions of England as well as Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the city of Gloucester, along with its Asda.com and George.com e-commerce sites.
Asda has roots in a family business that dates back to the 1920s in West Yorkshire.
For some years it was jointly owned and controlled by the Issa Brothers’ EG Group and private equity firm TDR Capital LLP, a U.K. Limited Liability Partnership registered in England and Wales. The Issa Brothers and TDR Capital completed the acquisition of Asda from Walmart in 2021. (Walmart still retains an equity stake in Asda.)
In June 2024, TDR Capital LLP agreed to acquire Asda co-founder and co-CEO of EG Group Zuber Issa’s shares in Asda. Mohsin Issa remains a co-owner in Asda alongside TDR Capital, giving it 67.5% ownership of the company, followed by Mohsin Issa's 22.5% and Walmart Inc.'s 10%. The transaction is set to be completed later in 2024.
Primary operations include sales of groceries, clothing, general merchandise and fuel. The retailer also offers several services, including:
- Asda Money: Financial services including credit cards, personal loans, money transfers and travel money as well as insurance (travel, pet, auto/van/motorbike and breakdown/roadside assistance)
- Asda Mobile: Phone plans
- Pharmacy: Stores with pharmacies offer vaccinations, fill prescriptions and offer medication advice and blood pressure screenings; online services help with issues including contraception and smoking cessation
- Optical: In-store vision exams, glasses and contact lenses
Some stores house cafes or takeout options.
![asda shopper](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-10/customer-shopping-for-cereal.jpg)
The bulk (85%) of Asda’s sales are in groceries (see Merchandising), but it also sells general merchandise and owns the George mass market fashion label. Created via a partnership between fashion designer George Davies and Asda, and introduced in 1989. Its launch made Asda the first U.K. grocer to sell a clothing line in its stores. George encompasses clothing and accessories as well as some home items. It also has partnerships and exclusive collections, including with TV presenter and interiors enthusiast Stacey Solomon. At Home with Stacey Solomon launched exclusively at George in September 2023, followed by seasonal collections.
Currently, Asda is undertaking several strategic priorities to meet shifting consumer habits and drive growth. In addition to continuing to develop its online marketplace (see E-Commerce), the retailer is building its presence in the convenience and to-go sector.
In 2023, parent company Asda Group acquired EG Group’s U.K. and Ireland operations (minus some 30 fuel sites that EG Group will retain) for 2.27 billion pounds, a move which adds approximately 350 fuel stations and more than 1,000 food-to-go locations to Asda’s footprint. Several convenience sites with fuel stations are being converted to Asda Express formats. By early 2024, Asda has said the Asda Express conversions and new builds will bring its U.K. and Northern Ireland store count to 1,000.
The rise of local shopping due to shifting work patterns; a growing demand for same-day meals, to-go and takeout options (and more frequent shopping trips as a result); and convenience stores offering multiple services and products (and becoming essential stops) were contributing factors in the purchase.
The addition allows Asda to better serve a combined customer base of 21 million, and leverage its growing loyalty program (see Loyalty) through convenience, fuel, general merchandise, grocery, foodservice and omnichannel retailing.
Once the transaction is complete, Asda plans to invest more than 150 million pounds over the next three years to integrate the combined businesses.
Asda also has responded to inflation and concerns of budget-conscious shoppers by offering increased price reductions and growing its private labels. (See Private Labels.) In 2022, the grocer launched its Dropped and Locked price campaign, which involved cutting the prices of more than 100 grocery items by an average of 12%. The campaign began in early 2022, with prices remaining “locked” at select locations and on select lines through at least the end of 2023. In 2024, the retailer announced new price cuts — averaging an 11% reduction — on hundreds of products.
For the 2023 holidays, Asda offered a meal promotion where 25 pounds could purchase a frozen Christmas dinner for six, breaking down to less than 5 pounds per head, a lower price than what the grocer offered for 2022.
Asda also offers periodic deals in its cafes. In the winter, for a limited time, customers who are ages 60 and older can get an order of soup, a roll and unlimited tea and coffee for 1 pound. The retailer also has a similar plan in place for children, where they can get a meal for 1 pound, which the retailer has made a year-round option.
In the first half of 2022, Asda also launched a new private label, Just Essentials by Asda. It replaced the Smart Price line. In addition to new branding and reformulated products, the new line launched with double the SKUs, including fresh, pantry, frozen and refrigerated foods and beverages as well as laundry and household items. Marketing support focused on how Just Essentials provides consumers with everything they need to run a household on a budget.
In previous years, Asda has refreshed its produce, bakery, meat, fish and poultry private label offerings, expanding the range and introducing new packaging.
Promotional Strategy
Promotional Strategy
Asda in recent years has put a heavy on appealing to the time-crunched and budget-conscious consumer, including by lowering prices, growing its private label options, and by building up its Asda Express formats and its quick and to-go food offerings. It's also lowered prices and grown its private labels.
At the start of 2024, Asda launched the Asda Health Menu Spa, what it dubbed "the world's first supermarket spa." Available for a limited time, customers could book treatments online at a London spa through an Eventbrite link. For the event, the spa offers holistic health treatments inspired by as well as paired and price-matched with products from Asda's Health Menu line. (See Private Label.) The treatments and products are designed to improve overall health and wellness, and include a facial or abdominal, Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone or head massage, each paired with various dishes from the Health Menu. The treatment packages are priced from 2.25 to 4.75 pounds.
![asda big night in](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/public/2023-12/bignightin.jpeg)
Ongoing Programs
- Big Night In: This fall event is designed to inspire shoppers to enjoy a cozy night at home. Stores' seasonal aisles spotlight featured products, and several store media formats are used to engage with shoppers throughout the path to purchase. In 2023, 26 suppliers took part in the event. Several stores had monthlong retailtainment activations, including a spin-the-wheel game where players could win prizes. Store samplings and digital campaigns also support the Big Night In.
- Get Set for Winter: The retailer promotes winter essentials, reminding shoppers to stock up. Immune boosting products and cold remedies are spotlighted online and in-store through signage and special offers.
- Aldi & Lidl Price Match: In January 2024, Asda announced it was price matching Aldi and Lidl on 287 comparable grocery products, lowering prices by approximately 17%. The U.K. retailer says it checks comparable products twice weekly and adjusts its pricing accordingly, matching whichever discounter has the lowest price on several household staples such as milk, cheese, bread, coffee, tea, meat, produce, pasta, baked beans, breakfast cereals and more.
- Baby Event: Savings of as much as 55% on baby essentials including beds, boys, food and snacks. The April 2024 event coincides with the launch of the Asda Rewards Baby & Toddler Club, which adds 10% on qualifying baby and toddler product purchases (including Procter & Gamble's Pampers, Kenvue's Johnson's Baby Shampoo and other SKUs) to loyalty cardholders' Asda Rewards Cashpots. (See Loyalty Programs.)
Merchandising
Merchandising Strategy
Asda is primarily known as a grocery retailer, with approximately 85% of its sales derived from the category.
It sells a full range of grocery products, including:
- Meats, poultry and fish
- Produce
- Floral
- Bakery
- Chilled, frozen and nonperishables
- Beverages (both nonalcoholic as well as beer, wine and spirits)
- Toiletries and beauty products
- Laundry and household items
- Baby, toddler and children’s items
- Pet foods and accessories
- Health and wellness items
- Home goods (kitchen tools, dining and glassware, seasonal decor, bedding, candles and home fragrance)
Asda sells both private label goods and national brands from major manufacturers as well as small, independently run businesses.
Asda also sells its George brand, which includes clothing, home decor and toys. (See Private Labels.)
Store Formats/Growth
Store Formats/Growth
Asda operates several store formats encompassing its largest supercenters and superstores, as well as smaller supermarkets and Asda Living stores.
In 2024, the retailer launched a $63 million (or 50 million pounds) store upgrade program for 170 of its larger supermarkets and superstores. Asda is adding new services and features and refreshing exteriors and interiors to better reflect the retailer's brand identity.
Supercenters
These command the largest selling space, offering food, George products and non-food items. Stores typically offer extended services such as banks, photo printing, dry cleaning, etc.
![asda living](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-10/screenshot_2023-10-09_at_2.49.44_pm.png)
Superstores
The majority of Asda’s stores fit this format. Superstores offer fresh food as well as pharmacy, optician, George items and non-food options. Stores are planned to serve community needs.
Supermarkets
These are Asda’s smallest stores. The format focuses primarily on food and convenience items as well as some essential non-food items. Click & Collect is an option at all supermarkets.
Asda Living
These stores sell George home, fashion and general (non-food) merchandise.
Asda Express
Asda Group acquired EG Group’s U.K. and Ireland operations in 2023, adding more than 300 fuel stations and more than 1,000 food-to-go locations to Asda’s footprint. (See Market Position and Strategy Overview.) Several of those sites are in the process of being converted to Asda Express convenience store formats, which typically stock about 3,000 branded and private label products ranging from milk and bread as well as dinner to go. In December 2023, Asda opened 81 Asda Express stores, bringing the total number of convenience stores to 229. The remaining 254 sites are, according to Asda, on track to be converted to the convenience format in early 2024.
Petrol Filling Stations
Fuel stations offer pay-at-pump and pay-in-store options. Some also house a small convenience store stocked with to-go foods and travel-friendly SKUs.
E-Commerce
E-Commerce Strategy
Asda operates an e-commerce website and dedicated mobile application. It also offers curbside pickup via its Click & Collect program, as well as standard and speedy delivery.
The grocer is in the process of updating its online business. Following the Issa Brothers and TDR Capital’s acquisition of Asda from Walmart, Asda contracted with digital business transformation and consulting company Publicis Sapient to transition toward an independent platform. Plans are to launch in early 2024, utilizing Publicis Sapient’s SPEED capabilities (strategy, product, experience, engineering and data and AI). This will move Asda off Walmart systems.
Publicis Sapient has already used Salesforce Marketing Cloud to build and implement Asda’s email marketing.
![asda click collect](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-10/150121-asda-clickcollect-c-8569_0.jpg)
Click & Collect
Shoppers can order online and choose a pickup time slot that suits them. There are same-day and next-day options:
- Express Collection: Orders can be picked up within four hours of purchase. There is a 3.50 pound fee, and no minimum spend.
- Same-day: Shoppers can pick up orders at least four hours after placing their order. There is a 1.50 pound fee on a minimum spend of 25 pounds, or a 3 pound fee for orders less than 25 pounds.
- Next-day: Shoppers can collect orders the following day (or later). There is a 50 pence fee for a minimum spend of 25 pounds, or a 3 pound charge on orders less than 25 pounds.
Delivery Pass
Asda offers a delivery subscription on a monthly or annual basis. There are two options for both monthly and annual subscribers:
- A lower-priced midweek pass where deliveries are made only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The monthly enrollment fee is 3.50 pounds; annually it runs 35.
- An anytime pass that delivers daily. A monthly pass costs 6.50 pounds; annually, 65.
Orders must be a minimum of 40 pounds. Subscribers can choose their time slot for next-day delivery, or choose Click & Collect for any time the following day.
Asda also offers an express delivery service through partnerships with third-party delivery providers Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo, via their respective apps, to fulfill expedited orders. Orders can be delivered within four hours, and sometimes within an hour. The cost is 8.50 pounds for delivery, with no minimum spend required.
Asda Logistics
Asda Logistics services has two hubs and two deconsolidation centers which serve 26 depots across the U.K. Suppliers ship goods to hubs, depots or stores. A fleet of 1,100 vehicles and 13,000 employees make 17,000 deliveries each week to stock stores and fulfill online orders.
Asda Online Pharmacy
The retailer partnered with Pharmacy2U, the largest National Health Service-approved online pharmacy in the U.K., to launch Asda Online Pharmacy. The platform allows patients to create an account at pharmacy.asda.com, where they can manage their prescriptions online and have them delivered to their homes, at no additional cost. The retailer is also preparing a click-and-collect option from Asda's 232 pharmacy locations.
Retail Media
Retail Media
Asda operates its own retailer media network, Asda Media, which recently rebranded as LS Eleven Media Services. The move follows Asda naming SMG as its retail media network partner. The agency will oversee retail media planning and operations for Asda and help it expand its retailer media network. SMG's proprietary software Plan-Apps will be embedded into Asda's tech stack to plan, manage and measure campaigns. The network offers partnership opportunities for endemic and non-endemic suppliers and brands to drum up visibility, engagement and sales among Asda’s more than 17 million weekly omnishoppers.
Some of LS Eleven Media Services' capabilities and offerings include:
- Support for new product launches, such as Merchant’s Den placement — an ongoing program that runs both online and in-store — for higher visibility. Brands and suppliers make pitches to Asda on a quarterly basis for an opportunity to receive financial backing from Asda and access to exclusive media formats courtesy of the retailer.
![asda digital media](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-10/screenshot_2023-10-09_at_3.11.03_pm.png)
- Digital media packages delivering reach, awareness, engagement, audience and rich media. Options include:
- sponsored products,
- takeovers,
- brand zones,
- branded pages,
- prisms,
- brand bursts,
- parascrolls,
- competitions,
- online grocery sampling,
- personalized sampling and
- social media campaigns.
![asda retail media trolley](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-10/screenshot_2023-10-09_at_3.09.13_pm.png)
- Store media — intended to raise awareness, drive consideration and lead to purchase — can include
- ASDA Magazine,
- experiential,
- ASDA radio (which reaches nearly 18 million Asda shoppers weekly),
- cart panels,
- security covers,
- shelf talkers,
- branded gondola ends,
- branded side stacks,
- seasonal branded bays,
- in-store sampling.
Partners can access supplier portals to track campaign activity at media and store levels, and monitor campaign performance against KPIs and objectives, with insights and analysis.
Private Label
![Asda hero](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-10/screenshot_2023-10-04_at_6.28.04_pm.png)
Private Labels
Asda has several private labels, ranging from basics geared toward budget-conscious shoppers to more indulgent options.
Private label lines include:
- Asda: Touted as Marks & Spencer taste at Asda prices, the line includes produce; pantry and nonperishable items (canned goods, coffees, cereals, snacks, sweets); meat, poultry and fish; bakery; chilled foods (lunch meats, cheeses, yogurts, juices, dips); frozen foods; beverages; and wine and spirits. The retailer also refreshed its Asda Bakery line in 2023, and launched sub-brands Bistro and Bom Bahia.
- Exceptional by Asda: A premium own-brand launched in mid-2024. More than 500 products are being launched throughout the year.
- Extra Special: Emphasizes quality ingredients for everyday indulgences, entertaining and special occasions. Includes produce, meat and fish, chilled (ready-to-heat meals, deli items), bakery, pantry, frozen (desserts, appetizers, shrimp), drinks (wines, coffees). In January 2024, Asda introduced two new non-alcoholic spirits and reformulated several existing non-alcoholic drinks options.
- The Health Menu by Asda: Introduced in January 2024, the line features more than 45 products created by Asda's in-house nutritionists and chefs. The Health Menu is designed to be healthy and affordable, each labeled with a specific health benefit, and includes meal kits and premade entrees. The line can be found in frozen, refrigerated, bakery, food-to-go, and meat, fish and poultry departments.
- Just Essentials: Asda recently reformulated the line and doubled the number of SKUs, to appeal to shoppers looking to save money. Includes fresh produce, chilled, pantry, frozen foods and laundry and household items.
- Little Angels: Everyday babycare essentials
- Plant Based: Vegan and vegetarian meal alternatives, pantry items, ready-made meals and snack options.
- OMV!: Vegan options including meat alternatives, bakery items, ready-made meals, snacks and pantry items.
- Good & Balanced: Lower calorie and lower sodium ready-made meals.
- Hero: Dog toys, treats and food.
- Tiger: Cat food, toys and treats.
- Shades: Toilet tissue, paper towels, tissues.
- The Bakery: Breads, cookies, treats.
- Free From: Gluten-, wheat- and dairy-free options.
- Slimzone: Reduced calorie and low-fat meals (primarily canned soups).
- Protect: Suncare.
- Calorie Counted: Low-calorie versions of primarily frozen meals.
- Great Shape: A meal replacement line with nutritional bars and shakes.
![George Kids](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-10/screenshot_2023-10-04_at_6.22.00_pm.png)
George
Asda was the first U.K. grocer to offer a clothing collection in its store, with the George brand that launched in 1989.
George is sold in more than 560 stores as well as through George.com. Asda stresses its focus on quality, style and value, as well as ethically sourced and environmentally friendly products.
The George fashion brand encompasses:
- George: Clothing and accessories for men, women, children and baby.
- George Home: First launched in 2014, it includes indoor and outdoor home decor and accessories. There are exclusive lines including singer and TV personality Stacy Solomon’s At Home line with home accessories and decor.
Loyalty Programs
![asda rewards](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-10/asdarewards.png)
Loyalty Programs
Asda launched its Asda Rewards program in 2022.
Customers can download the Asda Rewards app, available on Android and iOS, and log in with existing Asda Groceries credentials or register a new account. (Asda has a single sign-on system that links Asda Rewards, Asda Money credit card, and grocery online shopping app accounts.)
Asda promotes that its loyalty program earns its users “Pounds, not points.” Asda Pounds are earned by making purchases in-store and online, and by using the Asda Money credit card.
More specifically, members have multiple earning options:
- Milestone Missions: Shopping and spending certain amounts in different departments earns Cashpot rewards. New missions are added regularly.
- Star Products: “Stars in your basket, Pounds in your pocket,” says Asda. Specific items – added regularly – earn instant Cashpot rewards. These SKUs are marked with Star Product icons both online and in stores. Purchasing these products earns back extra Asda Pounds. The exact amount – often 10% extra – is displayed in the app.
- Asda Money Credit Card: Using the branded credit cards earns 1% on qualifying purchases at the retailer, or 0.3% when used elsewhere.
The Cashpot balance can be converted to vouchers — available in 1 pound increments up to 100 pounds — which can be redeemed in-store or online.
In its inception year, more than 5 million members have signed on for Asda Rewards, and the program has an average of 3 million active users. More than one-third of all the grocer’s sales have been linked to Asda Rewards.
Asda also offers a Christmas rewards program, the Christmas Saver Cashpot. For 2023, beginning in late July shoppers can save and then transfer earnings into a Christmas Saver account until Nov. 19. Those rewards can then be spent between Nov. 24 and Dec. 31 that same year.
In 2024, coinciding with Asda's April Baby Event, the retailer launched its Asda Rewards Baby & Toddler Club. Customers who sign up earn 10% into their Asda Rewards Cashpot when they buy baby products in-store, online and via the Asda app. The club also provides exclusive deals and offers as well as educational content.
Asda also partners with the Blue Light Card, where Asda Rewards members who work for the National Health Service, emergency services, social care sector or the armed forces can access exclusive offers.
Advertising Strategy
Advertising Strategy
Asda's tagline (or strapline, in England) is "Asda, that's more like it." Promotional activity is designed to reinforce that.
In 2024, Asda launched its "Serious About Summer" campaign. The underlying message is that the customer can trust Asda to deliver on their warm-weather needs, including food, clothing, home and garden.
The campaign features TV ads that offer takes on summer activities such as barbecues, beach days and picnics. Other spots include a "Nan-poline" ad highlighting Asda's midweek meal solutions and a Sports Day ad showing how the retailer has everything one needs for a picnic. Spots are also running on social media, email marketing, print media, and Asda's home page.
The "Serious About Summer" campaign also is key to introducing a broader brand identity, the result of research designed to better understand how customers see Asda, what they love about the retailer, and what it needs to stay relevant and unique within the marketplace. Among the loves are Asda's humor (evident in its 2023 Christmas campaign featuring singer Michael Buble; see below) and the retailer's shade of green. Asda is building on that with a new darker green tone added to its verdant palette, and in-store "stickers" that allow stores to highlight its specials and products in creative ways.
2023 Holidays
The retailer's 2023 holiday campaign featured singer Michael Buble. The first ad, created by Havas London, gave a tease of what's soon to come. The second ad was a 90-second spot directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, and featured Buble serving as Asda's first chief quality officer. As part of the campaign, a 20-foot-tall Christmas tree was set up in Kings Cross Station for one day where bystanders could interact with a "Buble-powered" tree. The retailer also unveiled new prepared foods and deals for Diwali.