Asda to open 110 convenience stores in February

The British chain is accelerating its growth strategy in convenience to reach 1,000 UK stores in total for the first time.

Asda will open 110 Asda Express convenience stores in February – a record for a single 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.

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 biggest in its 58-year history as the business hits the landmark of 1,000 UK stores.

Asda’s ongoing expansion into the fast-growing £40bn convenience and £60bn food to go has been a key pillar of the retailer’s strategy since the acquisition by the Issa brothers and TDR Capital completed in 2021.