Asda has confirmed it will open 356 new Asda Express petrol station convenience stores - with new shops coming in the next few weeks.
Stores will be opening across the UK, with 310 set to open in England, 24 in Scotland and 22 in Wales. The rollout is expected to kick off in the coming weeks.
The Asda Express sites will stock up to 3,000 branded and own-label products including ‘top-up’ shops for essential items such as milk and bread, grabbing lunch on the go or cooking dinner from scratch.
Asda acquired 119 convenience sites with attached petrol stations from the Co-op Group last year. Asda has already converted 39 of these sites to Asda Express and expects to complete the rest by the end of March 2024.
With the rollout of both acquisitions and Asda’s three stand-alone Express sites, the retailer is now the owner of a total of 478 convenience stores. In the coming months, Asda has plans to roll out further standalone Express stores in locations such as Romford Station and Manchester Oxford Road and is committed to opening 300 stand-alone sites by the end of 2026.
Asda’s acceleration into the convenience market is part of the retailer’s long-term strategy to become the UK’s second-largest supermarket, by moving into the fast-growing convenience market worth £40bn per year.
The news comes as the supermarket chain completed the acquisition of UK business of EG Group, which is owned by the billionaire Issa brothers. Asda first announced it was to take over the EG Group UK and Ireland business in May for £2.27 billion.
The deal will also see Asda grow its presence in the £64bn foodservice market, as around 462 Greggs, Burger King and Subway outlets located on the EG Group sites will be transferred over to Asda as part of a franchise agreement. Asda also owns the fast food chain Leon, which it will also look to introduce to its stores.
Mohsin Issa, co-owner of Asda, said, “This is a great day for Asda and for millions of UK consumers. Asda is a much-loved brand that is instantly recognised for great value. I could not be more proud or excited that the iconic Asda sign is now coming to hundreds more communities. I’d also like to welcome our new colleagues from EG UK who have joined the Asda family today.”
Retailers could find themselves facing a New Year spending squeeze as public confidence in the state of the economy took a nosedive, show recent industry data.
According to BRC-Opinium data released today (23), consumer expectations over the next three months of their personal financial situation remained at -3 in December, the same as in November.
Confidence in state of the economy worsened to -27 in December, down from -19 in November. Confidence on personal spending on retail also fell while confidence in personal spending overall dropped to +11 in December, down from +17 in November.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said,“Public confidence in the state of the economy took a nosedive, falling 8pts to -27.
"This created a widening gap between expectations of the economy and of people’s own finances, which remained unchanged. Perceptions were heavily skewed by age, with 18 to 35 year olds considerably more upbeat than older generations on both questions.
"The public’s spending intentions – both in retail and beyond – dropped 6pts, with expectations of spending in nearly every retail category falling. If these expectations are realised, retailers could find themselves facing a New Year spending squeeze just as they unveil their January sales.
“The weak spending intentions could pave the way for a challenging year for retailers, who face being buffeted by low consumer demand and £7bn of new costs from the Budget set to hit the industry in 2025."
Dickinson added that with sales growth unable to keep pace, retailers will have no choice but to raise prices or cut costs – closing stores and freezing recruitment.
"To mitigate the impact this will have on growth, Government must ensure that its proposed business rates reform does not result in any shops paying higher rates than they already do," she said.
With Christmas spirit in full swing, convenience retailers across the UK are stepping up to spread joy, warmth, and a sense of togetherness within their communities.
From heartwarming events to dazzling decorations, convenience stores are going beyond their daily operations to create magical moments for customers.
Asian Trader reports on some of the most delightful initiatives, showcasing how independent retailers continue to be the beacons of holiday cheer in the communities.
One such magical event unfolded at the One Stop Carlton Convenience store in Salford, where retailer Priyesh Vekaria hosted the enchanting Santa’s Supercar Sleigh Event.
Vekaria wrote, "It was a day filled with joy, laughter, and the unmistakable magic of Christmas. From the wonder in children’s eyes as they met Santa to the heartfelt connections shared among neighbors, this event was a beautiful reminder of what makes the holiday season so special."
"This event wasn’t just about spreading holiday cheer; it was about celebrating the connections that bring us closer as a community. It reminded us that when we come together with kindness and collaboration, we create something truly magical."
Meanwhile, over at the One Stop Mount Nod store, retailer Aman Uppal went above and beyond to immerse the store in festive spirit.
Lavish decorations transformed the space into a winter wonderland, captivating customers and elevating their holiday experience.
Coca-Cola Christmas activations added an extra sparkle, with the iconic Coca-Cola truck displayed inside and a stunning LED screen outside the store bringing the magic to life.
Elsewhere in Powys, Wales, independent retailer Trudy Davies is filled with Christmas spirit as her store, Woosnam and Davies News, has a host of things to offer as giveaway this festive season from Santa hats to bird seeds packets.
In her signature style, Davies also drove "Made With Llani Love" Christmas-special campaign for festive times by encouraging locals to donate wool while members from the community knit blankets, hats, mitts, booties to be donated to a charity and local hospital.
In Telford, independent retailer Julie Kaur is proving to be a real-life Santa for her community.
Her store Premier Jules has been hosting a Christmas fair, in collaboration with local council and schools, for past two years.
Now in its third year, the event has become a cherished tradition, bringing people together and spreading the festive spirit far and wide.
Westerhope convenience store
Up in Edinburgh, Sophie Williams of Premier Broadway Convenience Store believes in involving the community around this festive times.
This year, she organised a school choir to perform outside her store, filling the air with joyful carols.
To enhance the celebrations, she handed out mince pies and chocolates, spreading sweetness and cheer.
Meanwhile in Newcastle Upon Tyne, independent retailer Sheraz Awan, owner of Sheraz’s Westerhope convenience store, is making sure that no one in the community goes without supplies.
Awan runs food donation campaigns throughout the year, completely funded by the store.
He has geared up the campaign around festive times to give bread packets as giveaway to those in need. The store will remain open on Christmas as well while Awan is hoping to giveaway about "1000 items of food" this year.
He wrote, "Remember, Christmas is upon us. Not everyone will have food on the table with loving family surrounding them."
Awan is also calling on suppliers and wholesalers to help and contribute in this cause.
Bestway Group is turning to a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) to exit about 35 vacant shops which previously traded as Bargain Booze and Wine Rack off-licences, stated recent reports.
According to Sky News, Bestway Group has informed landlords about plans for a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) for its Bestway Retail arm as it wanted to exit dozens of leases tied to shops which lie vacant within its retail estate.
Reports stated that about 35 shops which were not currently trading would be compromised in full under the plan. Roughly 10 further sites would seek rent reductions from landlords.
The CVA is being overseen by PricewaterhouseCoopers, stated Sky News citing a source.
Bestway's retail arm is said to comprise about 200 stores, largely operating under the Bargain Booze and Wine Rack brands.
Bestway also comprises operations in food wholesaling, the Well pharmacy chain, cement, real estate and United Bank, one of Pakistan's biggest lenders.
Meanwhile, Bestway Retail continues to strengthen its business. Most recently, it bolstered its senior leadership team with three new senior hires in the form of Nick Russell, Steve Moore and Rodney Tucker.
Russell, who previously worked for Costcutter until 2021, is now leading the independent Best-one and Costcutter estates. Moore, who also previously worked for Costcutter, will lead the Midlands and South Wales team from January 2025 as regional controller for Costcutter and Best-one.
Tucker has also rejoined the organisation in the new business and acquisitions team where he will drive the recruitment of new business in the Southwest and South Wales territories.
Sugro UK, member-owned buying and marketing group with over 90 members and a combined turnover of over £2.5 billion, has further enhanced its membership offering by giving wholesalers within the group an opportunity to source and save on essential equipment items for their business needs.
Under the new partnership, Sugro members will now have access to their own dedicated account manager at Partington Engineering Limited Ltd who will guide them through a range of solutions to save time and money on moving and storing goods.
Yulia Petitt, Sugro’s Head of Commercial and Marketing, said, “Our members, along with everyone else, are impacted by the rising costs. We are constantly striving to find new ways of supporting our members so I have no doubt that they will benefit from our latest partnership with Partington Engineering Ltd.”
Sue Hubber, Sugro Business Development Manager, added, “Partington Engineering are one of the premier manufacturers of materials handling equipment. They are a major supplier of trolleys across a variety of business sectors.
"Their extensive range of high quality equipment will enable Sugro members and their customers to replenish and add to their essential everyday equipment (trolleys, steps, and cages) from a competitive UK Source."
Darren Powles, Business Development Manager at Partington Engineering Ltd, added, "We are delighted to be working alongside Sugro and look forward to supplying high quality handling materials to its members.
:Manufactured here in the UK, our products are British built and made to last.
"Our Motto is 'Quality Merchandise Deserves Careful Handling' and every product we manufacture is done with this in mind."
Retail trade union Usdaw today (23) called on the shopping public to show respect for shop workers, stating that the busy pre-Christmas shopping period leaves retail workers exhausted and in need of a proper break.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says, “By the time retail workers get to Christmas Eve, they will have been through a very busy run-up to Christmas. Our members tell us that incidents of verbal abuse are much worse in December and through to the New Year, when shops are busy, customers are stressed and things can boil over.
"That is why we asked customers to ‘keep your cool’ and respect shop workers, to make the Christmas shopping experience better for everyone.
“It is shocking that seven in ten of our members working in retail stores are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. Over half of shop workers have faced incidents triggered by customers being frustrated with stock shortages, lack of staff or problems with self-service checkouts.
"All of these issues are largely outside the control of the staff who are bearing the brunt of shoppers’ anger.
“Too many retail workers do not get a decent break over the Christmas and New Year period. They arrive home shattered and have to spend time on Christmas Day getting ready for work the next day, which is why 97 per cent want shops to shut on Boxing Day.
"98 per cent of our Scottish members want stores to close on New Year’s Day. While Usdaw has successfully secured the closure of large stores on Christmas Day, the rest of the holiday season is pretty much normal trading days for many.
“For those retailers who do open, we have negotiated national agreements for shops to be staffed with genuine volunteers only, and our workplace reps are supporting members to help make sure that happens at store level.
"We also send our appreciation to those workers behind the shopfront who have to work on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, not least in distribution, food and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
“Our message to customers is have a great Christmas and a happy New Year. Please appreciate all those who have to work over the festive period. If you must shop on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day, please treat the staff with respect and understand they would most likely rather have the time off.”