Asda wants to open 1,000 supermarkets across the UK

Supermarket chain Asda plans to open 110 stores in the UK in February as part of its goal to reach 1,000 shops across the country.

Asda, previously owned by Walmart, will convert 109 Co-op and EG Group convenience sites to Asda Express stores as part of a multimillion-pound investment.

The business said it wants to become the second largest grocery retailer in the UK.

Asda plans to turn all 470 convenience sites acquired from the Co-op and EG Group into Express stores by the end of March.

Asda purchased 132 fuel forecourts and convenience stores from Co-op and EG in August 2022 for £438 million. The acquisition was approved in June 2023 after Asda agreed to sell 13 sites to meet competition requirements.

The supermarket had converted 259 locations by the end of January.

Since its acquisition by the Issa brothers and TDR Capital in 2021, Asda has been expanding into the rapidly growing £40 billion convenience and £60 billion food-to-go markets.