Asda to open 24 convenience stores this week

Asda is opening 24 Asda Express stores across the UK this week in a bid to expand its presence in the convenience market.

The move comes in light of Asda’s announcement last week that it had completed the acquisition of EG Group’s UK, meaning the retailer will take on hundreds of new convenience stores.

The new Express stores will stock up to 3,000 branded and own-label products to suit a broad range of customer needs, including ‘top up’ shops for essential items such as milk and bread, grabbing lunch on the go or cooking dinner from scratch.

The deal, which was first announced in May, will see 356 EG Group sites, which are all modern convenience stores on petrol filling stations, become Asda Express stores, bringing Asda’s exceptional quality and value to more communities across the UK.

Earlier this month, Asda also announced it had launched its program to convert 116 convenience Co-op petrol stations to its Asda Express convenience brand.

Andy Perry managing director of convenience at Asda said: “This conversion programme is an incredibly exciting moment for our business and accelerates our presence in the fast-growing convenience market. We look forward to bringing Asda’s great value in fuel and groceries to many more communities across the UK.”

In addition to the recently converted Asda Express stores, the supermarket currently has three stand-alone Express stores in Sutton Coldfield, London (Tottenham Hale) and Calne.

Upcoming sites include Manchester Oxford Road and Romford Station, which are due to open in the coming months. Asda also confirmed that its acquisition of EG Group’s UK convenience estate is on track to complete in the final quarter of this year.

The stores opening this week will be both former Co-op and former EG Group sites.