Asda has launched a programme to convert 116 petrol station forecourts and attached convenience stores acquired from the Co-op Group last year to its Asda Express convenience brand.
A group of 11 sites are the first tranche to be rebranded Asda Express, with the remaining 105 sites due to be converted by the end of the first quarter of 2024.
Asda acquired 132 sites from the Co-op last year in a £438m deal, and the acquisition received regulatory approval from the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) in June after Asda agreed to divest 13 sites to satisfy competition requirements.
Mohsin Issa, Asda’s co-owner, said: “The launch of our 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 and to welcoming over 2,000 former Co-op colleagues to the Asda family in the coming months.
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.
Andy Perry, who ran the acquired Co-op sites while the acquisition received regulatory approval from the CMA, has joined Asda as vice president of convenience.
