Asda marks two big launches in convenience, sustainability
British retailer Asda has unveiled two innovative experiences for its shoppers. The company has officially opened its first convenience location, along with recently opening the U.K.’s largest self-serve refill store. Both innovations highlight own brands in different ways.
The new store, which is located in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, stocks 2,500 products including a large selection of Asda’s private label products. These include an extensive selection of fresh and chilled "Extra Special" products, as well as ready meals and beers, wines and spirits, offering great value and quality compared with rival forecourt grocery formats. The location will also stock a selection of dishes created by celebrity chef, Gino D’Acampo, including his "Mamma’s" lasagna and classic Italian recipes. Asda plans to open 28 convenience locations in the coming months.
“Customers visiting the store will find everything you would expect to be able to pick up in a forecourt grocery location, along with a wide range of premium ‘Extra Special’ options across chilled meals, fresh ingredients and a specially selected range of beverages,” said Derek Lawlor, chief merchandising officer at Asda. “The launch marks a milestone in the evolution of Asda On the Move and our convenience offer, as well as an increased focus on showcasing our Extra Special range, which continues to be a popular choice with customers, with like for like sales in this category up by more than 20% in Q2 compared to the same period in 2019.”
Asda recently unveiled another new installation, the country’s largest refill store in the city of York. The store will stock over 100 branded and own brand products sold in a loose and unpackaged format in a huge 18-bay refill zone, aiming to reduce plastic and help customers shop more sustainability.
Customers visiting the store can use their own containers to buy unpackaged products such as pasta, rice, tea, coffee and cereals, or alternatively buy a reusable container in-store and use that instead. The refill zone in York is part of the supermarket’s strategy to remove three billion pieces of single-use plastic from its business by 2025.
The York refill store is the third opened by Asda, following the launch of its flagship store in Leeds last October and the recent opening in Toryglen, Glasgow. A fourth will open in Milton Keynes by the end of the year.