First look at Asda’s new ‘Express’ store as it plans to open 30 more
ASDA has opened the first of its 30 new convenience stores today.
The store in Sutton Coldfield has opened under the new Asda Express brand name and has created 17 jobs in the area.
It stocks around 3,000 products, including a range of fresh and chilled groceries, as well as products from Asda’s premium Extra Special range and a broad selection of beers, wines and spirits.
Shoppers are able to buy a range of hot and cold takeaway food options from Asda and partner brands including Leon.
The store also sells ready meals and a selection of £10 meal deals for two people.
It offers parcel collection, return services and a grocery delivery service through Uber Eats.
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Asda is set to launch a second mini store before the year is out.
The next will be opening on December 6 in Tottenham Hale, London.
Asda plans to launch a further 30 sites, creating about 500 new roles, in 2023.
The stores will be smaller and in more urban locations, compared with the supermarket's huge, out of town stores shoppers are used to.
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Mohsin Issa, Asda’s co-owner, said: “The launch of our first two Asda Express convenience stores is a landmark moment for our great business and a key step on our journey to bring Asda to more customers in more communities right across the UK.
“The stores have been designed to cater for a broad range of customer needs – whether that’s popping in for a pint of milk, grabbing a spot of lunch on the go, or buying the fresh ingredients to cook dinner from scratch.
"We’re confident customers will find everything they need in these stores and enjoy the convenience of having a new type of Asda store on their doorstep.
“I’m delighted to welcome the new colleagues at Sutton Coldfield and Tottenham Hale to the Asda family – leading us on our first steps into this market and am grateful to all the colleagues who have worked with such pace and enthusiasm to bring this vision to life for Asda.”
The new Asda Express stores are fully owned and operated by Asda.
They are separate from the Asda On the Move convenience sites, which you've seen on garage forecourts that are owned and operated by EG Group.
Asda previously announced it was to take over 132 Co-ops, but the supermarket confirmed that these stores are separate from the deal.
It isn't the only supermarket moving into the convenience sector.
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Morrisons is set to close 132 McColl's stores leaving 1,300 jobs at risk after buying the convenience chain earlier this year.
Last month, Tesco cut 325 jobs as part of a major shake-up as part of plans to recruit thousands of temporary workers over Christmas.