Asda to move in on convenience sector

Asda is to enter the convenience market through a trial with forecourt operator EG Group it was announced on September 21.

Asda will brand its convenience wing as ‘Asda On the Move’. In the first instance, it will initially be trialled at EG Group fuel station forecourts in Ashby, Leamore, and Primley in the Midlands, with no news on if and when it could be piloted in Northern Ireland.

Trial

The trial of Asda’s convenience proposition follows the launch of its partnership with Uber Eats in July, which has now been expanded to 25 stores.

Preyash Thakrar, Asda’s chief strategy officer, said: “Our partnerships strategy is focused on making our busy customers’ lives easier. That means offering convenience when they visit our stores by bringing in complementary brands to help them complete more shopping missions in one location, and convenience that makes our great value products more accessible in local communities.

‘Test and Learn’

Asda also announced that it is further delivering on its ‘test and learn’ strategy with a number of leading brands.

The strategy, which launched last year, will not only see the supermarket enter the convenience market through the trial with forecourt operator EG Group, it is also collaborating on an in-store concept with B&Q.

In-store partnerships

Asda says it is accelerating its in-store partnerships strategy following a shift in customer behaviour brought on by the pandemic, with an increasing number of shoppers looking to complete multiple shopping ‘missions’ on a single trip.

The B&Q collaboration involves the trial of four ‘shop within a shop’ compact B&Q stores within Asda’s superstores.