Asda Living trial extended
Two new locations for non-food format
Asda is to open to further Asda Living non-food stores, at Cortonwood, Yorkshire and Altrincham, Cheshire.
The expansion of the trial of Asda Living comes as the Wal-Mart owned supermarket operator is reported to be considering non-food acquisitions. Asda is understood to have made a premliminary approach for the Littlewoods Index store chain, and is also considered a likely counter-bidder for Woolworths if a formal offer from private equity player Apax materialises.
The two new Asda Living stores will both be open by mid-2005. The format includes homeware, health & beauty, and the George clothing range. Like arch-rival Tesco, Asda is having to vary its retail formats as supermarket sites become harder to obtain under the tight UK planning regulations.
