(LONDON) British supermarket chain Asda on Tuesday announced plans to create 10,000 jobs over the next four years to support the opening of 300 convenience stores across the country by 2026, according to a statement.
Asda is number three in the sector in the UK, but is aiming for the number two spot, hoping to overtake Sainsbury’s and take its place behind Tesco.
To achieve this, the group intends to rely on the convenience store market “which should grow by 13% by 2027 to 50 billion pounds” per year in the country, he estimates.
The development of this activity constitutes “a key element of the group’s long-term growth strategy”, after its takeover concluded last year by the Issa brothers, service station magnates, associated with the investment fund TDR Capital, with the American giant Walmart.
The second Asda Express in its network opened on Tuesday at a residential complex in Tottenham Hale, north London.
Beyond the 300 new stores planned, Asda had also announced at the end of October the acquisition of 132 convenience stores adjoining service stations from the competing chain Co-op.