Customer Delivery Driver

Asda pain mounts as sales slump and job cuts bite. Asda's turnaround efforts are facing renewed scrutiny as it rucks against falling sales, shrinking market share and mounting pressure to cut costs. The company is pushing ahead with a wide-ranging overhaul under executive chairman Allan Leighton, who returned to the business in 2024, as it attempts to reverse several years of underperformance. However, the Asda's sales remained in decline during the summer, despite increased investment in pricing and product availability. Asda sales fell 1.1 per cent year on year in the 12 weeks to 12 July, making it the only one of the UK's three largest grocers to record a drop during the period. The decline happened as the wider grocery market grew, with Sainsbury's sales rising 2.8 per cent and Lidl recording an 8.6 per cent increase. Online retailer Ocado remained the fastest-growing grocer overall, with sales up 14.1 per cent. Asda has also launched another round of cost cutting, placing around 150 roles at its Leeds head office at risk. The proposed redundancies are understood to affect teams across the business as the retailer seeks to generate savings to support its turnaround plan. The supermarket has simultaneously reshuffled its senior leadership following the departure of George managing director and non-food chief commercial officer Liz Evans. Chief operating officer David Lepley has taken responsibility for retail operations alongside supply chain, while Rachel Eyre has become chief customer and digital officer, bringing Asda's online and digital operations under one executive. Sales recovery remains elusive Asda had shown signs of improvement earlier in the year, with like-for-like sales declining 0.8 per cent during its first quarter, compared with a 4.2 per cent fall during the final three months of 2025. Total first-quarter revenue excluding fuel dropped 1.5 per cent to £5bn, although product availability remained at an eight-year high of more than 95 per cent. Despite that progress, Asda continues to lose ground against Tesco, Sainsbury's, Aldi and Lidl. Its financial position has also added urgency to the turnaround. Asda's pre-tax loss widened to £989m in 2025, up from £599m the previous year, while revenue including fuel fell 3.4 per cent to £25.9bn. Net debt stood at £3.1bn at the end of the year, although this was £500m lower than in 2024. Asda blamed part of its recent performance on disruption caused by Project Future, its £1bn-plus separation from Walmart's legacy technology systems. Asda insists its core systems have now stabilised, allowing it to improve availability, pricing and customer satisfaction. The grocer said all of its debt maturities had also been addressed through to 2028. Asda bets on digital overhaul Asda is banking on new technology partnerships to strengthen its position, including a deal to introduce Ocado's Smart Platform across its online grocery operations. The rollout will begin in 2027 with an upgraded website and app, before expanding to in-store picking and last-mile delivery. Asda currently processes more than 700,000 online grocery orders each week. Leighton has said the improvements will allow Asda to compete more effectively online while supporting its wider "Formula for Growth" strategy. However, with sales still falling, losses approaching £1bn and further jobs being removed, the pressure is mounting for Asda's investment in lower prices, technology and operational improvements to translate into sustained market-share growth.

Asda launches programme with Food and Drink Wales. Maisie McNab - Asda Local Buyer for Wales, centre, with Karen Davies from Tovali Soft Drinks, left, and Gwynfor Evans from Radnor Hills (Image: Phil Blagg) Asda is teaming up with Food and Drink Wales on a scheme to help businesses grow their presence on supermarket shelves. The Welsh Supplier Development Programme will support more than 30 businesses across Wales. Announced during the Royal Welsh Show, the scheme aims to equip suppliers with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in retail, with a focus on growth and opportunity. Maisie McNab, Asda's local buyer for Wales, said: "Supporting local suppliers is crucial for a strong and thriving supply chain in Wales. "Bringing local products to our customers and making them accessible is a key priority, and this bespoke programme, one which will see us working closely with producers, is an exciting opportunity to share hands-on and practical advice, helping suppliers unlock their full potential." The three-day programme, backed by the Welsh Government, will run between August and October at locations including Asda's Coryton store in Cardiff and its Chepstow depot. Sessions will cover topics such as compliance, marketing, product development, logistics and account management. Suppliers will meet with senior Asda directors and general store managers to discuss their business proposals and receive one-to-one feedback. Participants will also gain insights into supply chain processes, including delivery and depot bookings, during a visit to the Chepstow site. The programme concludes with a day at Asda's Leeds headquarters focused on finance, trading and Asda systems. Carmarthen brand Tovali Soft Drinks, which has supplied Asda for more than 13 years, is among the businesses taking part. Karen Davies, operations and commercial director, said: "This initiative reflects Asda's ongoing commitment to the quality Welsh brands shoppers value." Other suppliers participating include South Caernarfon Creameries' Dragon Cheese, Popty Conwy Bakery, Cardiff drinks company Lowes Pop and Radnor Hills. Gwynfor Evans, retail marketing manager at Radnor Hills, said the programme offered a valuable opportunity. He said: "North Wales Pioneer is incredibly excited to be involved in the programme, one North Wales Pioneer hope will strengthen its relationship with Asda and its customers across Wales. "Innovation is at the heart of what we do, and support from such a key partner is something we intend to make the most of." More Stories

Sizzling summer for Marks & Spencer as heatwave and World Cup boost food sales. By EMILY HAWKINS Updated: 17:01 EDT, 21 July 2026 Marks & Spencer has clocked up its strongest food sales for three years - thanks to the World Cup and heatwaves. The High Street retailer gained customers as its grocery sales rose 16 per cent over the 12 weeks to July 12, according to closely watched data from market researchers Worldpanel. High temperatures and the World Cup also meant that shoppers made 497m trips to supermarkets over the four weeks to July 12, according to Worldpanel. This was the highest figure since March 2020. Asda was the only supermarket to see sales drop, falling 1 per cent to £4.2 billion over the period. Rival Morrisons, which, like Asda, has also struggled in the wake of a private-equity takeover, saw sales rise by 1.4 per cent. Lidl made the biggest gains of any grocer, with sales rising 8.6 per cent, compared with an increase of just 0.7 per cent at budget rival Aldi. Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel, said: 'Sport and sunshine combined to shape shopping habits this month, and England's run in the tournament had a clear impact on the drinks aisle.' Sales up: M&S has been trying to convince more people to do their weekly shop with M&S, as opposed to just being a destination for treats