Asda Livingston: Grocer 33 store of the week

Asda as a whole had quite a strong Christmas, according to this week’s results. How are your sales going so far in 2018?

I’m pleased with the way the year’s started, especially in terms of growth in volumes of sale. It’s better than last year, particularly in food. We’ve seen huge growth in the store’s online business. They are absolutely smashing it.

Is the ‘Rollback then stay back’ campaign any different from Rollbacks of yore and what will it mean in store? There is a big point of sale campaign that is going to launch in store on the back of it. I cannot say too much about it, but it will really explain clearly to people what the whole campaign is about. Shoppers get very frustrated when they see prices fluctuating and to have that reassurance that prices won’t be going back up is very important.

Do you think shoppers expect Asda to concentrate on more than price? To have that obsession with price is great. It’s what gives the store its energy. Obviously, it’s not all about price. Other areas, such as availability and service, are also very important, but I have been with Asda for 25 years, and we would lose our way if we lost that obsession.

Are there any physical improvements to the store in the pipeline? My colleagues and I are very excited because we have a full store refresh coming up. Asda is investing £3.4m in the store in the second quarter, which will include all-new fixtures and fittings in areas like George clothing. It’s obviously going to be quite a stressful period having it all done, but it’s going to be great for the store, I hope.

Asda has announced it’s scrapping plastic bags as part of a wider war on plastic. How will that go down with your shoppers? No business can afford to ignore the concerns people have about plastic and its impact on the environment. Shoppers definitely understand that something has to be done.