Asda has opened 19 new Express stores as part of its growing investment in convenience retailing. The supermarket chain is targeting city centres, residential areas and transport hubs where customer demand for smaller-format stores continues to rise.
With locations stretching from London to Manchester, the latest openings form part of Asda’s broader effort to reach areas where it previously had limited presence. According to the company, the new stores offer a streamlined range of over 3,000 branded and own-label products, matching the value proposition of larger Asda supermarkets.
Focus on Urban Convenience Fuels Expansion
Asda launched two new Express stores in January, with one in Bradford and the other in Salford. The Bradford branch is based in the converted former Hare and Hounds pub on Toller Lane, while the Salford location is a newly constructed site on Norton Street, near the local train station. These additions follow 17 store openings in 2024, bringing the Express store count to more than 500 nationwide.
According to Joseph Sutton, Asda’s Vice President for Express, foodservice and fuel, the convenience network now outperforms the wider market. “We’re excited to kick off the year by opening two brand-new Asda Express stores, building on our fantastic momentum from 2025,” he said. “In under five years, we’ve built a nationwide convenience estate of over 500 stores which is now outperforming the wider convenience market thanks to the combination of our great products and unbeatable value.”
The latest store rollout primarily targets London, where 10 of the new branches are located. These include high-traffic sites such as Limehouse Station, Finsbury Park, Deptford, and Tottenham Hale West. Other new locations span urban centres in Manchester, Liverpool, Wigan, Stoke and Castleford, reflecting a deliberate push into areas of historically low coverage.
Offer and Format Align with Wider Brand Strategy
The Asda Express model is designed to offer a focused selection of everyday essentials, including fresh produce, bakery items and food-to-go options. Additional services such as delivery through Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo are also being introduced shortly after launch. According to Asda, the pricing on core products, such as bread, milk, selected fruit and vegetables, is aligned with that of its larger supermarket counterparts, aiming to preserve the brand’s reputation for value across all formats.
The convenience strategy forms part of a wider response to shifting consumer habits. With footfall rising in neighbourhood and commuter locations, smaller stores have become a key growth avenue. That said, the expansion comes against the backdrop of a challenging festive trading period. According to The Grocer, Christmas sales declined by 6.5% in the four weeks to 27 December 2024, despite widespread price reductions across thousands of stock keeping units.
The company had originally planned 20 store openings in 2024, but only 17 were confirmed as launched last year. With two stores already opened in 2025, Asda is aiming for around 20 new locations over the course of the year, including those in underserved urban zones.
The full list of recent openings includes branches in Tower Bridge, Greenwich, Crystal Palace, Ferndown, Botley and Harrow, among others. These sites form part of what Asda describes as a “nationwide convenience estate” aimed at delivering easy access to affordable groceries in everyday settings.
