Asda announce plans for 9,000 new jobs

British supermarket chain Asda today announced plans to create more than 9,000 jobs through store openings, extensions and business expansion.

The company’s biggest jobs programme this decade will see 7,000 jobs created over the next 12 months through the opening of between 10 and 12 new superstores, 10 Living stores and 12 extensions to existing outlets.

In addition, a further 1,500 jobs will be created through the expansion of Home Shopping and Asda Direct.

The new store programme, which begins with the opening of an outlet in Andover, Hampshire, next month, will add more than 800,000 sq ft to the retailer’s estate - representing an investment of around £400m (€529m).

The expansion comes a day after Asda said it had exceeded sales and profit targets for the 2007 financial year. Like-for-like sales excluding fuel increased by “mid-single digits”, while total sales growth was in the high single digits.

Asda operates from 345 stores in total, including 13 Asda Living shops and 12 George high street outlets.

Expansion plans for 2008 also include new stores Dalgety Bay in Scotland and Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan.

Asda chief financial officer Judith McKenna said: “We have an impressive track record of regenerating areas at the edge of and in town centres throughout the UK, showing our ongoing commitment to local communities.”

The continued roll-out of Asda’s pharmacy business will create 500 jobs, through the opening of 50 in-store pharmacies. The acceleration of Home Shopping to a further 40 stores, will create more than 1,300 vacancies, rolling out to over 95% of UK postcodes.