Asda chief hails return to sales growth

The chief executive of Asda today said initiatives such as price-matching and the revamp of the supermarket’s upmarket Extra Special range helped trigger a return to sales growth in its third quarter.

Andy Clarke, a former Asda store manager who took on the chain’s top job in May, said its mid-tier Chosen By You range and George clothing label also boosted customer numbers.

Mr Clarke’s strategy for growth, which has helped turn around six months of declining like-for-like sales at the chain, followed comments made in his first speech as boss that Asda had not focused enough on food quality.

Asda posted a 1.3% increase in like-for-like sales in the three months to September 30 and said profits for the third quarter had beaten its own targets.

The update comes as Asda revealed plans to create some 7,500 jobs next year, through store openings and its recent takeover of Danish supermarket Netto in the UK.