Asda will convert all of EG Group’s 356 forecourt stores to Asda Express by summer next year, The Grocer can reveal.
Following the completion of the £2bn acquisition, which was announced on 31 October, the supermarket giant has already switched 12 Asda On The Move stores to its Express format, with a further 13 set to be converted by the end of the week.
These include sites on Chellaston Road in Derby, Chartwell Business Park in Shropshire and King Street in Weymouth.
As part of the conversion programme, Asda will also be converting 177 Spar stores that were sitting on EG Group forecourts.
The transaction builds on Asda’s acquisition of 119 forecourt stores from the Co-op, which it started to convert to the Asda Express fascia in October.
Asda said between the rollout of EG Group and Co-op’s estates, it will be opening up to 20 stores per week.
Asda Express, which was initially launched as a standalone convenience format at Sutton Coldfield in November last year, stocks up to 3,000 branded and own-label products to suit a broad range of customer needs, the business said.
These include top-ups essential such as milk and bread, lunchtime goods for on the go, and fresh and ambient ingredients for cooking dinner from scratch.
“This conversion programme is an incredibly exciting moment for our business and accelerates our presence in the fast-growing convenience market,” said Andy Perry, MD of convenience at Asda.
”We look forward to bringing Asda’s great value in fuel and groceries to many more communities across the UK.”
Meanwhile, EG Group has set up a new company called EG On The Move to run the 32 forecourts it is not selling to Asda. It is currently trialling the forecourt branding at a petrol station in Bury.
The Grocer understands nine of the forecourts it is retaining hold an Asda On The Move convenience store.
These will be converted to Spar when Asda stops supplying them in March.
Under the terms of transaction, EG Group will also keep certain foodservice brands including Cooplands, its wholly owned bakery business, as well as franchise businesses with Starbucks, KFC, Sbarro, Chaiiwala and Cinnabon
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