• George at Asda launches the best returns policy on the high street
  
• One million mums give George quality the thumbs up in biggest ever ‘real life’ testing
  
• Nearly half of shoppers do not have time to repair clothing, bucking recessional trend of ‘make do and mend’
  

Today, George at Asda announced it is launching the best returns policy on the high street – a permanent 100 day ‘no quibble’ quality guarantee on all of its clothing. If Asda customers aren’t completely satisfied with the quality of any item bought from the supermarket range, they are entitled to a full refund regardless of how many times it may have been washed or worn.

Unlike the M&S returns policy, which has been reduced twice in the past four years despite severe customer backlash, the 100 day guarantee demonstrates Asda’s continued commitment to providing affordable quality clothing that is made to last.

more Posted by Asda press team on 08 March 2010, 10:02

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Lowest price saves consumers £820 per cycle of treatment

Asda Pharmacy offers IVF medication at a lower cost than anywhere else

Today, Asda announces a commitment to sell IVF drugs on a ‘not for profit’ basis. The cost of a private prescription for IVF medication varies between pharmacies, who are able to charge at their discretion.

Asda’s commitment to sell IVF drugs on a ‘not for profit’ basis means that one cycle of treatment would cost £1,171.41, compared to £1,993.93 at an independent pharmacy surveyed, a saving of £820 [1]. Superdrug will charge £1,919.22 per cycle and Boots will charge £1,893.70.

A UK-wide postcode lottery determines how many cycles a woman receives for free before she has to start paying. Currently, 71% of PCTs only offer one or two free treatment cycles, while fertility experts recommend 3 cycles of treatment per patient. This means a significant proportion of the tens of thousands of women who undergo IVF every year will have to pay for at least one cycle of treatment.

According to research by Asda, 63% of people are unaware that private prescription prices vary between pharmacies, with the majority of people (76%) going to the same pharmacy to pick up prescriptions. A staggering 92% of people surveyed have never compared the prices of private prescription drugs.

John Evans, Superintendent Pharmacist at Asda, comments:

“We know that an IVF postcode lottery means a considerable number of women will have to pay for additional cycles of treatment. IVF is extremely expensive and around 40, 000 women go through it every year.

“The Asda pharmacy is helping to reduce the cost of IVF by offering the medication on a not for profit basis and at a lower price than anywhere else, saving our customers as much as £820 per cycle of treatment.”

Infertility is the most common reason for women aged 20-45 to see their GP after pregnancy itself and affects 3.5 million people in the UK.

Posted by Asda press team on 03 March 2010, 00:01

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Asda launches £1 pack of nappies

With the cost of raising a child estimated at over £200,000, Asda is lending mums a helping hand by launching the UK’s lowest priced newborn nappies – £1 for a pack of 48 or just 2p a poop!

The Little Angel’s New Arrivals (size 1) are Asda’s softest ever nappy and come in at £5.95 cheaper per pack than Pampers (54 pack), the leading brand. Given that the average newborn needs to be changed eight times per day, using Little Angels over the leading brand could save over £40 in the first six weeks of baby’s life – more than enough for a buggy, cot or car seat.

The price cut follows news from the Government that whilst hard-pressed mums are struggling, family allowance will only rise by 30p a week, or £15.60 a year from 1st April. In fact, Pulse of the Nation research from Asda showed that 48% of mums find it hard to survive on just £20 a week child care allowance.

Sarah Gamble, Asda’s baby buyer comments: “Although having a baby is a money-can’t-buy-experience, it can be expensive, with many parents shelling out over £18,000 before baby’s first birthday. Cutting the price of nappies means we can help to take some of the financial pressure off new mums allowing them to spend time, not money, on their bundle of joy.”

Little Angel’s Nappies are Asda’s softest ever nappy with an embossed top sheet to help absorb the soft motions of newborns and flexible sides for easy changing. In addition to the £1 newborn size, the nappies available in sizes 2 -6, taking the baby up to potty training and costing just £3.75 a pack (48) or three packs for £10.

Based on eight changes a day up until the age of two, an average baby will have 5,840 nappy changes in his/ her lifetime. Using Pampers this could cost up to £598, compared to £437 for Little Angels, a saving of £161.

A spokesman from Tommy’s baby charity says “Pregnancy and birth can be a stressful time for new parents without the added worry of how to pay for essential baby items. A saving of over £250 could make a real difference to most mums in baby’s first two years taking some of financial strain out of the early years.”

Posted by Asda press team on 01 March 2010, 00:01

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This Jersey Royal season is starting early this year with Asda leading the market. This weekend the supermarket will be the first supermarket in the UK to sell the nation’s favourite potatoes following increasing customer demand for these buttery nuggets.

The Jersey Royal season traditionally spells the end of dark nights and the coming of spring, and this year Asda has pulled out all the stops to ensure that their customers get first dibs on the world-renowned potatoes.

Des Wilson, Produce buyer enthuses, “Jersey Royals are our customers’ favourite potato and they fly off the shelves as customers look forward to indulging in them for as long as the season will allow. We have worked closely with our growers this year to make sure that our customers get a special potato treat earlier than anyone else.

“We have speeded up the process of cultivating these delicious spuds by growing them in glass houses to protect them from the harsh winter weather, and they taste just as good as in season potatoes. We plan to give the competition a proper roasting this year!”

Jersey Royals owe their unique flavour to the rich fertile earth and gentle climate that the Island offers. These potatoes are grown on the steep South facing slopes of the island, known as côtils, where they benefit from the maximum amount of sunshine.

Jersey Royals are often referred to as the ‘Champagne of the potato world’ as they are the only vegetable to have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, meaning they can only be grown on Jersey. Jersey Royals will be available in Asda stores from next week, at £1 for 1lb.

Posted by Asda press team on 27 February 2010, 07:40

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Supermarket slashes emissions by 84,703 tonnes since 2007, despite opening 36 new stores

Asda announced today it had taken more than 80,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2-eq) out of its operations since 2007, despite opening 36 stores and serving an additional 2.5m customers each week.

The significant cut in emissions represents a seven per cent absolute reduction in CO2-eq in just two years, for every £1m of sales the supermarket today produces 66 tonnes of CO2-eq compared to 83 tonnes in 2007.

Asda’s carbon reduction announcement comes on the day that Walmart unveiled plans to eliminate a further 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its global supply chain by the end of 2015. This represents 150 percent of the company’s estimated global carbon footprint growth over the next five years and is the equivalent of taking more than 3.8 million cars off the road for a year.

Alongside the successful reduction of carbon emissions and greenhouse gases Asda is also its focusing on product innovation. The retailer has already developed Respectful Eggs, which use 50 percent less carbon to produce but cost the same as a standard free range egg. Asda is also trialling a refillable fabric conditioner dispenser, where customers can refill their 1.5L pouches up to 10 times, saving them nearly 40p each visit and reducing the amount of plastic packaging waste by up to 96 percent. Innovation in pork, dairy and textiles are planned for later in 2010.

Walmart has been a global leader in sustainability since 2005, when the then CEO and President of the company Lee Scott outlined ambitious targets to reduce carbon across its operations. That commitment required Walmart to cut emissions from existing stores by 20% by 2010, and new stores by 30% by 2013. Asda has already reached both targets ahead of deadline.

Paul Kelly, Asda’s External Affairs and Corporate Responsibility Director, said: “Saving money and cutting waste has always been at the heart of our business and that also puts sustainability centre stage. Compared to 2005, our stores are significantly more energy efficient, and despite our colleagues now delivering 400m more cases each year, our trucks are driving 19m fewer miles. Through a combination of food innovation, removing unnecessary waste, and the introduction of double-deck trailers, reverse logistics from our stores, we now have some of the most efficient stores in retail and the most cost-effective distribution network in the UK.”

Over the last two years these actions have saved us £30m and as a result we have invested in lowering the price of the weekly shop for its 18 million customers whilst also making a significant reduction in the impact is has on the planet.

Asda today also confirmed it is on target to send zero waste to landfill by the end of 2010. By reducing, recycling, and reusing all of the materials in its stores and depots, Asda is diverting almost 200,000 tonnes of waste compared to 2005.

This year to achieve its target, it is diverting all food waste from landfill, and implementing comprehensive colleague recycling facilities, allowing all its store and depot colleagues to recycle plastic bottles, cans and office paper. The remaining residual waste will be sent to energy recovery facilities.

Tomorrow Ed Miliband, Doncaster North MP and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, visits an Asda distribution centre in Doncaster, and will say:

“I’m really delighted that Asda is making a real effort in reducing their carbon footprint, it is very impressive and I congratulate them on their achievement. I look forward to seeing Asda making further progress and playing its part to help the environment.”

Posted by Asda Press Office on 25 February 2010, 17:19

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Asda Income Tracker stalls for the second consecutive month

• No change in discretionary income of average UK household
• Earnings growth rises, but still significantly weaker than pre-recession
• Annual rate of inflation reaches fourteen month high
• Widespread increase in cost of essentials continues to apply pressure

According to the latest Asda Income Tracker, the arrival of 2010 has not resulted in an improvement in family finances.

January 2010 marks the second consecutive month that the average UK family is no better off than a year earlier. As a result, the average UK household had £164 a week of discretionary income in January 2010, a marginal 0.1% higher than a year earlier.

The continued pressure on family finances is in spite of an increase in the rate of growth in gross income, which has risen to 2.5% year on year in January, compared to an increase of 1.7% year on year in December. This is higher due to base effects from steep drops in early 2009 at the recession’s lowest point.

more Posted by Asda press team on 24 February 2010, 00:02

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Watch Andy Bond’s video briefing for journalists on the full year results for 2009.

You can download the full transcript here

Posted by Asda press team on 18 February 2010, 11:58

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• Up to £437.50 bonus paid to full time store and depot colleagues
• £129 million windfall paid since Walmart acquisition in 1999
• 6,000 new job opportunities in 2010
• 1 million more customers through the doors in 2009
• Ambitious global sourcing plans aim to leverage Walmart buying strength

On the day that Walmart releases its full year results, Asda today announced that a successful 2009 means its store and depot colleagues will share a record £26 million bonus pot – 18 per cent higher than last year’s payout.

The retailer also committed to creating 6,000 new jobs in 2010 as part of a programme of recruitment to accommodate ten new store openings and ten store extensions.

Asda’s success in 2009 was primarily driven by an increase in customer numbers and higher average basket spend, after successfully broadening its appeal and welcoming one million more people through its stores each week.

For the fourth year running Asda store and depot colleagues will be rewarded for their hard work with a bonus payout of up to £437.50. The windfall, which is paid to colleagues on 26 February, will be distributed amongst those with more than six months service working in Asda’s 371 stores and 21 depots across the UK.

The best performing stores in each country were Asda Rayleigh (England) Asda Enniskillen (Northern Ireland) Asda Girvan (Scotland) and Asda Pwllheli (Wales) – who all exceeded their sales plans and posted record growth.

In addition to the bonus payout, Asda announced today that it will create more than 6,000 new jobs, building on the 20,000 full and part time jobs that have been created in the last three years as the retailer has continued to grow and be recognised as one of the best places to work in the UK.

These new jobs will not only increase the level of service on the shop floor but will also provide stepping stones into management positions for many existing hourly paid colleagues.

Chet Kuchinad, people director at Asda said:

“To announce a record bonus payout and the creation of thousands of new jobs in a challenging economic environment is testament to the successful year that we have had here at Asda.

“This success is absolutely down to the continued hard work and commitment of all of our store and depot colleagues who have once again gone above and beyond to deliver fantastic service and every day low prices to our customers’ week in, week out.

“On top of this we are continuing to recruit on a large scale in 2010, with thousands of new opportunities to join Asda this year. With one of the lowest turnover rates in British retail, we have an incredibly motivated and experienced workforce and are looking forward to expanding this in 2010.”

Later this morning Asda will outline how this year it will further leverage Walmart’s buying strength in 2010.

Asda will be an integral part of Walmart’s plans to lower costs through its new Global Merchandising Centres, leveraging the company’s global scale in both general merchandising and global food sourcing. Asda’s fresh produce business – International Produce Limited (IPL) – will also play a key role in reducing prices on imported produce such as melons, stone fruit and grapes. Now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walmart, it will also buy in greater volume for stores in the worldwide Walmart family, helping to lower prices for Asda shoppers.

Asda president and CEO Andy Bond said;

“We’re putting the right structure in place to generate significant savings to customers over the years ahead, powered by our unique relationship with Walmart.”

Andy Bond will announce the retailer’s full year results today at 12pm. He will also be hosting a customer web chat online at www.asda.com/yourasda from 2pm.

Posted by Asda press team on 18 February 2010, 08:00

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