Asda’s brand-new store in Hale Barns officially opens
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The store is part of Asda’s ongoing investment to bring great quality products and uncompromising value to more communities across the UK
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It follows significant investment to launch 470 new Asda Express convenience stores during the last 12 months
Asda has today announced that its long-awaited store in Hale Barns is officially open.
The 11,000 sq. ft store is one of the largest that Asda has opened in recent years and is the latest in a series of investments Asda has made to grow its store estate as part of its long-term growth strategy to become the UK’s second largest supermarket.
The retailer has invested a seven-figure sum to acquire the lease and re-fit the store, so that it can bring Asda’s uncompromising value, great quality products and services to the local community.
The store located on the Central Hale Road, Altrincham, will stock over 8000 branded and own-label favourites, including fresh food, fruit and veg, frozen favourites and cupboard essentials. Over 160 of the products were voted ‘as tasty’ or ‘tastier than M&S’ in thousands of independent blind taste tests as part of Asda’s M&S taste match campaign.
Fresh bread and pastries will be baked daily in the brand-new store bakery and a selection hot food will be available from the stores grab-and-go takeaway. The store will be the first Asda store to offer an ‘Extra Special’ deli counter, offering a selection of cheese and meats from Asda’s premium range.
Innovative food to-go counters will offer exciting world foods such as Panku Sushi and the popular Asda Pizza Counter will allow customers to create their own pizza. Its newly refurbished café will serve popular favourites and offer seasonal propositions such as Asda’s Kids Eat for £1 deal.
Kids visiting the store will also be able to snap up one of Asda’s brand-new mini trollies, available the front of the store to keep little shoppers entertained as they peruse the aisles.
As well as its core grocery offering, the store will serve local causes at the heart of the community through the Asda Foundation. Ahead of the opening the Asda Foundation has already awarded a grant of £785 to Altrincham and Hale FC to support with the increased running costs of their local team.
The store will have a monthly budget to support local causes and will be matched with a local Trussell Trust food bank to donate surplus food. In addition the new store will also fundraise for Asda’s national supported charities - Tickled Pink and Children in Need.
All 65 employees who previously works at the store when Booths held the lease have become Asda colleagues. Asda is the highest paying traditional supermarket and from 1st July colleagues transferring to Asda will see their pay increase significantly from £11.50 to £12.04.
The investment in the opening of a large store site follows the recent expansion of Asda’s convenience estate. The retailer now has over 1000 UK stores for the first time in its 59-year history, after it converted all 470 convenience stores it had acquired from EG Group and the Co-op in the last two years to Asda Express.
Feroz Patel, Asda’s, VP Retail Central, said: “The opening of our Hale Barns store is another example of our ongoing investment to bring Asda's great quality products and uncompromising value to more communities in the UK.
“Customers shopping at Hale Barns can expect to find wide range of products and high-quality services, including a refurbished café and a premium deli counter offering some of our highest quality products. We look forward to joining the local community and supporting it through our community initiatives for many years to come.”
Asda’s popular loyalty scheme, Asda Rewards, will also be accepted in store. Asda Rewards provides customers with the chance to earn pounds, not points, each time they purchase certain products or complete a milestone mission.
Since the app launched in August 2022, circa six million active users have earned a £420m in their Cashpots which can be used in store or online to reduce their grocery bills.
Outside the store in its spacious car park, customers will find over 160 parking spaces for ease of accessibility. Opening times will be from 7am – 10pm, Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm each Sunday.