An Open Letter from Allan Leighton to The Grocer

I write in response to the piece you published online yesterday (23 April 2025) with regard to Asda’s Rollback strategy and our continued investment in Asda Price. That piece makes a number of assertions that are not accurate. Given the importance of our mission to become the lowest price full service supermarket in the country, I would like to take the opportunity to set out the facts clearly and for you to publish this by way of response.

Asda Price is about getting more items in your basket for the money you spend. As Ken Morrison used to tell me “Nowt in your pocket and glad e it”.

To that end:

• The Asda food range is approximately 27,000 product lines (SKUs).

• Since we launched Rollback in January of this year 11,240 lines (42% of our range) have been through Rollback. The average reduction in price has been circa 22%.

• Our objective is to have all of our product lines at Asda Price by the end of 2026 using Rollback as the mechanism to deliver it.

• Rollbacks are for periods of up to 12 weeks, whether it be 3, 4, 8, 10 or 12 weeks.

• At the end of the Rollback period products move to a new Asda Price which should be lower than the price it was before Rollback.

• As of today 6,300 products are at Asda Price and 4,000 more are currently on Rollback.

• This will mean at least 10,000 lines at Asda Price by the end of May.

• 94% of products that have been Rollbacked are at a new lower Asda price compared to prior to Rollback. 633 products - or 6% - are at a higher price than prior to Rollback. However, the vast majority are still at the same or a lower price than our competitors.

• Our price baskets show that we currently have opened up between a 3-6% price advantage over our supermarket competitors based on their lowest price, which is available to their members only.

• Finally, our inflation is on average 1.5% lower than our competitors.

We are proud of the progress we are making, but as I said in January, we aren’t looking for a quick fix and it will take time. And, like everyone, we aren't always perfect, but our customers and colleagues are seeing the difference and we remain clear on our mission.

Best,

Allan Leighton

Executive Chairman at Asda