News and Trends

Source: Gavin Rothwell Linkedin post. Grocery Gazette   Asda has just launched a dedicated hot meal deal, priced at £4 and including a main, a dip and a side. What we like about this is how it plays to providing solutions for shoppers, not least in how it offers an array of time of day relevant solutions within the hot food offer. And of course the £4 price point is simple to understand and attractive. Across the market as a whole, this is a fascinating time in the evolution of food-to-go and in how different meal deal mechanics are being adopted by a range of operators - Pret's Pick Your Pair deal is just one recent example of this. Asda has introduced hot food to its meal deal offering,  available at the retailers’ rotisserie counters at participating stores nationwide. This move is designed to offer customers a convenient and affordable alternative when on the move, and the deal includes a main, side and dip for £4. The offer includes a wide range of breakfast and luncht...

Source: British Baker Source: Asda Allergen and calorie information for a pain aux raisin is displayed on a digital label at an Asda Express in-store bakery Asda has rolled out new digital labelling to make Natasha’s Law allergen and calorie information available for selected in-store bakery (ISB) items. The initiative has been implemented for around 20 ISB products at 142 Asda Express stores nationwide. Locations were specially chosen due to their loose bakery offering, noted the retailer. Natasha’s Law on food labelling, introduced in 2011, requires UK food businesses to provide full ingredients lists and allergen information on items that are ‘pre-packed for direct sale’. However, this does not extend to loose items such as unpackaged bread, pastries, and sweet treats at ISB fixtures. Instead, supermarkets are allowed to choose how best to present these details, typically opting for a downloadable PDF from their website. A spokesperson for Asda said its electronic shelf edge labels ...

  Source: Asda Asda had a giant croissant commissioned to mark the launch of the new single serve pastry fixtures Asda has introduced a new single serve pastry and cake fixture within its in-store bakery (ISB) department, with all items priced at under £1. The retailer has rolled out the fixtures in 109 stores as it looks to tap into grab and go demand for pastries and sweet treats throughout the day. Options include new and improve favourites, such as All Butter Croissants and Pain Au Chocolate, as well as familiar favourites such as Cinnamon Swirls and Pain Au Raisins – all priced at 53p. As well as the classics, new products will also be available including a Pesto & Parmesan Swirl and Cheese Croissant, both priced at 77p each. Notably, this brings Asda’s croissants in under Lidl’s. The discounter  recently cut the price of some of its bestselling bakery lines  which saw the All Butter Croissant discounted from 65p to 59p. The full list of available products and th...

Source: Asda Asda had a giant croissant commissioned to mark the launch of the new single serve pastry fixtures Asda has introduced a new single serve pastry and cake fixture within its in-store bakery (ISB) department, with all items priced at under £1. The retailer has rolled out the fixtures in 109 stores as it looks to tap into grab and go demand for pastries and sweet treats throughout the day. Options include new and improve favourites, such as All Butter Croissants and Pain Au Chocolate, as well as familiar favourites such as Cinnamon Swirls and Pain Au Raisins – all priced at 53p. As well as the classics, new products will also be available including a Pesto & Parmesan Swirl and Cheese Croissant, both priced at 77p each. Notably, this brings Asda’s croissants in under Lidl’s. The discounter  recently cut the price of some of its bestselling bakery lines  which saw the All Butter Croissant discounted from 65p to 59p. The full list of available products and their pri...

  £10 million makeover planned for Asda cafés in partnership with One Retail Over 180 Asda cafes to be refreshed and upgraded Introduction of digital menu screens and table ordering New and improved menu including Asda’s popular 12” pizzas   Asda has announced there will be a £10 million refresh programme in over 180 of its popular instore cafes. The project, led by partner One Retail, part of  Compass Group UK & Ireland  will begin this month and is expected to be completed by the end of October.  The cafés, which are managed by One Retail, will be upgraded to have a new look and feel which will include the introduction of digital ordering screens and table ordering service, alongside a manned till.    The new menu will include some of the old favourites such as a full English breakfast, fish and chips, lasagne and jacket potatoes and customers can look forward to the arrival of some new dishes including smashed avocado on toast, katsu chicken cur...

  Asda is ramping up its push into the convenience sector, with the launch of 25 new c-stores across the country this year. The supermarket giant said it plans to open the new tranche of c-stores between June and December, in accordance with its aims to reach more consumers in town and city centres,  reported  The Telegraph. The new stores are set to include former Co-op locations, after Asda acquired 478 convenience sites from Co-op and EG Group over the past two years. The renewed expansion drive comes as the grocer  slowed the pace of its convenience store   openings last year. A dozen new stores opened in 2024, down from an original forecast of 30, and significantly below the 81 stores opened in 2023. In recent years the supermarket chain has struggled with its market share, dropping from 14.8% in 2021 to 10.4% last month. According to figures from Kantar, for the 12 weeks to 23 March, German discounter Aldi  surpassed  Asda for the first time, wit...

  Asda is once again embracing indulgent and warming flavours in its Christmas 2024 range, but with a twist on tradition this time around. Following last year’s success of its first-ever signature flavour,  brown butter & spiced dark rum , Asda’s innovation team has brought back the concept with a new flavour for 2024 – Fig, Whisky, and Spiced Honey. It noted that the rich, fruity, and elegant flavour profile had been developed through extensive trend tracking and experimentation by the team, led by senior director of food innovation and trends Jonathan Moore. Whisky provides sweet notes of oak, malt, and dried fruit, all highly complimenting winter foods, while honey is said to be having a global moment as a natural sweetener and identified as one of Asda’s trending ingredients for 2024/25. The combination features in 16 new products across its entire 500-strong festive range, including Christmas pudding, mince pies, and even a cheese pastry. Marrow bone, oozing Camembert...