ASDA boss pledges to offer all non-food online by 2010

The chief executive of Asda, Andy Bond, has told Retail Week that he wants to launch the retailer’s general merchandise offer online within the next three years. "In two to three years, we will have our whole general merchandise offer online. A lot of our core categories are not online, (such as) our whole homewares and George offers." Asda launched furniture and electricals online earlier this year. Its online food shopping service will be available across the UK by the end of the year. However, Mr Bond admitted that he was considering closing down the George clothing high street operation. "All scenarios are open. It is certainly not successful enough to expand. So we have two alternative routes forward: continue to manage and improve (the stores) or close them. Both are possibilities. The operating model is so different to out-of-town retailing and we have learned a lot about the costs of logistics and labour and the management of the offer." When asked if all of the 12 George stores were trading below expectations, Mr Bond replied: "It is a mixture." Mr Bond also explained the extent to which Asda would like to see the Competition Commission's enquiry open up competition in the grocery sector. "If you are in a town where you have an Asda (or another large supermarket) and a new piece of land comes up, we should be excluded from bidding for it and someone else should be allowed to bid for it, because it engages further competition".