Walmart Inc. is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores. Headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, the company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated on October 31, 1969.
It also owns and operates Sam’s Club retail warehouses. As of January 31, 2020, Walmart has 11,484 stores and clubs in 27 countries, operating under 55 different names.
In 1999, Walmart acquired Asda, a UK-based grocery chain, for $10 billion. Asda is the second largest grocery chain in the UK with more than 600 stores across the country.
In 2016, Walmart announced its intention to sell Asda to rival grocer Sainsbury’s for $10 billion. However, the deal was ultimately blocked by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.
As of 2020, Walmart still owns Asda. However, there have been talks of selling the company again.
In February 2020, it was reported that Walmart was in discussions with private equity firm Apollo Global Management about a possible sale of Asda. However, no deal has been finalized yet.
Conclusion: Yes, Walmart still owns Asda as of 2020.
