Asda is a British supermarket chain that is owned by the American retail giant Walmart. As of 2019, Asda has 642 stores across the UK, with plans to open more in the coming years.
Asda was founded in 1949 by a group of farmers from Yorkshire, who wanted to sell their produce direct to the public at a fair price. The name ‘Asda’ comes from the initials of the farmers – ‘A’ for Armitage, ‘S’ for Stockdale, ‘D’ for Duffy, and ‘A’ for Atkinson. The company has been through several changes over the years, but it has always remained true to its roots as a discount supermarket.
In 1999, Asda was acquired by Walmart, in a move that made the American company the largest retailer in the world. However, Asda has always kept its own identity within Walmart, and operates as a separate business unit. This means that decisions about store openings, product ranges, and pricing are all made independently by Asda.
So, is Asda still part of Walmart? Yes – but it remains a very different business to its American parent company. Asda is proud of its British heritage, and its commitment to offering low prices to its customers.
