Asda to expand in non-food

-- Home Textiles Today, 4/15/2010 9:55:00 AM

Leeds , England – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans aggressive growth of the next five years for various Asda formats, including expansion of its Asda Living concept.

The company plans to ramp up to 150 Asda Living units, Asda president and ceo Andy Bond told investors at a meeting here today.

The 25^th unit will open tomorrow.

Launched in 2004, Asda Living stores are two-story structures of about 20,000 square feet. The range of non-food items includes apparel, home, furniture, consumer electronics and heath and beauty products.

“Asda Living is already a successful business in its own right, compared to rival non-food businesses on the high street, and we plan to shift up a gear,” said Bond. “We’ve taken our time to get the model right and wait for the market conditions to be favorable. We’re now ready to accelerate our opening program.”