Asda will open 168 shops this year

Supermarket giant Asda will open 168 stores this year.

It marks the largest year of store-growth for the firm in the company’s history.

Most of those shops will be converted Netto stores – 147 to be precise. The first Netto stores, which are much smaller than traditional Asda’s traditional out-of-town outlets, will be converted in May.

The rest of the new shops include 10 new Asda supermarkets, five extensions to existing shops, seven Asda superstores and four Asda Living outlets.

This includes the firm’s deal to acquire six stores from Focus DIY, which will be turned into supermarkets.

Asda’s parent Walmart bought Danish discount chain Netto’s 195 UK outlets for 778m in May 2010.

However, The Office of Fair Trading has told the supermarket chain it must sell 47 for competition reasons. Already, the company has agreed to sell stores to rivals including Morrisons and Iceland.