Asda has launched a new Just Essentials budget range and extended its loyalty programme to more stores as it seeks to support customers through the cost of living crisis.

The retailer has been pushing its suppliers, under its owners the Issa brothers, to roll out a new 300 product range spanning product ranges from beans, bread, crisps and biscuits as well as non-food items, according to The Grocer

However, it has been reported the move has caused Asda’s suppliers some consternation as it wants to begin selling the Just Essentials range within two weeks.

The launch is part of a wider reset of range simplification and was followed by Asda announcing it will extend its Asda Rewards loyalty app to more stores, following a successful 16 shop trial. 

Customers at Asda’s 32 West Yorkshire stores, along with four stores in the North East and four in central Scotland, will be able to use the app to build up their ‘cashpot’. 

Since starting the scheme in October last year, Asda said more than 90,000 customers have downloaded the app, while more than 50,000 are using it regularly. 

Asda vice president of customer proposition and planning Matt McLellan said: “We are really pleased that customers in our trial stores are benefiting from the Asda Rewards app and we’re excited that from today, more stores will be taking part across different areas of the UK, as we continue to evolve the programme.”

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