Asda has opened its first standalone Express c-store in the West Midlands, signalling a first shot across the bows of competitors in the crowded convenience market

The 3,000 sq ft store opened on Tuesday in Sutton Coldfield and stocks around 3,000 products, including a range of fresh, ambient and chilled products complemented by a selection of Asda’s premium Extra Special own-brand range.

The store also offers a range of hot ‘food for now’ options from both Asda and partner brand Leon, as well as ‘food for later’ options such as ready meals and a selection of £10 meal deals for two people.

The Express store features ‘toyou’ parcel collection and return services and will soon offer a rapid delivery service through Uber Eats. The Sutton Coldfield store will be joined by a second Express fascia opening in Tottenham Hale in north London in December.

Mohsin Issa, Asda’s co-owner, said: “The launch of our first Asda Express convenience stores is a landmark moment for our great business and a key step on our journey to bring Asda to more customers in more communities right across the UK. 

“The stores have been designed to cater to a broad range of customer needs – whether that’s popping in for a pint of milk, grabbing a spot of lunch on the go, or buying the fresh ingredients to cook dinner from scratch.

“We’re confident customers will find everything they need in these stores and enjoy the convenience of having a new type of Asda store on their doorstep.   

“I’m delighted to welcome the new colleagues at Sutton Coldfield and Tottenham Hale to the Asda family – leading us on our first steps into this market – and am grateful to all the colleagues who have worked with such pace and enthusiasm to bring this vision to life for Asda.”    

The Express stores represent an opening gambit from Asda as it wades more fully into the increasingly competitive convenience market in the UK.

Asda is striving to become the second largest grocer by sales volume in the UK, overtaking Sainsbury’s, and has earmarked convenience as a means to achieve that.