Asda is to strengthen its non-food range in supermarkets, following a successful test at the Dewsbury store in West Yorkshire. The trial allowed the grocer to increase its offer by almost 25 per cent.
The retailer is releasing shelf space by displaying fewer of various product lines. This simple approach, combined with improved availability and replenishment systems, has enabled Asda to install extra lines in key categories such as DIY. Previously, many such lines were available only in Supercentres.
The Wal-Mart-owned grocer will take the blueprint from the Dewsbury store and apply it to new stores of a similar size - 40,000 sq ft (3,715 sq m) - and stores being refitted.
Asda general merchandise merchandising manager Julie Seymour said: 'We are looking for best practice in getting the most out of a store's (selling) space and will replicate that throughout the chain.
Customers will benefit because we are offering more choice.'
Asda is continuing to push into non-food aggressively. Last month, it launched two Wal-Mart global brands covering camping equipment and sporting goods.
The non-food market is expected to be worth£19.9 billion to the big grocers by 2007, and has become one of the most hotly-contested areas of supermarket business.
Asda notched up general merchandise like-for-like sales growth in the 'mid twenties' last year.
Grocery market leader Tesco claims a 5 per cent share of the entire UK non-food market and has pioneered the grocers' incursions into general merchandise through its Extra format.
- Analysis: page 10.
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