Asda has launched its first World Food store in West London in a bid to meet local shoppers’ needs and expand its customer base.
The new outlet in the multi-cultural area of Hounslow, offers a diverse food range including Mediterranean, Irish, Asian, Afro Caribbean and Polish cuisine, as well as ethnic clothing, homeware and health and beauty lines.
It also includes a Polish deli counter hosted by purely Polish colleagues and a Halal meat counter, which is run by a local Halal butcher.
Asda said the launch of the World Food store was in direct response to feedback from Hounslow shoppers, who said they want to be able to purchase all their weekly groceries from just one store.
A company statement said: “Brits are known for their multi-culturalism and Asda has embraced this by bringing authentic delicacies and delights from all around the globe for customers of every cultural background to enjoy or discover for the first time.”
“In the last year we have seen a 42 per cent year-on-year rise in sales of ethnic products across our stores, off the back of an 83 per cent increase last year, showing that there is a real appetite for diverse and specialist foods from across the world.”
“We felt it was the right time to launch our first World Food store in Hounslow which will help broaden our customer base and make Asda the supermarket of choice for all.”
If successful, the new World Food Store format could be rolled out across other areas of the UK next year.
The launch comes just days after Asda picked up the Best National Retailer award at the first World Food Awards ceremony, which took place at the London Hilton hotel in Park Lane on October 31.
