Wetherby Road Co-op in Knaresborough will close today (January 8) and then reopen as a new Asda Express store two days later.
The move is part of Asda’s long-term plan to expand into the convenience market and become the second largest UK supermarket.
Asda acquired 132 sites from the Co-op in a £438 million deal in 2022 and plans to open 300 sites by 2026.
The new store will become the second Asda Express in Knaresborough following the opening of the Boroughbridge Road branch last year.
Andy Perry, vice president of convenience at Asda, said:
“We’re incredibly excited to be bringing our Asda value and quality to the Knaresborough community with the conversion of the Co-op site. The roll out marks an incredibly exciting moment for our business and accelerates our presence in the fast-growing convenience market.”
A local Asda source, who asked not to be named, said:
“We have a full team that have all moved to Asda with a pay rise. Initially it will be mostly branded products and we may experience shortages for at least 10 weeks until Asda have enough sales data for accurate deliveries.
“Asda is the only major supermarket that currently doesn’t have a convenience range, so it’s a new concept for them too. We will have teething issues as with any new business but we urge our customers to be patient and look forward to seeing them on the other side.”
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