#asda

#asda

Chairman Allan Leighton told the media that delays and disruption caused by the technology separation from previous owner Walmart, which ran back-office SAP systems, set back his financial turnaround by six months. Despite technically completing the program dubbed Project Future in August, the retailer said the effects would continue until the second calendar quarter next year. "The downturn in sales and to a degree the market share issue is totally driven by Future, it's not driven by any competitive activity," Leighton told The Times.

However, Allan Leighton said the supermarket chain was investing to keep a lid on prices to attract cash-strapped shoppers. The UK's third largest supermarket chain, which is at risk of being overtaken by the discounter Aldi, said sales fell by 0.2% to 5.3bn in the three months to 30 June. But that decline was less steep than the prior quarter after the retailer made a material investment in keeping prices down.