A MAJOR supermarket has confirmed that 132 stores will change hands over the coming months.
Asda has completed its plans to buy over one hundred convenience stores and petrol stations across the UK.
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The supermarket bought the stores and linked fuel forecourts from Co-Op at a cost of £438million.
The supermarket giant said the move is part of its plans to open more local, convenience stores.
The deal includes 129 retail sites with attached petrol stations, plus three development sites.
Around 2,300 workers currently employed by Co-op stores will transfer to Asda’s employment following the completion and transition period.
Asda said that its new stores will be located nationwide and will see the supermarket create a “new and distinct format in the convenience market.”
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) still needs to approve the deal which means that the Co-Op sites will remain entirely separate from Asda until mid-2023.
If the CMA approves the sale, Asda can then opt to roll out its branding across the new store.
The supermarket will call the acquired stores “Asda Express”.
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New stores will open in Sutton Coldfield on November 8 and Tottenham Hale, London, on December 6.
But these are separate from the stores Asda is acquiring from the Co-op Group.
The Sun has approached Asda for the full list of Co-ops included in the plans.
If you live near a Co-op petrol station it could soon change hands.
The Co-op Group said that the petrol forecourts sold to Asda make up 5% of its retail estate, which contains 2,564 stores.
Mohsin Issa, co-owner of Asda said; “We are delighted to formally complete the transaction that we announced in August and taking the next step on our journey to creating a new and exciting part of our Asda business.
“As millions of families deal with the day-to-day impacts of increasing costs of living, we’re committed to bringing Asda’s great value groceries and fuel to even more communities across the UK through these new stores.”
Earlier this month, Asda announced that it is introducing plant-based packaging which will allow shoppers to recycle their tea bags.
In August, Asda announced it is to remove the “best before” dates from almost 250 fresh fruit and vegetable products from tomorrow.
Co-op also announced it was to scrap use-by dates on its yogurts.
It comes after Waitrose and Marks and Spencer removed the dates form hundreds of fresh products.
Tesco lead the way when it got rid of them in from more than 100 items in 2018.
