Will ASDA go to the wall?

[Fridayhermit]

My nearest big supermarket is ASDA and because I no longer drive due to disability, it is convenient. I have shopped there since I moved here over 30 years ago (and even worked there for a couple of years while having caring responsibilities). But I went in today and the shelves are half empty there are so few staff about and there is no vibe or buzz about the place which I remember it definitely used to have. Is it just my local store or are all branches equally devoid of staff and stock?

I must have been lucky with the deliveries - most of the time they’re completely with maybe a couple of subs but nothing serious and good dates on products as well. The drivers are great as well.

Ours has just been renovated and is quite plush

I haven’t been in one for decades (disliked it then), surely Aldi & Lidl (which I do shop in) have taken a chunk of their market share?

Weird, my DS delivers for them and he certainly hasn't had any time off!

I've been going to Asda for 15 years and the vibe and buzz has always been jogging bottoms and stressed parents

Mine is fine to visit. The online shopping is rather hit and miss - more than half of the items missing in my last delivery when it came to the door! Not informed in advance, just randomly missing from the van.

I used to shop in Asda years ago. I went back in around 6 months ago as we were in the area and needed some veg. The whole store just looked grotty and run down. I don't know if there was an issue with the lighting in there. Hardly any staff, no freshly made pizzas etc.

Mine is fine. Less staff though.

My local one the clothing section has lots of empty shelves, even full walls that are empty. Otherwise it's mostly stocked ok with some exceptions. If it wasn't my closest shop for quick top up shops I wouldn't go to ASDA tbh!

My nearest Asda is in the next town and is next to a hospital, which is why it's busy most of the time,it's definitely not because it's a nice place to shop,as last time I went in most products were in the wrong place and one member of staff was running the self service checkouts and the lottery counter on his own,poor soul.

Head Office just did a round of involuntary redundancies - someone I know who worked there for more than 20 years was brought into a meeting with HR on Monday and told to clear his desk. Lots of people crying throughout the building so it must have been a fair few. I'm surprised this hasn't been covered anywhere in the news yet.

George is crap though. Sainsbury’s and Tesco way ahead in this dept. It used to be good.

I noticed last time I was in my local Asda that there was zero frozen vegetarian food which I thought was odd.

Their stock is abysmal. I often do a click and collect for a Friday afternoon, for the last month at least, there has been 5 or more subs and unavailable items every time! Did my click and collect at Tesco today and for everything! Would be interesting to see if there's much of a price difference.

Ours is always absolutely rammed and fully stocked.

There was actually a documentary on about them last night (don’t know the name as switched on at the end) and it basically said they had lost lots of market to Lidl and Aldi but recently with Jo Wicks they raised over 3 million for state schools in a really short space of time so apparently they are about to make a come back in terms of going back to a community based image.

corporate.asda.com/newsroom/2024/08/10/primary-schools-have-already-earnt

They also recently had to pay out for sex discrimination in the workplace between (generally) women on the shop floor and men in the warehouse.

It's not just Asda. My nearest Sainsburys is a barren shithole and even the M&S doesn't have much appeal any more!!

I may be skeptical but I'm pretty sure supermarkets won't exist, in their current form, in another decade.

I've been online shopping with Asda for a few months and in that time they have gone downhill. The veg used to be good but now it hardly lasts a day or two, and their online system has been ropey for weeks now. However, the prices are relatively good and the delivery drivers very pleasant and helpful.

Ours is fully stocked and buzzing.

I've noticed stocking issues at our local Asda too and they constantly say their delivery tracker is down - hopefully it's just computer glitches causing issues as I quite like Asda.

Oh that's interesting about the brothers. I didn't know they had fallen out.

Previously they owned a series of petrol stations and squashed almost all the profit out for suppliers so if they've done that again i can't imagine any of their suppliers trying to rush to get stuff on the shelves for them. It's my least fav supermarket but we have a huge one near us and I very rarely go there.

The (very) small one round the corner from us is going down hill at the moment - but the big supercentre 11 miles from us is the biggest one in Scotland I believe and any time we are in it, it seems busy and stock is fine

I get click and collect from Asda in Boston and it's always been good. I don't go into the store much because it's always busy on a Friday when I get my shop. I think the rewards card is great too, I've got £45 in vouchers and that's been saved up in the last few months.

My local Asda is so user unfriendly with awful lighting and a depressing atmosphere, plus more security guards than customers. I stopped shopping there ages ago.

I worked for ASDA about a decade ago and honestly, I'm surprised it's still going. Awful staff morale, rubbish service, barely and stock. Seems like nothing has changed, lol.

Our local one is really nice but my deliveries kept having short use by date meat so I changed to Ocado - it’s better and cheaper.

Ours looks like it only puts on every second light, it’s so dull. I only use it for basic top ups.