LONDON (Brand Republic) - Asda is planning to build 13 new stores this year, creating a total of 5,000 new jobs.
The Wal-Mart-owned supermarket chain said it would invest £450m in store development.
There is no news on whether it will increase its spend on advertising. Last year, Asda spent £25m on advertising. Its account is handled by Publicis with media buying through Carat.
The news comes after last month鈥檚 row with rival chain Sainsbury鈥檚, when Asda claimed to have overtaken it to become the UK鈥檚 second-biggest supermarket retailer after Tesco. It based the claim on findings from retail analyst Taylor Nelson Sofres for share of goods sold. But Mike Godliman, director at retail specialist Verdict Research, disputed the claim, branding it as 鈥渘onsense鈥.
He added that, at Asda鈥檚 current rate of growth, it would take the chain six years to overtake Sainsbury鈥檚.
The new stores will be spread throughout the UK and includes the redevelopment of four sites. A year ago, Asda announced it would create 27,000 jobs in the next five years. The store has also announced record takings for Christmas, 20% ahead of its previous best week.