ASDA has made a commitment to increase the number of lines we stock, while ensuring that they're relevant to customers' needs.
A recent poll for ASDA revealed the increasing importance of local food to customers, who said that they prefer to buy locally sourced produce wherever possible. Minimising the environmental impact of grocery shopping and knowing where their food comes from were strong reasons people gave for buying local, but most motivating of all, for 70%, was the desire to support the local economy.
Customers respond overwhelmingly positively to the increased range of local food. In fact, sales of local products sometimes outstrip household name brands, for example ASDA in Kendal sells 30 tubs of English Lakes ice-cream for every one of Ben & Jerry's.
Our local sourcing programme is based on what's called a local hub initiative - a network of distribution centres across the country that work directly with small, local suppliers to manage the relationship with ASDA on their behalf. Thanks to these hubs, local produce can reach 298 of ASDA's 334 food stores, allowing most of our customers to buy the best food that's grown, reared and produced in their region.
Our best-selling local products are sausages, cheese, potatoes and bread.
Case studies
Shetland Shellfish
Shetland Shellfish are a leading salmon farmer and processor on the Shetlands and have built a brand new state-of-the-art smokehouse. Within 24 hours of harvest the salmon enters the process to become delicious smoked salmon or gravadlax. Everything from harvesting onwards is done on this one site. The wild waters of Shetland produce wonderful salmon - the inspiration for the naming of the 'Wild Waters' brand. We launched four lines into our Aberdeenshire stores in April.
Highland Fine Cheese - Tain
Highland Fine Cheeses, based near Tain, north of Inverness, started on a whim in the 1950s when a churn of milk turned to cheese after being warmed in the family bath. This happened in the farmhouse of Reggie and Susannah Stone who reared a small herd of dairy cows. From these small beginnings Reggie went on to make a success of producing the crofting community's staple cheese. Rory Stone, their son, now looks after the production and ASDA currently stocks three types of cheese - Caboc, Crowdie and Black Crowdie to many ASDA stores throughout Scotland. Strathdon Blue and Scottish Brie were launched into many Scottish stores in April.
Owlet Apple Juice - Kent
This company has been producing apple juice since 1990. Back then, they were producing only one variety but today they have increased their range to 14 different flavours. Over the years, Owlet has gained a reputation for producing high quality juices. Their Cox Juice was voted ‘Best single variety apple juice' by the BBC ‘Good Food' magazine.
Plumgarth, Low Foulshaw, near Kendal, Cumbria
In 2001, Cumbrian livestock farmer John Geldard set up the Plumgarths hub to market his own beef, sheep and free-range eggs, along with product from other producers. He and his farmer neighbours pool their resources to supply local customers and retailers. The hub now supplies 18 ASDA stores with high quality, locally reared beef and sheep.
