Asda takes out underperforming brands

Asda is streamlining its non-food brands to reduce customer ‘confusion’.

The move comes after the remit of Darren Blackhurst, who initiated the ‘constant review’ of food brands in 2007, was expanded to non-food.

Asda says its suppliers are already aware that the retailer wants to keep its category ranges simple, offering a choice of the top selling brand and one or two others, rather than eight different brands that ‘confuse’ customers.

A spokeswoman says the policy ‘gives more room to brands that customers want.’

“We’ve been taking out duplicate brands across all of our ranges to make shopping simpler for our customers and to offer them the brands that they really want to buy,” she added.

She denied reports that the supermarket would be working to reducing categories by 30%. “We continue to look at what is most popular and if its not necessary to have 6 or 7 types of product we will cut back,” she says, adding the supermarket applied the same principle to its own brand.

Blackhurst was recently promoted from group trading director to chief merchandising officer as part of a senior management restructure which also saw marketing director Rick Bendel promoted to chief marketing officer and retail director Andy Clarke become chief operating officer. Asda says the changes were made to emphasise the importance of the three functions to the running of the business.