Asda

Asda in brief

• Rank: #98 of 100 in UK's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026; #13 of 13 in Retail & E-Commerce.
• WCRC Power Score: 59.80 out of 100.
• Founded: 1965, by Peter and Fred Asquith with Noel Stockdale, backed by Associated Dairies.
• Owner: Asda Group, owned by TDR Capital (67.5%), Mohsin Issa (22.5%) and Walmart (10%), Leeds, England.
• Leadership: David Potts, Chief Executive (appointed November 2026).
• Latest revenue: £21.0bn revenue (FY2025, year to Dec 2025, -3.3%), group revenue of Asda Group, as per company filings.

What makes Asda powerful

Asda remains one of Britain's big four supermarkets, with around £21 billion of annual sales and a store network reaching most of the country. Its brand has long stood for value, and its George clothing line is one of the UK's largest fashion brands by volume, giving shoppers a reason to visit beyond groceries.

Allan Leighton, who returned as executive chairman in 2024, has led the effort to rebuild that value promise, and in November 2026 Asda appointed former Morrisons chief executive David Potts as group chief executive, with Leighton becoming non-executive chairman. It has cut prices on thousands of lines, improved availability and invested in stores. Its scale gives it buying power with suppliers, and George has been highlighted as a driver of the turnaround. If the new leadership can restore growth, few UK retailers have as much room to recover.

Asda's EBITDA fell 33% to £764 million in 2025 as it invested in lower prices.

Why Asda ranks #98

Asda ranks 98th with a WCRC Power Score of 59.80, just below Balfour Beatty and above Pimm's. Positioning and recall (64) is its strongest pillar, as one of Britain's big four supermarkets with around £21 billion of sales and the George clothing brand. Trust (60) is middling, while Product and innovation (58), Sustainability and governance (58) and Digital and financial (54) hold it back, after sales fell 3.3% and EBITDA dropped 33% in 2025.

The Achilles' heel

Asda's turnaround is costly and unproven. Sales fell 3.3% in 2025 and EBITDA dropped 33% to £764 million as it cut prices and dealt with disruption from moving IT systems away from Walmart. High debt from its leveraged buyout limits flexibility, while Tesco, Aldi and Lidl keep taking share.

The 2026 story

Asda reported results for 2025 on 27 March 2026. Sales excluding fuel fell 3.3% to £21 billion. EBITDA dropped 33.1% to £764 million as the group invested in lower prices and faced IT disruption. Allan Leighton said the business was edging forward but there was plenty still to do. On 3 November 2026 Asda named David Potts chief executive with immediate effect, and Leighton became non-executive chairman.

Pillar profile

Provisional desk scores out of 100, for the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit to validate.

Versus its nearest rivals

Questions people ask

Also featured in

• Most powerful Retail & E-Commerce brands
• Biggest British Brands by Revenue
• Most powerful brands in England

Key facts

Sources

• Revenue figure published by Asda Group, owned by TDR Capital
• Company website, official announcements and press releases
• Published interviews and statements by the leadership
• WCRC Business Intelligence Unit research: consumer sentiment, ratings and reviews, search demand, media and social data