Asda’s sales rise ahead of £14.1bn deal with rival

ASDA has unveiled a rise in sales as it undertakes a £14.1bn merger with rival Sainsbury’s.

Sales at stores open more than a year rose by 3.4pc in the first three months of 2018 – their fourth straight quarter of growth.

Asda has cut prices on 667 items through its ‘rolled back, staying back’ campaign, and launched 216 new products, including 29 for people with gluten-free, dairyfree and other special diets.

An extra 246,000 customers visited Asda’s stores, and online sales rose 8.3pc. The business tested new storage technology at its Trafford Park store, which allows click-and-collect customers to pick up online orders in just 60 seconds.

It comes as competition authorities examine the planned tie-up with Sainsbury’s amid speculation the pair will have to sell at least 73 outlets.

Asda’s parent firm Walmart announced a 33pc rise in online sales in its key US market, where it is locked in battle with Amazon for groceries supremacy.