Asda chief’s plea for frictionless goods trade

Asda chief returns to his roots

FRICTIONLESS TRADING of goods is an imperative for the UK’s food industry following Brexit, the new chief executive of supermarket giant Asda has claimed.

In his first media interview since assuming control of the firm in January, Roger Burnley told The Yorkshire Post that he wanted Asda to buy more British foods but that the easy transfer of goods was crucial to this.

Mr Burnley also said winning the trust of customers was one of his top priorities for his leadership of the Leeds-based firm

He said: “We want to buy British. Our customers tell us that is what they want and there is good reason to support our farming industry.

“Of course Brexit is a big headline.

“The biggest thing we will need and what I will want for Asda from Brexit is friction-free borders and a friction-free process so we can bring in our fresh products in quickly.”

He added: “The bodies representing us are well aware that friction-free trading, not just for our industry but especially for the food industry, is going to be really important.

“I am confident that the right people understand that. That certainly is an imperative for us and that is certainly thing that I will be vocal about being an outcome.”

The Asda boss would not be drawn on whether the firm was drawing up contingency plans for a so-called cliff edge Brexit.

Elsewhere, Mr Burnley said Asda and the other large supermarkets had received “a wake-up call” from the rise of discounters like Aldi and Lidl.

IT IS self-evident that Roger Burnley is the archetypal proud Yorkshireman after returning to his roots to become chief executive of Leeds-based supermarket giant Asda. Unlike so many ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ retail bosses who look for instant fixes, here is an entrepreneur who is being totally sincere when he says he wants to be judged by his long-term legacy.

This bodes well for the future as the established supermarkets continue to face stiff competition from the discount chains. Though price is important, it’s heartening that Mr Burnley places a premium on trust if he, and his firm, are to earn the longstanding loyalty of customers, a characteristic which can no longer be taken for granted. In a wideranging interview, the CEO’s personal commitment to sourcing even more British produce, while also looking to reduce the amount of plastic packaging, offers further grounds for optimism at a firm whose leader believes evolution, rather than revolution, is the way forward.