Allan Leighton is not wasting any time. No sooner does the veteran retail chief return to where it all started for him, at Asda, than he launches what he intends will be the great push to prosperity again. He wields the axe, taking out a swathe of regional managers; he promises to restore Asda’s ‘DNA’; he embarks on a price war, heralding a reprise of the famous ‘Asda Price’ mantra.
This, and more, and Leighton has only been in charge a matter of weeks, succeeding another kingpin, Lord Stuart Rose. Leighton was never one for standing around. He liked to take decisions quickly and on the move. Even so, this is going some. ‘That’s Asda Price’ is to the fore once more, heralding the ‘Big Jan Price Drop’ across 2,500 household staples. They’re not to be sniffed at.
