Asda reported that its comparable food sales returned to growth for the first time in over two years during the third quarter. The Leeds-based supermarket chain recorded a 0.1% increase in like-for-like food sales for the three months ending in September, according to financial results released on November 13, 2026. This follows a second-quarter decline where group like-for-like sales fell 2.3% and food sales dropped 1.9%.
The company attributed the shift to its ongoing strategy of price investment, including its Asda Price and Rollback programs. These efforts come after a period of financial and operational challenges, including a 2025 pre-tax loss of £989 million. The company stated that an IT system upgrade last year had also negatively impacted product availability and sales performance.
While food sales grew, overall group like-for-like sales, which exclude fuel, saw a slight decrease of 0.1%, totaling £5.1 billion for the quarter. Growth was concentrated in specific areas: online grocery sales increased by 6.9%, and the Asda Express convenience chain grew by 2.7%. Earlier in November 2026, the company appointed former Morrisons executive David Potts as chief executive to lead the supermarket's recovery efforts, while Allan Leighton moved to the role of non-executive chairman.
The scale of the company’s recent struggles is reflected in its 2025 pre-tax loss of nearly £1 billion, a jump from the £599 million loss reported the previous year. For the average shopper, these internal financial pressures and the fallout from an IT upgrade can manifest as changes in product availability or store-level service. Furthermore, industry data from Worldpanel indicates that Asda’s market share declined to 11.3% in the 12 weeks leading up to November 1, 2026, down from 11.6% the year prior. It was the only major UK supermarket to see a sales decline during that specific 12-week period according to that data.
Looking ahead, the leadership change is a driver for the company’s next steps. David Potts stated upon his appointment that "significant opportunities remain" to improve sales and maintain low prices. In August 2026, Allan Leighton estimated that the company was approximately one-third of the way through its turnaround process. The effectiveness of this recovery strategy will be tested as the new chief executive takes over operations and the company continues to compete for market share against other major UK retailers.