Asda to create 8,000 new jobs

Asda is to create 8,000 new jobs as 18 new supermarkets are opened over the next 12 months across the UK.

Owned by US retail giant Wal-Mart, the UK's second largest supermarket will also carry out major store expansions to 15 of its 334 stores. It also plans to roll out its "Asda Living" non-food stores at a further ten sites.

The first of the Living stores - one-stop shops for electricals, homewares furniture, the George clothing range, and health and beauty products - will open in Belfast on Friday.

Around 4,000 of the new jobs will be created under Asda's new store-building programme, with new supermarket stores already confirmed for Girvan in South Ayrshire, Ardrossan in North Ayrshire, Folkestone, Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, Tonypandy in Mid Glamorgan, Highbridge in Somerset, Seaham in County Durham and Walsall.

Last year, Asda opened 25 new stores, creating 7,000 new jobs. It said 2006 had been a "turnaround year" as improvements to its ranges resulted in its strongest annual like-for-like sales growth for two years.

Sales at Asda account for around half of Wal-Mart's international sales, which this year hit $77.1 billion (£39.4bn), while international sales account for 20 per cent of overall sales for Wal-Mart Stores.

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