Asda aims to overtake Primark as it doubles down on fashion

Supermarket giant Asda wishes to take over Primark in the realm of fashion retail, with its clothing division now said to be leading its ongoing turnaround plan.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Liz Evans, the managing director of Asda’s clothing brand George, said the company’s “long-term goal” was to challenge budget retailer Primark's leading position in terms of volume. Asda currently sits behind Next at third place in this respect, yet leads in the way of kidswear.

Evans, who joined Asda in 2022, said there was “clarity, belief and teamwork” under chairman Allan Leighton, who returned to his role last year. Since then, Evans has seen a sharper focus on core customers through pricing and a “relentless focus on fixing availability”.

“We’ve invested back into hours and the stores, and you can feel it. Allan has referenced the turnaround as Everest, and he’s right. We’re at the start of recovery,” Evans noted.

She added that in recent years performance in adult clothing categories, particularly in womenswear, had been weak, yet George “wasn’t a broken business”. “But if I look at what we’re delivering now, then imagine what we can do when we really get the momentum behind the Asda brand,” Evans commented.

While Asda as a whole has experienced a period of financial turbulence, reporting a 600 million pound loss in 2024, its George fashion brand has welcomed stronger financials. In the first quarter of 2025, the label posted a 3.5 percent like-for-like sales increase, outperforming the broader fashion market by a notable 2 percent on volume.

Asda has also continued to double down on its focus for the fashion brand, opening its first standalone George store in Leeds and establishing collaborations with public figures, which have helped it to boost its presence.