Asda suffers nearly £600m loss as debt and IT costs surge

ASDA, one of Britain’s largest supermarkets, has reported a pre-tax loss of £599 million for 2024, swinging sharply from a £180 million profit the previous year.

The loss comes despite total sales rising by over £1 billion to £26.8bn, as the retailer faces mounting debt costs, falling sales, and spiralling spending on a major IT overhaul, the Telegraph reported.

The main blow to Asda’s finances has come from its heavy debt load, a legacy of its £6.8bn buyout by the Issa brothers and private equity firm TDR Capital in 2021.

According to the report, the company’s debt pile, now close to £5bn, has become much more expensive to service as interest rates have risen. Last year, finance costs jumped by 38 per cent to £611 million, up from £441 million the previous year

Asda said it was forced to pay higher rates after refinancing part of its debt, putting further pressure on its bottom line.

Another major factor behind the loss is the ongoing “Project Future” – Asda’s multi-year plan to separate its computer systems from former owner Walmart. The project has been beset by delays and cost overruns, with total spending now approaching £1bn, far above its original budget

Last year alone, Asda spent £310m on the IT transition, which has included job cuts and outsourcing as the company tries to control costs. Problems with the new systems have also led to pay errors for thousands of staff.

While overall revenue rose thanks to new store openings, underlying sales have slipped. Like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, fell by 3.4 per cent to £21.7bn, with food sales down 3.7 per cent.

Meanwhile, Asda’s share in the UK grocery market has dropped to a record low of 12.1 per cent, with the retailer losing ground to rivals such as Tesco, Aldi, and Lidl

Despite efforts to win back shoppers with price cuts and a new convenience store push, Asda was the only major supermarket to report a sales decline in recent months, analysts said.

The company’s results were also hit by a £378m impairment charge, reflecting a drop in the value of its stores and assets. These one-off costs, combined with the IT spending, were singled out by Asda as the main reasons for the headline loss.

“The reported overall loss is the result of two significant one-off costs,” an Asda spokesman said, pointing to the impairment and Project Future costs. “These are not recurring costs and do not reflect the underlying performance of the business”

Allan Leighton, who returned as chairman last year, has launched a price war and cost-cutting drive to try to restore Asda’s fortunes. He has described many of the company’s problems as “self-inflicted” and is aiming to “turn it into what it was”. However, he has warned that a full recovery could take several years.

Despite the bleak headline numbers, Asda insists its core business remains profitable, with a pre-tax profit of £115m before exceptional items. Adjusted earnings before rent also rose slightly to £1.14bn.