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Students get used to a similar, but different ASDA
By Victor Tinnish
“I expected ASDA to have everything in a very similar layout as my hometown Wal-Mart,” he said. “If it wasn’t for one of the ASDA staff members, I would have walked another two laps until I found the electrical razor section.” Ikpo, 20, a junior from Houston, became frustrated when he couldn’t find an electric razor he was so desperately looking for. Many Harlaxton students admit being frustrated at times by something as simple as shopping in the local department store. But students also have found that even though ASDA suffers in comparison to American Wal-Mart (its parent company); the British version also has its perks. Sean Russell looks past the distant location of ASDA and feels that it is very efficient for a large corporation to exist in today’s competitive market, he said. “I enjoy ASDA as well as Wal-Mart, but the location of ASDA, being a college student without a car, can be a burden.” ASDA certainly has a vast selection of items to choose from. If you’re not satisfied with what’s on the first floor, just go upstairs and pick out some clothes. Kevin Galbraith, 21, a junior from Madison, Wis., enjoys shopping at ASDA because, “ASDA is a very versatile store and they have a vast selection of products to choose from,” he said. The store layout is somewhat different from that of an American Wal-Mart, but ASDA employees will help you find what you need, Galbraith said. “They have nice bright uniforms and they are easy to identify.” Harlaxton students have to take the campus shuttle into Grantham to get to ASDA, and once you’re at the bus stop it’s a hefty walk to get there, especially if it’s your first time. Russell, 21, from Chesterton, Ind., said that ASDA has better prices than some of the other smaller department stores, and the walk is well worth it. As a college student, Russell looks past the long walk to ASDA and realizes that he will be saving money by purchasing from ASDA. In order to better economize in a country that has you pinching your penses, saving a few pounds on your groceries can really make a difference. The ability to budget while in a country that presents Americans with a very discouraging exchange rate can be helpful when considering cash flow.
Low prices and great service seem to be a part of ASDA's business strategy, according to David Harrison, an ASDA employee who used to be in the retail business for himself. He stated that "they can't compete" referring to other local small stores in town. Although Wal-Mart offers very low prices and is able to employ a large workforce, these assets have repercussions as well. Most of the businesses in the United States are small or mid-sized companies, and they also pay the majority of corporate taxes as well.
Andrew Peyronnin, 20, from Evansville, Ind., said that “as a result of their strategy, Wal-Mart has become a terrifically powerful organization in the U.S. and has expanded into other countries hoping to gain a foothold there.” While some, such as Germany, are inhospitable to the corporation, others welcome the Wal-Mart phenomenon with open arms. The United Kingdom has seen the influence of Wal-Mart in the form of ASDA, owned by Wal-Mart, which offers a variety of low-priced items in one location. This is a serious problem for even the well-established small businesses in the United Kingdom, as ASDA is capable of offering much lower prices, Peyronnin said. “I disagree with Wal-Mart's policies based mostly on the fact that they discourage mid-sized retailers from competing.” |
After help from an ASDA employee, Cedric finds his trimmer.
David Harrison
Andrew Peyronnin