# Asda appoints former Morrisons boss as chief executive as sales struggle

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/asda-appoints-former-morrisons-boss-as-chief-executive-as-sales-struggle/
- Published: 2026-11-03T09:44:08+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T10:20:58+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/nov/03/asda-appoints-david-potts-former-morrisons-boss-chief-executive-sales-allan-leighton
- Topics: Business, Software, Technology

## Key points

- David Potts takes over as Asda chief executive immediately.
- Asda sales fell 0.5% in the latest three-month period.
- Aldi is close to overtaking Asda as Britain’s third-largest supermarket.

## Summary

Asda has appointed former Morrisons chief executive David Potts to lead the supermarket with immediate effect, as it struggles to revive sales amid intense competition. Executive chair Allan Leighton, who has run the business since 2024, is stepping back to a non-executive role focused on long-term strategy.

Potts, 69, began his career at Tesco and led Morrisons from 2015 to 2023. Asda’s sales fell 0.5% in the three months to 4 October, and Aldi is close to overtaking it as the UK’s third-largest supermarket, with about one percentage point separating the two. Potts said he would focus on value and improving customers’ shopping experience; Asda employs 116,296 people.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.