Founded in the early 1960s, we have always been committed to giving customers great value.
From early beginnings as the UK’s first-ever food discounter to the return of our iconic ‘pocket tap’ in 2020, we’ve changed the way people shop forever.
Here’s a trip down memory lane...
The old proverb ‘mighty oaks from little acorns grow’ describes our journey well.
The family of <a href="https://www.asda.com/" target="_blank">Asda</a> founders Peter and Fred Asquith owned a single butcher’s shop in the small town of Knottingley, West Yorkshire, dating back to the 1920s. 
But the two brothers were ambitious, with a keen eye for business, and looked further afield for inspiration.
During a trip to the USA in 1958, the Asquiths saw for themselves how beneficial ‘under one roof’ shopping was for customers.
A store with the quirky name Piggly Wiggly (which still exists today) blazed a trail for the modern supermarket.
They returned home, bought the old Queens Theatre in Castleford, West Yorkshire, and opened the UK’s first self-service shop, followed by another soon afterwards.

<img src="https://ui3.assets-asda.com/dm/asda_tap_feed7crop_GL?scl=1" alt="asda_tap_feed7crop" style="height: 281px;width: 500px"/>
As the Asquiths’ venture went from strength to strength, Peter contacted Noel Stockdale at Associated Dairies, with a view to striking up a business partnership.
On 3 May 1965, the deal was sealed and a name was chosen ASquith + DAiries = the birth of the Asda we know and love!
The rest is history, but our mission to put our customers’ needs first and deliver great value continues to this day.
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<h2>1960s: Genius ideas</h2>

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When the Asquiths heard a soup firm was offering money orders for returned labels, they bought 1,000 tins and redeemed the labels.
Then they sold the soup <a href="https://storelocator.asda.com/" target="_blank">in-store</a> and passed on the discount directly to customers.
The food-discounting revolution had arrived – and we’ve been delivering great deals ever since!
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<h2>1970s: The pocket tap</h2>

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By the 1970s we’d expanded beyond our northern roots, with more than 30 stores nationwide.
Then, in 1977, we hit on the ad campaign that would cement us as a household name – the ‘Pocket Tap’.
It saw customers filling the aisles and quoting, ‘That’s Asda Price!’, while cheekily patting their bottoms – and it’s still loved today.
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<h2>1980s: happy 100th</h2>

<img src="https://ui3.assets-asda.com/dm/asda_tap_feed3crop_GL?scl=1" alt="asda_tap_feed3crop" style="height: 367px;width: 500px"/>
In 1981, our 100th supermarket was opened, followed by a fresh look for all stores in 1984 and a new head office in Leeds in 1988.
Own-brand groceries now offered even better value, and in 1989, we set style trends, too. We asked fashion guru George Davies to design a range of clothing – and our much-loved <a href="https://direct.asda.com/george/clothing/10,default,sc.html" target="_blank">George brand</a> was born.
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<h2>1990s: Health matters</h2>

<img src="https://ui3.assets-asda.com/dm/asda_tap_feed4crop_GL?scl=1" alt="asda_tap_feed4crop" style="height: 332px;width: 500px"/>
Ever since our first<a href="https://www.asda.com/about/instore/pharmacy" target="_blank"> Asda Pharmacy</a> opened in Harrogate in 1996, we’ve been passing on value to customers by offering free health checks and other services, including not-for-profit IVF medicines.
That year also saw the start of <a href="https://www.asda.com/creating-change-for-better/better-communities/tickled-pink" target="_blank">Tickled Pink</a>, our campaign to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer charities – more than £68 million so far.
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<h2>2000 and beyond: a winning streak</h2>

<img src="https://ui3.assets-asda.com/dm/asda_tap_feed5_GL?scl=1" alt="asda_tap_feed5" style="height: 500px;width: 500px"/>
The past two decades have seen us launch <a href="https://direct.asda.com/george/home/D26,default,sc.html" target="_blank">George Home</a>, plus a <a href="https://direct.asda.com/george/GRG_INFO_100DAY,default,pg.html" target="_blank">100-day satisfaction guarantee</a> across most of our own-label clothes and homewares.
Our commitment to value continued, and in 2017, at The Grocer Gold Awards, we were named the <a href="https://corporate.asda.com/newsroom/2019/06/12/asda-retains-cheapest-supermarket-title-for-twenty-second-year" target="_blank">lowest-priced supermarket for the 20th year in a row</a>.
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<h2>2020: return of the tap </h2>

<img src="https://ui3.assets-asda.com/dm/asda_tap_feed6_GL?scl=1" alt="asda_tap_feed6" style="height: 500px;width: 500px"/>
Bringing us bang up to date, our cheeky yet iconic pocket tap is making a comeback.
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Feeling inspired to <a href="https://www.asda.com/" target="_blank">shop at Asda</a>? <a href="https://storelocator.asda.com/" target="_blank">Discover where your local store is</a>.

Asda's history: from 1960 to 2020

By Asda Good Living,12th August 2020

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