Leeds based supermarket ASDA announced merger with Sainsbury's

This morning hundreds of Asda workers in Leeds are finding out what the chain's merger with Sainsbury's will mean

Sainsbury's insists there are no planned store closures, and they want to maintain BOTH brands - as they buy the Leeds based supermarket from American Walmart

The deal will create a grocery powerhouse rivaling Tesco.

Commenting on the announcement made by J Sainsbury’s this morning on the proposed merger of Asda Group Ltd and J Sainsbury plc, Asda President and CEO Roger Burnley said;

“The combination of Asda and Sainsbury's into a single retailing group will be great news for Asda customers, allowing us to deliver even lower prices in store and even greater choice. Asda will continue to be Asda, but by coming together with Sainsbury's, supported by Walmart, we can further accelerate our existing strategy and make our offer even more compelling and competitive.

From my six years with Asda and ten years with Sainsbury's, I know first hand that both organisations are fortunate to employ some of the most talented and customer-focused colleagues in this market and I am excited by the opportunity of the two coming together."