Under the Counter: Bryan Roberts

As reported last week in this August organ, Asda chief financial officer Judith McKenna and Walmart Canada boss David Cheesewright are understood to have ruled themselves out of the running to replace Andy Bond as chief executive of the business.

Surprising news possibly, and a revelation that surely points the clever money towards Asda COO Andy Clarke.

According to Paddy Power, one of my favoured sources for retail insight, other internal candidates include Jack Sinclair - who heads grocery in the US for Walmart - and Asda chief marketing officer Darren Blackhurst.

In terms of external options, the bookmaker touts Morrisons CFO Richard Pennycook and WHSmith’s Kate Swann as vaguely realistic possibilities, before providing the longer odds options of Marc Bolland, Sir Terry Leahy, Sir Stuart Rose and Justin King. My favourite suggestion is Coleen Rooney at 500/1.

Whoever gets the job will be facing an enjoyable set of challenges, not least the impressive non-food targets set by Bond on his way out.

Aiming to eclipse Tesco’s non-food sales is a tall order. Finding another 125 sites for Asda Living is a reasonable aspiration, and there is no doubt online has a lot of mileage left for Asda, but the sheer scale of the challenge suggests there might have to be more of a faint whiff of acquisitive activities to really nail the target.

The list of businesses Asda has been linked to are a weird and wonderful mix: the suggestions heard on the grapevine include Matalan, New Look, Dunelm, Halfords, Home Retail and JJB.

Whether such a deal would be a mere property play or a bolt-on acquisition remains to be seen, but as Tesco’s purchase of Dobbies proves, virtually no retail business can be ruled out as a target. In fact, Asda may as well buy Ann Summers, fully exploiting Walmart’s global buying power in manmade fibres and Chinese-made electrical items.

What is clear is that Asda Living will be a significant driver of growth. It’s a store concept that I really like, despite a recent observer suggesting it was reminiscent of a big Woolworths. There is still a big Woolworths-shaped whole in UK retailing, and Asda Living could very well be just the thing to fill that gap.