Asda Hires Ex-Morrisons Boss David Potts as CEO Amid Sales Slump

Asda has named David Potts, the 69-year-old former chief executive of Morrisons, as its new boss with immediate effect, while its sales continue to fall. The UK's third largest supermarket confirmed the appointment after a long search that ended in a surprise: executive chair Allan Leighton, 73, had previously said he expected to promote an internal candidate.

Leighton, who has run the business since 2024, will now step back to a non-executive role focused on what the company called "the long-term strategic agenda for the business".

Who is David Potts?

Potts started on the shop floor at Tesco at 16. He spent decades at the UK's biggest supermarket and eventually headed its UK business. He then led Morrisons as chief executive from 2015 until 2023, leaving after the chain was taken private by US investment house Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in 2021.

He arrives at a retailer under pressure on two fronts. Asda and Morrisons both face heavy competition and high levels of debt. Aldi is poised to overtake Asda as the UK's third-largest supermarket, with about one percentage point separating the two chains.

The sales numbers explain the urgency. Asda's sales fell by 0.5% in the three months to 4 October, according to the latest figures from market research group Worldpanel by Numerator. That decline came despite the chain's efforts to trim prices and improve its ranges and stock availability.

What did Leighton and Potts say?

Leighton said he was "really excited" to appoint Potts. He set out the handover in direct terms.

"Over the last two years, we have stabilised the business and returned it to some growth and begun to establish Asda as 'more than a supermarket' through our Formula for Growth strategy," Leighton said. "David has an outstanding record in our industry, his experience is exactly what we now require for the next stage of our transformation and beyond and it will be great to work with him."

Potts, who spent years competing against Asda from Tesco and Morrisons, framed the job as a turnaround with clear upside.

"Asda has long been a great business, one I've admired and traded against over many years," Potts said. "The colleagues are remarkable, some of the most passionate I've met. The business has made good progress but significant opportunities remain and I'm delighted and very proud to have been asked by Allan to lead the team."

He also pointed to price as the core of his plan. "Providing value to families across the UK has always been in Asda's DNA and by making improvements to the shopping trip every week, which customers can experience and feel in their pockets, we will revitalise the business and bring benefits for all our stakeholders, including our 116,296 very hard-working colleagues," Potts said.

What happens next?

Potts gave one immediate priority: the holiday quarter. "Christmas is upon us and the business has a clear focus on keeping Asda prices locked low at this important time for our customers. I'm excited to get started," he said.

The near-term test is measurable. If Aldi passes Asda in market share, the chain drops to fourth place among UK supermarkets for the first time in the discount era. Potts has stabilized a big-four grocer before; Leighton has now handed him the same task with the Christmas trading period already underway.