Walmart acquired the British supermarket chain Asda in 1999.
The deal was completed in July 1999, when Walmart outbid rival Kingfisher in the contest to buy Asda. Walmart paid about £6.7 billion, making the acquisition one of its major steps into international retail and giving the American company a substantial presence in the United Kingdom.
Asda was an attractive fit because it already had a strong reputation for low prices and large supermarket stores. Walmart and Asda shared a discount-oriented retail model, although Asda retained its own name and British identity rather than being converted wholesale into Walmart stores.
A common mix-up is confusing the acquisition year with later ownership events. Walmart announced the sale of Asda in 2020, but the transaction was completed in 2021. The acquisition itself belongs to 1999, when Asda joined the Walmart family and became part of Walmart’s international operations.