A rival retail executive laid out the scale of the task facing Asda given its struggles to find a new chief executive since 2021.
He said: “It is hard to find a food retail leader who does not claim to have been tapped up.
“In the last year as they got to the point of exiting Mohsin Issa, they have been using Spencer Stuart which has approached a lot of people all over again.”
A source close to Asda denied that it was back to square one in its search for a new chief executive, adding that Lord Rose’s promotion has given the business a chance to reassess its options.
“It has afforded us the opportunity to look again,” they said, adding that Lord Rose is being supported in Asda’s IT transition by new technology chief Rob Barnes.
In an interview with The Telegraph last month, Lord Rose said it has been looking for a new chief executive in earnest since earlier this year.
While claiming to be “embarrassed” by Asda’s performance under Mr Issa’s tenure, he said the new replacement needed to be a “full-time, 24/7, fully-experienced retail executive”.
Lord Rose sought to reassure staff during an employee conference last week.
An Asda spokesman added: “Last week, Stuart Rose and Rob Barnes addressed 3,000 store managers and leaders at Asda’s ‘Golden Quarter’ conference and outlined their priorities for the business.
“These included bringing in a chief executive with the requisite experience and calibre to lead a business of Asda’s size, heritage and market position. This process is ongoing and we will provide a future update in due course.”
The continued uncertainty over Asda’s management has raised tensions with union members in recent months, who have protested over the supermarket’s bid to cut costs.
A spokesman for GMB, which represents Asda workers, said: “Store standards are slipping, market share is falling and Asda staff are struggling. It’s no wonder TDR Capital is struggling to appoint a chief executive to steady the ship.
“The consequences of the debt leveraging and asset stripping inflicted on Asda by TDR Capital are clear for all to see.
“In light of all of this, whoever is eventually appointed has a very difficult job on their hands. We hope for the sake of Asda’s workers that the leadership needed can soon be found.”