Asda just announced ambitious plans to become the UK's largest retailer of non-food merchandise by 2015--which means a head-to-head fight with Tesco.
Asda also aims to become the UK's second-largest food retailer by 2015, setting off a food fight with the grocery giant Sainsbury.
Such market-share predictions can be risky but also an inspiring challenge internally. The Telegraph reported in 2008 that Tesco aimed to overtake Carrefour as the world's #2 retailer by the end of 2012. So far, Carrefour has maintained its position (behind the global #1 retailer, Asda parent Walmart), with two years to go before the 2012 deadline approaches.
Of course, when retailers use market share as a metric for measuring performance, they're hoping for significant change in competitive positions. Now that the economic slowdown seems to be finally nearing an end, these retail giants may be in a better position to do something about achieving the market-share changes they're aiming for.
