... Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer (based on turnover), with worldwide operations and a total store portfolio of around 4,400. Since being acquired by Wal-Mart, Asda has become the UK's third largest grocery retailer, as measured by reported turnover. Asda had 258 stores in the UK as at 31 December 2002, these being on average about 4,200 sq metres in size. Asda's turnover increased by per cent in the two years to 31 December 2002, from £9.7 billion to £ billion. Operating profits during that period increased per cent, from £503 million to £ million. Much of the recent growth in Asda's turnover is attributable to sales of non-food items such as clothing and home and leisure products. The office of fair trading The Director-General of Fair Trading has wide powers to monitor and investigate trading activities and to refer monopoly or anti-competitive situations to the Competition Commission (often via the President ...

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