ASDA has increased its share of the UK market to more than ten per cent since US retailing group Wal-Mart took it over five years ago.

Wal-Mart bought the British group in 1999 and has pushed it into second place behind market leader Tesco, ahead of third-placed rival Sainsbury's.

The US retailer, which operates in ten countries, said its UK operation's market share had risen from 8.2 per cent when it was purchased to 11 per cent. Average weekly customer numbers stand at 13 million, compared with 7.5 million in 1999.

Asda reported high single-digit sales in the second quarter and first half, Wal-Mart said, without giving figures.

Clothing and general goods were Asda's top performer, with sales growth of about eight per cent, while comparable food sales grew about five per cent. Sales of electronics goods continued to run strong, the company said.

Asda, which employs 130,000 staff, has 265 stores in the UK and four George stand-alone clothing outlets.

It said it expected to open ten food stores during the year, including the recently announced acquisitions of two stores from rival supermarket chain Somerfield, as well as expanding 22 stores. It will also have 19 Supercenters in the UK after that period.

It said its speciality business continued to grow rapidly, with plans to add 40 photographic shops to its 82 outlets, 29 jewellery counters on top of the current figure of 238 and 11 opticians to the 68 in its stores during the year.

Asda said in May that it would create 4,300 jobs in the UK by the end of this year.