UK supermarket giant Asda has announced plans to cater to its Muslim customers by introducing dedicated Ramadan aisles in 150 stores – an increase of 47% from the previous year.
Asda, bought by Muslim brothers Zuber and Mohsin Issa in a £6.8m deal in 2020, will also add 150 new product lines across all categories for the holy month.
The stores with the dedicated aisles will be in key areas with high Muslim populations, such as Wembley, Leicester and Sheffield.
The supermarket will stock The Desi Doll Company’s innovative talking Muslim dolls. Last year, the company’s CEO Farzana Rahman won the Businesswoman of the Year Award at the prestigious Islam Channel Business Awards.
It will also sell around 18 lines of dates, including Madinah and Palestinian Medjoul dates.
Also on shelves will be Ramadan Countdown Calendars with chocolate treats that will help educate children on the significance of Ramadan.
“I’m really excited to help our Asda customers perform Ramadan fasting and celebrate Eid festival, by making it as affordable and convenient as possible to fill their shopping baskets with everything they need, across multiple categories,” said Noor Ali, Head of World Foods at Asda.
“I’m also really proud to work with small, family-owned businesses who have really unique offerings and are truly passionate about making Ramadan and Eid as special as it can be, for our Asda customers.”
Offering unique products
Rahman founded The Desi Doll Company in 2008 after noticing how the market lacked Islamic toys to teach children about religion and faith in fun and interactive ways.
“I left my banking career and designed Aamina and Yousuf,” said Farzana. “These are two interactive plush dolls that talk and sing when you press their hands, feet and nose! They teach children the basics of the Islamic faith in a fun and light-hearted way.”
“Having our toys in 150 stores across the UK means that our talking dolls can reach even more households. Asda customers now have the opportunity to discover our unique toys whilst doing their weekly shopping – how convenient is that!,” she added
Sara International Ltd’s founder Osama Aziz said about the listing of his dates in Asda: “It’s a great chance to reach a wider group of Muslims and I believe it will help us offer top-quality dates at affordable prices.”
Paul Dudley, Director at Beacon Confectionary Ltd, said he wanted to introduce chocolate countdown calendars for Ramadan after spotting a huge gap in the market.
“This is the first year we have launched our products in Asda. By working with Asda, we are able to reach out to a wider audience, especially through its extensive Ramadan aisle,” he added.
The Issa brothers have done much for their community through their Issa Foundation. In July last year, they generously donated to hospitals in East Lancashire, gifting them 127 defibrillators.
In 2021, work began on the £5m new mosque the brothers want to construct in Blackburn. They also unveiled plans to build Europe’s biggest Muslim cemetery in their home city.
