ASDA store bosses across East Lancashire are celebrating being part of the Wal-Mart family with the birth of 'twins.'

A transatlantic store 'buddy' programme has been launched twinning all 229 Asda stores with Wal-Mart stores in America, following the take-over of Asda by the American supermarket giant. All store managers will visit their twin US store from September 1999 to November 2000.

In true FA Cup style, store managers were drawn by Allan Leighton, Asda's Chief Executive and Lee Scott, chief operating officer of Wal-Mart, and it was broadcast across all stores by Asda FM.

Asda's Blackburn store will be buddies with Wal-Mart's store in Norman, Oklahoma. Colne's Store Manager will have the chance to visit Lake Jackson, Texas. Wal-Mart's Anderson store in Liberty, South Carolina, was pulled out of the 'hat' as buddy to the Rawtenstall store. While, the Accrington branch will be buddy to Wal-Mart's store in Dallas, Texas.

Each Asda store manager will spend one week over the next 18 months at their respective Wal-Mart store. The challenge will be that the visit should produce ideas and improvements which can be shared from one side of the pond to the other.

Stuart Smart, Blackburn store manager, said: "It's brilliant news - when you're part of a large family you need to keep in touch and I'm really looking forward to getting to meet the team in the US."

He added: "Sharing learning from one side of the Atlantic to the other will create innovation and continuous improvement, which can only be good news for all our colleagues and customers."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.