Checking out

As Marc Bolland leaves Morrisons to head up Marks & Spencer, its

Yorkshire rival Asda faces a period of upheaval as its own chief executive, Andy Bond, leaves the shop floor to become the firm's part-time chairman.

Yet, despite Asda's parent company Wal-Mart saying it will be "business as usual", Mr Bond will be a tough act to follow. His five-year reign has seen the group reinforce its position as the UK's second biggest grocery chain.

A man who has steadfastly refused to move his family from their

Yorkshire home, Mr Bond's announcement comes just over three months after he said that he was committed to Asda for the long-term and had no intention of leaving.

Critics may point to the firm's poor Christmas when a shortage of grit made some of the supermarket's car parks inaccessible. However, one set of disappointing results does not see someone become a poor chief executive overnight, even more so when the individual concerned was advocating weeks ago a "new chapter for future growth" that included a push for smaller stores and a return to the firm's Everyday Low Prices mantra.

Will this now happen? Perhaps Mr Bond is right with his intimation that supermarkets have become too big – and diversified too much – as Asda is linked with the Home Retail group. For, at the end of the day, it is the quality and value of the food produce that matters more than most – and even more so if it is locally-sourced.