OUTLOOK: Finished product not quite at Taste the Difference standard

Outlook For all that management style, and “style” is very much the Justin King way, what about the substance?

Well, Mr King fixed that dismal £3bn IT albatross and finished cheering up the shops (a programme largely done by his predecessor Sir Peter Davis). He jollied along the staff, too, with those Asda skills, even overtaking the old place in market share as skint shoppers traded down to Lidl.

As for the share price, he arrived at 279p and left at 348.5p. A 70p rise is better than the 60p fall Sir Peter managed during his tenure, I guess. But as finishes go, it’s still more Basics cava than Taste the Difference champagne.