.asda

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Status:	Proposed
Registry Provider:	Verisign
Type:	Brand TLD
Priority #:	1066 - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

.asda is a Brand TLD being proposed in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant is Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Application Details

The following is excerpted from the applicant's response to question #18:

"Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (ʺWalmartʺ) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week around the world. Walmartʹs mission and founding principle is ʺsaving people money to help them live better,ʺ and Walmart has been recognized as a leader in sustainability, philanthropy, and employment opportunity. In the U.S., Walmart operates more than 4,400 retail facilities, including Walmart Stores and Samʹs Club warehouses. Walmart International operates more than 5,200 retail units in 27 countries outside the U.S. Walmart.com has been known for bringing the convenience, quality merchandise, and low prices of Walmart to the Internet. Walmart content is accessible in multiple TLDs, including the .COM, .NET, and .ORG gTLDs, and the .CA, .CO.UK, and .US ccTLDs.

ASDA is a Walmart subsidiary, operating more than 500 ASDA stores across the UK. While the stores vary in terms of size, location and the range of products and facilities offered, all offer the same low prices and friendly approach. ASDA is significant to the Walmart International segment, with net sales of $31.8 billion in FY 2011.

In recent years, Walmart has invested heavily in global eCommerce in order to reach more customers. In 2010, Walmart consolidated its eCommerce activities around the world in a Global eCommerce Division with three goals: 1) Develop and execute a global eCommerce strategy; 2) Accelerate global online channel growth; and 3) Create technology platforms and applications for every Walmart market. Walmart understands the impact that changing technology has had on retail and has dedicated eCommerce platforms around the world; the investments made in these platforms are helping to accelerate Walmartʹs growth in other markets. Walmart offers eCommerce sales through ASDA.com, its U.K. grocery home shopping network and a meaningful business, serving 97 percent of all U.K. customers.

The intended future mission and purpose of the .ASDA gTLD is to serve as a trusted, hierarchical, and intuitive namespace for the benefit of ASDAʹs customers and Internet users in general. Walmart will be the entity to bring the .ASDA gTLD to market and is also applying for .WALMART, .SAMSCLUB, .GEORGE, and .一号店 (the Walmart family of gTLDs).

Although ICANN has not specifically recognized a .BRAND gTLD specification in the current version of the Applicant Guidebook, it is widely anticipated within the brand owner community that this will become a specialty subset of new gTLDs. The .ASDA gTLD was planned as a .BRAND gTLD, with the goal of protecting ASDAʹs online presence and identity, expanding its marketing and promotional efforts, providing a secure channel for products and information online, and offering a platform on which to consolidate many of its intellectual property activities.

Walmart intends to initially limit registration and use of domain names within the .ASDA gTLD to Walmart, ASDA, and Walmart’s qualified subsidiaries and affiliates. This initial use will allow Walmart to establish its operations and achieve full sustainability. This limited distribution, coupled with the other requirements set forth in Specification 9 of the template Registry Agreement, is intended to exempt Walmart from its annual Code of Conduct Compliance requirements."