According to the sources at hand, the Top Level Domain (TLD) for ASDA does not appear to exist. First of all, let’s understand what a top-level domain is. According to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a top-level domain (TLD) is the last segment of a domain name, or the part that follows immediately after the “dot” symbol. Examples include commonly known domains such as ‘.com’, ‘.org’, ‘.net’, ‘.edu’ and ‘.gov’ to list a few.
ICANN provides a comprehensive list of all current TLDs and their sponsors. Exploring this list reveals that there is no ‘.asda’ TLD. ICANN is the global authority on domain name management and classification, so their listings are very reliable.
Notably, ASDA is a commonly known supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, it’s owned by Walmart (Source: Asda Corporate Website). While many companies have their own domain names (such as ‘asda.com’), this does not mean they have their own TLD. As per current regulations, most businesses use generic top-level domains (gTLDs) in their web addresses, such as ‘.com’, ‘.biz’, ‘.info’, etc.
Bespoke TLDs like ‘.google’ or ‘.apple’ are known as branded TLDs, and were introduced in 2012 as part of ICANN’s new gTLD Program. These are designed for specific entities or organizations that meet certain criteria and can afford the application fee, which can be prohibitive for many (Source: ICANN).
As of now, ASDA does not appear to have its own branded TLD and operates online under asda.com. This is common practice for many businesses regardless of their size or the scale of their digital operations. It’s also worth noting that obtaining a brand-specific TLD is not always desirable or beneficial. There are numerous factors to consider such as digital strategy, branding, search engine optimization, and the cost of registering and maintaining the TLD (Source: Search Engine Journal).
In conclusion, while ASDA is a large organization with a significant online presence, it does not have a TLD in its name according to the current records of ICANN. The supermarket chain instead sticks to the more conventional ‘.com’ domain.
Sources used: ICANN Official Website, Asda Corporate Website, Search Engine Journal.
