Complex sentence: By 1981, under the soon to be outgoing, Managing Director, Peter Firmston-Williams, 80 Asda stores were trading, but the growth of the chain was slowing and their southern expansion had been expensive.
Split into simpler sentences: By 1981, under the soon to be outgoing, Managing Director, Peter Firmston-Williams, 80 Asda stores were trading. But the growth of the chain was slowing down and their southern expansion had been expensive.