Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Asda will step back from this year’s Black Friday sales, citing ‘shopper fatigue setting in around flash sales on big-ticket, non-essential items at Christmas,’ as the reason.
The grocery chain said it made the U-turn after listening to customer feedback: It explained: ‘Instead of the hustle and bustle and pressure of one or two day sales, where customers typically push the boat out on high-value items, this year Asda customers say they’d prefer deals on value for money, high quality products that all the family can enjoy.’
Rather than investing in a one-off day of sales, Asda will invest over £26 million in sustained savings spread across a traditional seasonal shop. From November through to Christmas and into the New Year, there will be offers in-store and online on products ‘that impact on everyday lives’ including toys and gifts, Christmas food and drink, and household basics.
Commenting on the move, Asda president and ceo Andy Clarke said: “The decision to step away from Black Friday is not about the event itself. Over the last two years we’ve developed an organised, well-executed plan. But this year customers have told us loud and clear that they don’t want to be held hostage to a day or two of sales.
“With an ever-changing retail landscape, now more than ever we must listen carefully to exactly what our shoppers want and be primed and ready to act the minute their needs change. When it comes to putting customers first, Asda has always led the way, which is why we’re just as confident in our decision to step away from Black Friday.”
*Black Friday is always the Friday following national holiday Thanksgiving Day (the fourth Thursday of November) in the US. The actual date obviously changes every year, but in 2015 it falls on Friday November 27. Since the early 2000s, Black Friday has been regarded as the start of the Christmas shopping season. On this day, most major retailers in the US open very early and offer promotional sales. But in the UK, most Black Friday deals are offered online.
