Asda cancels Black Friday bargain event

Supermarket chain Asda will not be taking part in a pre-Christmas sales event which sparked frenzy among shoppers last year.
AsdaAsda
Asda

The firm, which has a store on Mill Street West, Dewsbury, has cancelled Black Friday, a one-day promotion which sees flash sales of big-ticket items.

Last year Asda faced criticism over its handling of the event after shoppers got into scuffles in other parts of the country,

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Walmart-owned Asda cited “shopper fatigue” as the reason for not taking part this year’s November 27 event.

Company president and chief executive Andy Clarke said: “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.”

Last year’s Black Friday saw police called to Tesco Extra in Batley amid frenzied scenes as shoppers waited for the sale to start at midnight.

Video footage emerged of shoppers pouring into the store to grab flat screen televisions, coffee machines, kitchen appliances and other discounted products.

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Another video showed security staff in London trying to contain a mob of shoppers grappling over a cut-price TVs.

Last year’s chaos prompted Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, to condemn lax security arrangements to cope with the huge crowds.