Supermarket Toy Price War Could Save UK Shoppers £16 million This Christmas
UK Parents could receive as much as £16 million in discounts on their Christmas shopping as retailers ratchet up their Christmas toy price war.
Asda fired the opening shot, launching its Christmas Toy Event, offering 50 per cent or more in discounts on over 100 items the retailer stocks, resulting in a savings of £6 million for Asda customers.
Not to be outdone, Asda rival Tesco waded in with its own 50 per cent sale which it says will save its shoppers £10 million.
The move comes as retailers fight to fill the sales gap left after Woolworths disappeared from the market, and competition is expected to be especially intense during what may prove to be a period of fragile recovery for the UK economy.
Asda launched its Christmas Toy Event after surveying 8000 of its customers, finding that 73 per cent of parents had already began their Christmas shopping and 20 per cent were anxious about the costs of buying presents for their children.
An Asda spokesperson said: “Shoppers need to be more prepared so they can spread the cost of Christmas, while all retailers will be competing to get customers through their doors.”
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Asda Fires First Shot And Cuts Price Of Toys For Christmas Shopping Season
UK Supermarket giant Asda sent tremors through toy land last week, firing the first shot in the Christmas price war that will no doubt ravage the retailing scene in the UK, to the benefit of customers.
Asda last Friday, slashed the prices on more than hundred toy items by as much as 50 per cent or more, across all 369 Asda stores in the country.
The sale is Asda’s largest ever toy event, and starts with less than 10 weeks to go until Christmas, following research commissioned by the retailer which suggests that 35 per cent of parents felt worried about the cost of Christmas shopping for their kids and were looking to contain the cost.
Though the Toy Retailers Association refuses to make sales forecast for this Christmas season, Asda’s first mover status ensures that the real winner of the fiercely contested Christmas shopping season will be its customers.
Asda has stocked over 700 toys this year and from last Friday more than 100 of these will be on sale for half price or less, wiping more than £6 million of its customers shopping bills.
Included in the offer are must have kids’ favourites such as High School Musical dolls down to just a fiver from £12, a Hot Wheels Seaport Village sailing down to £15 from £30, Disney ride-on cars for £15 down from £30, a 200-piece tub of Mega Blocks for £15 down from £32 and, for those bitten by the X-Factor bug, a Hannah Montana mich with stand for £12 down from £24.
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Asda To Push Suppliers To Become More Environmentally Sustainable
Supermarket chain Asda, plans to introduce a scheme first rolled out by Asda parent Wal-Mart, aimed at encouraging suppliers to use more sustainable packaging.
Asda is working on its own version of parent Wal-Mart’s “packaging scorecard” and intends to launch the programme during the first quarter of 2010.
Wal-Mart introduced the scorecard in its US home market last year, and the scheme allows buyers from the retail giant to judge their suppliers based on whether they were working to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging.
Claire Costello, Asda’s general manager for central buying, said the retailer had created a “sustainable value network” of manufacturers and packaging firms to draw up the criteria for its own scorecard.
Details of the UK scorecard are still being discussed, Costello said, but it is expected to be introduced early next year.
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Organic Meat Producer Under Investigation
An organic meat supplier to major retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Tesco is under investigation by police in Surrey and UK government watchdog Trading Standards, who are looking into allegedly dubious trade practices by the Guildford Abattoir.
In particular the police and the government is examining whether the supplier has been labelling imported meat incorrectly.
The investigation could result in further damage to organic producers, after the £2.1 billion market has suffered as a result of the economic downturn.
The meat itself poses no risk whatsoever to consumers, and the investigation is focused on the price of organic meat compared with non organic, and whether the producer is charging the higher organic price for meat which is in actual fact non organic.
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ASDA Direct Half Price Sale on Toys and George Clothing
Asda Direct, in preparation for the upcoming Christmas shopping season has introduced hefty discounts for shoppers who buy toys from Asda Direct or clothing from George at Asda.
The retailer has hefty discounts of as much as 50 per cent for people who buy selected toys from Asda Direct between the 20th October and 9th November, making it a really compelling option for those wanting to start their Christmas toy shopping a little earlier than usual, and save a little money in doing so.
For those of you wanting to save some money on shopping for loved ones nearer your age, then George at Asda is the perfect option, with discounts as large as 50 per cent on some items. George at Asda has coats as low priced as £15 and knitwear on offer for as little as £10 for two items.
Get your Christmas shopping done early and save few quid by shopping now with Asda Direct or George at Asda.
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Asda Offers Over 50s Life Insurance Cover
UK Retailer Asda has added life insurance coverage for people over fifty to its suite of financial products.
The new life insurance product is called Over 50s Life Cover and was developed in conjunction with insurance provider LV=
The new product was developed after research by the retailer showed that despite family well being amongst the top priorities for people over fifty, more than fifty per cent of people over this age are not covered.
Gideon Ingham, the head of insurance and savings at Asda, said: “We know that many of our customers with children or grandchildren would like to leave some money behind for their loved ones, to help make their lives easier, shield them from funeral expenses or even just leave a legacy. That’s why we’ve teamed up with LV=, a provider that shares our ethos of putting customers at the heart of everything we do.”
Asda believes that its retail reach coupled with a product tailored for the segment, will give it the ability to triple the number of customers aged 50 or over who take life insurance coverage.
Mr. Ingham added that the product offers an optional guarantee which ensures that premiums paid will not exceed the amount that could be paid out.
Over 50s Life Cover is available online, over the phone or in-store, and premiums start as low as just £5 a month.
Asda also offers general insurance products , such as home, car or pet insurance.
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Asda Launches Healthy Lifestyle Site
Retail giant Asda has launched a new web initiative offering its customers information and support in their endeavour to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
The retailer has launched a supermarkets Health Matters website, which gives visitors the ability to rate and share articles related to healthy living, and also sign up to an email newsletter. Visitors to the site can also take part in monthly polls, play around with nutritional and body mass index calculators as well as listen to podcasts.
The sites visitors can introduce their friends to the website, giving users the ability to increase health awareness in the community.
Health Matters replaces Asda’s previous ‘Feel Good’ site.
Asda brand nutritionist Bryonie Hollaert said: “With the new site we want to engage as well as inform our customers. Health Matters offers a user-friendly experience and demonstrates healthy living as affordable and accessible.”
Ms. Hollaert added that the health of Asda UK customers and colleagues is of critical importance to the retailer and that the new site “reflects that pledge”.
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Two Thirds of Supermarket Chickens Could Contain Food Poisioning Bacteria
A new study has found the presence of a common food bug in as many as two-thirds of chickens on sale in UK supermarkets. The bug can cause severe food poisoning in some people.
The study was conducted by the Food Services Agency (FSA), and its findings show that 65 per cent of fresh chicken samples tested, tested positive for the bacteria campylobacter, the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK. The study also found salmonella present in 6 per cent of samples tested.
Campylobacter causes approximately 55,000 cases of food poisoning annually in the UK, those afflicted usually suffer from diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. In extremely rare cases, the bacteria can sometimes cause death.
The FSA said the most common source of the bacteria is chicken, however it can be found on any meat and in unpasteurised milk. Chicken however, accounts for 30 to 40 per cent of cases.
The FSA said that the best way to prevent illness is to cook and clean meat thoroughly, which kills the bacteria and prevents cross contamination, reducing the chances of its spreading.
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Asda Launches Asian Clothing Range
UK retailing giant Asda has launched a range of traditional Asian clothing in a move to meet rising customer demand for such items.
The range, part of the retailers George clothing line, comprises a 13-piece collection and is the first of its kind to be offered by a UK supermarket.
The new range includes a sequinned Salwaar Kameez (traditional female dress), Khurtas (male tunic) Dapata (female scarves) and Chulidar (female trouser type garment). The range was designed by Asda in collaboration with a team based in India, and is produced using authentic Indian fabric.
George’s brand director Fiona Lambert said: “We are extremely proud to be launching the UK’s first mainstream range of traditional Asian clothing. We have the broadest socio demographic group of all the supermarkets and we wanted to offer affordable clothing suitable for all our customers.”
The retail giant expects there to be large demand in the build up to the Muslim festival Eid and Hindu celebration of Divali.
The range will be introduced at 21 Asda stores across the country, with prices ranging from £7 to £26 for a full suit.
Brianna Ragel, editor of Asian Woman magazine, said: “It is exciting to see a well known high street retailer embracing ethnic cultures, and offering good quality authentic outfits at affordable prices. This definitely marks a turning point for ethnic clothing on the high street.”
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George At Asda Wins RSCPA Good Business Award
Asda clothing brand George, has won this year’s RSPCA Good Business Award for large fashion company. Joining George, as a winner of the award, was vegan shoe boutique Neon Collective who won in the small fashion category.
High Street favourite New Look, and surf brand Finisterre were also commended for their innovation and dedication to ethical sourcing and animal welfare.
Leading retailer Marks & Spencer was also presented with an award for its commitment and uncompromising dedication to animal welfare.
The awards were presented at a ceremony in central London, and the competition was judged by an independent panel of experts based on criteria set out by the RSPCA.
“This year’s large company award winner shows that there is a real commitment within the industry to improve animal welfare, and it’s reassuring to see big brands at the forefront of this change,” said Wayne Hemmingway, one of the fashion judges.
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