ASDA: Open for Browsing
An ASDA, looks good from the outside
Sorry Martin but ASDA has the most ridiculous store opening hours policy of any retailer in the world. Firstly, many ASDA stores have a massive sign with 24 written on it. One might assume that reflects the store’s opening hours. This actually reflects ASDA’s marketing department’s collective IQ.
ASDA open their doors on Sunday at 9am, one hour before trading, in an effort to boost sales (as law restricts their Sunday trading to six hours). Like Costa and their terrible marketing campaign (see my previous post for more retail rants), ASDA fail dismally. After finding the stuff I wanted to buy and then been told I had to wait an hour to actually buy them, I proudly threw my intended purchases (two towels and a can of WD40) on the counter and stormed off. I reluctantly paid twice as much for these goods at another shop.
Be sure to check out ASDA’s outrageous Twitter site which blatantly promotes various products.
ThisisLondon outlines the company”s rationale for ‘browsing time’ much nicer than I do.
You’re quite right, that’s completely insane. Who would spend anything like an hour browsing in ASDA? The only way shops like that are tolerable is if you are in and out ASAP, with your cheap towels and WD40; you go early so you don’t get trapped in there with 7000 bogans and their kids, trying to find a checkout that’s actually open.
Well I’m afraid I dont agree with these comments – it obviously isn’t what the moaners want, but for me its great. I have commitments with my children on a Sunday, so to have the hour (or how ever long it takes) to fill up my trolley, and be paying by 10 is brilliant!!! If I had to wait till 10, then shop, I wouldn’t be able to do the things I do in time on a Sunday.
i agree with lisa its not much different to it actually opening at 9 because i can go in and shop at nine it takes me about an hour to put everything i want in the trolly any way so this way it saves me an hour in the mornings
I’m so glad someone else has noted the stupidity of the ’24 hours’ sign, pscobie! Browsing time is merely distasteful because it only panders to a certain sector of the public doing a certain type of shopping, but the signs are blatant misrepresentation. Maybe I’ll get an explanation from them if they reply to my letter: http://wp.me/pRPTC-2E
Thanks Jeremy and good luck with your letter. Particularly like the one to Morrisons.