Asda Sees Biggest Sales Fall On Record

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35604336

and

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/feb/17/asda-removes-food-bank-donation-points-from-uk-stores

Anybody think there might be a connection here somewhere ?

[Baldric]

Of course there's a connection, if they're losing profits they can't afford to be so generous.

[Retrochic]

ASDA is owned by Walmart -i doubt they are on their last legs financially. I reckon all the big supermarkets will show a fall in sales due to the popularity of the discount stores. I think ASDA were only donating stuff that was near the sell by date so it would have been thrown out anyway.

[mikey4444]

As I read the link, all that ASDA has been doing is to allow people to donate food from their shopping, or brought in from home, into a collection point in-store.

So, I fail to see how this is costing ASDA much, if anything at all. All this will achieve is to close an easy and convenient way for people to donate items.

I still donate food to my local Trussell Trust Food Bank, and very glad they are, that I and others do. But the small charities that don't have the manpower and resources to man these collection points are going to suffer badly. Its dispicable of ASDA to act in this way.

[naomi24]

//An Asda spokesperson confirmed the national change in policy, and told the Guardian that charities were still welcome in their stores, but “we just ask that volunteers are on hand to talk to customers and explain where their donations are going. //

Asda appears to be replacing the current system of having unmanned collection points in its stores and instead is offering space for charities to run their own collection points. That's not so bad, is it?

[Svejk]

Don't hear much about food banks now, do we? Perhaps things are 'looking up' under this government.

[sherrardk]

Food bank usage is on the up according to this - https://www.trusselltrust.org/2015/11/18/uk-foodbank-use-still-at-record-levels-as-hunger-remains-major-concern-for-low-income-families/

[douglas9401]

A cynic might say that there's little coverage of food banks because the relatively well off don't want to be reminded of the situation over their hearty breakfast and those same relatively well off buy the stuff that's advertised in the papers and on most TV channels and don't need reminding of the gross inequalities out there.

That or a word from on high to soft pedal on the poverty at home while more are pressing at the gate.

[Svejk]

Yes, I could see people getting 'hacked off' when this government keep pulling billions out of their ***'s for pet projects .

[sp1814]

mikey4444

I think the bigger problem for Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys is the rise of Aldi and Lidl. These chains will eat into the market share of the mid market supermarkets such as those I've listed, but not so much the 'top end' retailers such as Marks and Spencer and Waitrose.

[Old_Geezer]

You believe folk were only going to Asda to buy food for others that the Welfare system was failing ? I'd be surprised. But who knows, perhaps people really do only go Asda shopping if they can buy extra for the poor, and now go to buy for the poor elsewhere.

[mikey4444]

Naomi ....."That's not so bad, is it?"

Well, yes it is, as can be seen if you read the link I provided. Its costs ASDA beggar-all to allow charities to leave a trolley or box to deposit donated goods in, which can be collected later. But now they are saying that unless those charities provide someone to stand by the donation box, sometime 24 hours a day, they can't allow the donations to continue.

Lots of small charities just don't have the manpower to afford this.

I repeat...This isn't costing ASDA a bean. So if ASDA is losing some much custom, and therefore profits to other food outlets, you would have thought that the company would be glad of the goodwill engendered by allowing the current system of donations to continue.

ASDA is cutting its nose off to spite its face here....more fool them !

[Jackdaw33]

Interesting to see that Mikey advocates capitalism as the only solution to poverty, and not socialism.

[mikey4444]

Testicles Jack !

[Jackdaw33]

Then why are you criticising a private company, whose only motive is profit, not charity? Never mind, when Jezza ushers in the land of milk and honey, none shall go without.

[naomi24]

Mikey, we don’t know Asda’s reason for making this decision, but since they’re not withdrawing their charitable support altogether there is clearly a problem with the current system. Perhaps people are stealing from unmanned collection points – that wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Could your opposition to big business be clouding your judgement here? I think Asda should be commended for offering charities free space and I don’t think it’s unreasonable for them to ask those charities to take responsibility for donations from the public.

[mikey4444]

Jack...yet more testicles, and irrelevant testicles at that!

[naomi24]

Jackdaw, don't tell anyone, but I think Mikey is a closet Conservative. ;o)

[agchristie]

Naomi, you are set to get elephant's testicles! ;)

[naomi24]

ag, haha! I'm expecting something similar - if not precisely the same - momentarily!

[Haggisdj]

I cannot speak for every branch but my local Asda has changed over the last couple of years. They used to sell a large variety of branded goods but they have slowly been withdrawn and replaced by Asda's own brands. I have been fair and tried the Asda version and in the vast majority of cases have wanted the branded version. I now shop mailny at Sainsbury's, again.

PS Siansbury's is a much better shopping experience...