Retail diary: Asda hits freeze on Black Friday

Asda hits freeze on Black Friday

”There’s no need for Black Friday frenzy,” the grocer argued, after turning its back on the sale event last year. 

Instead, this year, it created a video spoof of the events that unfolded on Black Friday in 2014 – now also known as Black-eye Friday.

Asda staff parodied bargain-hungry customers rushing for discount TVs, but did it in the style of the ever-prevalent Mannequin Challenge.

Here’s a glimpse of the team playing statues in Asda’s Pudsey store.

Majestic Wines and Hotel Chocolat get competitive on the rugby field

Retail friends became temporary enemies earlier this month when England’s rugby union side took on South Africa at Twickenham.

Englishman Angus Thirlwell – of Hotel Chocolat fame – and Majestic Wine’s South African boss Rowan Gormley were among the 81,000-strong crowd cheering on their respective nations.

The duo exchanged more than patriotic banter during the match though, as Gormley dished out healthy portions of South African delicacy biltong, while Thirlwell returned the favour by sharing one of Hotel Chocolat’s festive yule logs.

If gorging on the chocolate treat didn’t make Gormley feel slightly sick, England’s 37-21 win may well have done.

At least he will have had access to plenty of wine if he needed to drown his sorrows.

Things get heated for Victoria Plum

The online bathroom retailer has become embroiled in a heated situation with a plumbing firm that has a very similar name.

A High Court ruling earlier this week stated that Victorian Plumbing has been unlawfully bidding against VictoriaPlum.com in Google AdWords, infringing the Victoria Plum trademark and misleading consumers.

As Google increasingly becomes the shopfront for pure-play retailers, Victoria Plum will be keen to flush away its search term competitor.