Following the well-publicised chaos at its stores on Black Friday last year, Asda has announced that it will “step away” from the event this year and focus on offering value throughout the Christmas period.

The supermarket said that after two successful years, "shopper fatigue" has set in "around flash sales on big-ticket, non-essential items at Christmas" and that it is now looking to regain shoppers' attention by not getting involved, reverting to its strategy of "deals on value-for-money, high-quality products that all the family can enjoy". It added that that instead of investing in one-off sales, it will spend the £26m in savings across the seasonal shopping period. 

Asda’s Chief Executive Andy Clarke commented: "The decision to step away from Black Friday is not about the event itself. 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. 

"With an ever changing retail landscape, now more than ever we must listen carefully to exactly what our shoppers want and be primed and ready to act the minute their needs change."