3 minute read
Retail Randoms
by 55 North
CHOCOLATE BUNNY
NPD, as we all know, is the lifeblood of the retailing industry. However, Sainsbury’s seems to have gone too far with a seasonal addition to its on-the-go range: Carrots & Chocolate Flavoured Houmous.
Badged-up as an ‘Easter Bunny Snack,’ the £1 treat sounds even more appetising deconstructed into its constituent parts of carrot batons, cooked chickpeas, golden syrup, sesame seed paste, cocoa powder and concentrated lemon juice.
Members of Facebook’s crack culinary 'Snack News & Reviews' group were quick to condemn the product. Comments ranged from “no, no and no” and “no, just no” to “eww no” and “wtf no”. More eagle-eyed readers will note a pattern emerging.
One wag, with a firm grasp of the real (i.e. non-chocolate) meaning of Easter, added: “You've taken it too far. Please Jesus, come back soon.”
What has slipped under the radar though, is that anyone daft enough to take Sainsbury’s at its word and feed chocolate to a bunny – Easter or otherwise – will more than likely end up with a dead rabbit on their conscience. And with no prospect of a resurrection.
ASDA BAN FOR SCAN SCAM MAN
We’ve all done it. Stood at the self-scanning checkout and considered not paying for the carrier bags.
However, one enterprising crook in the West Midlands has turned the idea on its head by instead buying some plastic bags and not his shopping.
In an endearing display of brand loyalty that took the concept of ‘the big shop’ to a whole new level, 43-yearold Kenneth Hollis bagged over £4,000 worth of stock from five Asda stores around Birmingham during a fourmonth crime spree.
His modus operandi entailed scanning plastic bags then tapping ‘finish and pay’ before loading his shopping into said bags. It is unclear whether he made a beeping sound as he passed his ill-gotten gains across the scanner.
He then paid for the bags using a debit card. This is very commendable – don’t run up a huge credit card bill buying stuff you can’t afford, eh Kenny?
Staring down the barrel of some serious jail time (but probably not bagged for life) when he returns to court for sentencing next month, Hollis was bailed on condition that he steers well clear of the UK's 600-odd Asda stores.
Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s must be overjoyed.
