Black Friday: police criticise Tesco after some stores see 'mini riots' - as it happened

http://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2014/nov/28/black-friday-uk-shoppers-fight-for-bargains-at-london-supermarkets-live

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4.25pm GMT16:25

End-of-day summary

The events of last night were totally predictable and I am disappointed that stores did not have sufficient security staff on duty. This created situations where we had to deal with crushing, disorder and disputes between customers.

My colleague Oliver Laughland has ongoing live coverage of Black Friday in the US.

This liveblog is closing now. Thank you for reading.

3.55pm GMT15:55

My colleague Oliver Laughland in the Guardian’s New York office will be liveblogging US Black Friday developments – you can keep up with that here.

I’ll post a summary of UK Black Friday news on this liveblog shortly.

3.40pm GMT15:40

My colleague Lauren Gambino in New York reports that scores of demonstrators in Missouri, around the St Louis area, are taking part in a retail boycott over the death of unarmed teen Michael Brown:

The retail boycott, which uses the hashtag #BlackOutBlackFriday on Twitter, is the latest strategy by protesters to draw attention to issues snapped into focus by the Missouri teen’s death: racism, economic inequality and police brutality in America. Monday’s grand jury decision not to indict white policeman Darren Wilson for killing Brown on 9 August led to days of violent protests in a number of American cities.

Heavy security around malls and shops in #Ferguson & #St. Louis-plans for #BlackoutBlackFriday economic protest #CBC pic.twitter.com/xg6ilZXbCo

Beginning on Thanksgiving night, dozens of activists turned up at major retailers around the St Louis area with protest signs. They chanted ‘Hands up, don’t shoot!’, a cadence of the movement, as shoppers whizzed past in search of heavily-discounted TVs and vacuums.

The demonstrations, staged at an area Target and multiple Walmarts, were brief and peaceful. As of mid-morning, there had been no reports of arrests related to the protests. In at least one instance, protesters were ordered by police to leave, and they did so peacefully, Reuters reported. More protests are expected throughout the day on Friday.

You can read the full report here.

Updated at 3.45pm GMT

3.30pm GMT15:30

Today set to be 'biggest internet shopping day in UK history'

More figures here, courtesy of Press Association:

Visa has predicted that £518m will be spent online on cards today, which would mean it is the biggest internet shopping day in history in the UK. It estimates that online transactions will top 8.5 million today alone, up 22% on 2013.

Another 500 million is forecast to be spent online on Monday, meaning the UK will shop its way to a £1.7bn “cyber weekend” with a predicted record 31 million online transactions.

Almost half of UK shoppers (47%) say they intend to buy a Black Friday deal, according to retail analysts Verdict.

3.24pm GMT15:24

Spare a thought for the shop workers dealing with the often … over-enthusiastic shoppers today. My colleague Jana Kasperkevic has spoken to low-paid retail workers about life behind the bargain signs:

These workers earn minimum or near-minimum wage, bringing home less than $1,000 (£637) a month. In 2013, 468,000 retail workers earned minimum wage or lower. According to Pew Research Center, 1.4 million cashiers – the most common part-time job – earn less than $10.10 an hour. Previous interviews with part-time Walmart workers have shown that often they bring anywhere between $200 to $400 home every two weeks.

As an economic contribution, this is thin. The workers, despite being employed, end up relying on government assistance in the form of food stamps and housing subsidies. And when the food stamps run out, they turn to their communities and the local food banks.

You can read the full interviews here.

3.14pm GMT15:14

Another update on the morning’s sales, this time from the New West End Company, which represents stores on Oxford Street in London. It reports a 19.5% uplift in footfall year-on-year between 9am and midday, with a 29% uplift in footfall between 9am and 10am.

Jace Tyrrell, deputy chief executive of the New West End Company said:

We are expecting a record amount of ‘lone ranger’ shoppers coming up to Oxford Street to hunt for the perfect gift on their own, as well as families this weekend. Both groups will contribute to our projection of £150m over a single three-day weekend. Stores are reporting brisk trade this morning …

The relatively new UK phenomenon of Black Friday coincides with the final November pay day, a pivotal purchasing time for gift-buying in the run-up to Christmas.

2.55pm GMT14:55

Currys PC World says today has seen its “biggest ever start to Black Friday”. (I think it is fair to point out that Black Friday is barely of toddler age in the UK.) It reports:

There have been no reports of fights in stores, says the firm’s e-commerce director, Jeremy Fennell:

Across the country we’ve seen customers ready to shop with queues outside a number of stores, but everything has been very well organised and in good spirits, with no reported incidents.

2.39pm GMT14:39

15 Tesco stores called in police

A further update to the tally of Tesco stores that called in police last night, taking the total to 15.

South Wales police say they were called to four Tesco stores: two in Cardiff, one in Bridgend and one in Merthyr Tydfil.

No other stores in the area called in the police, Sarah Butler reports.

2.31pm GMT14:31

My picture desk colleagues have put together this gallery of Black Friday images from the US:

2.23pm GMT14:23

Gwent police force has confirmed that they were called out to Tesco in Spytty retail park, Newport, at midnight. But they say that crowds were calmed by store staff and police and there were no arrests. That takes it to 12 Tesco stores where police were called in.

My colleague Sarah Butler has this analysis on why Tesco stores have seen far more disturbances – and calls to police – than other stores:

I think Asda learned from their disasters last year and – at the store I went to this morning in Wembley at least – they had brought in a lot of extra staff and were carefully controlling the number of shoppers they were letting in the door: only 20 or 30 at a time.

There were a few scuffles at the beginning, with some quite hairy looking TV footage from inside the crowd, but it was largely calm.

Tesco and Sainsbury’s opened their stores at midnight and Tesco opened far more. Sainsbury’s had only five stores open, so the chances of late-night trouble were higher at Tesco.

2.17pm GMT14:17

Asda has issued an update on its Black Friday morning trading – perhaps unsurprisingly, it is the supermarket’s busiest single day of the year so far, with more than two million transactions between 8am and noon:

Asda opened 440 stores for Black Friday deals and says most customers “queued in an orderly fashion alongside other shoppers”. But a spokesperson added:

We do not condone the behaviour of a very small number of people in our Wembley store this morning. Despite our extensive planning and additional security colleagues there was an isolated incident when the store opened. The sale has run smoothly in all our other 440 participating stores.

(A 40-inch flatscreen TV on sale at £139 sparked a crush at Asda’s Wembley store this morning.)

Bloody muppets! An abandoned shoe remains at the entrance of @asda Wembley after a crush on #BlackFriday. pic.twitter.com/iz4JTQleiM”

2.01pm GMT14:01

While UK shoppers seem to be enthusiastically embracing this US import, reports suggest American interest in Black Friday might be waning a little. Mind you, this might be because some stores began their discounts yesterday, on Thanksgiving itself. The Associated Press files this update:

The crowds were thin early Friday morning in parts of the country, but traffic is expected to pick up throughout the day. Analysts and store executives were heartened to see that shoppers seem to be buying more than just the doorbusters.

Bridget McNabb, of Kansas City, Kansas, stopped at a mostly empty suburban Target around 5.30am. Friday after a solid day of holiday cooking. “I started the dishwasher and came in,” she said.

Her goal was a coffee pot for her niece. But first, the 55-year-old – who said she was “old enough to know better” than to be out so early – stopped at the electronics department. “They have a great deal on a TV my husband wants to get his hands on,” she said. She was only momentarily disappointed after a store worker told her the $119 TV had sold out the night before. “I’ll pop online later,” she said.

Last year, sales on Black Friday slumped 13.2% to $9.74bn, according to ShopperTrak, which tracks data at more than 70,000 stores globally. Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak, says it’s still uncertain how stores will fare Friday.

In a fiercely competitive retailing climate, stores have been opening earlier into Thanksgiving. This year, it was clear that retailers pushed the best deals to Thanksgiving to get shoppers first before they run out of money. That could mean plenty of bargain hunters who wanted to keep Thanksgiving sacred will feel disappointed over the discount offerings on Friday.

With stores offering more deals earlier in the month, the holiday weekend has become less important. But the period still sets the tone for the shopping season, whose sales are expected to rise 4.1% to $611.9bn. That would be the biggest increase since 2011.

1.38pm GMT13:38

Greater Manchester police has put together a YouTube statement from its deputy chief constable Ian Hopkins, addressing the behaviour of Tesco shoppers – and the retailer itself – last night:

In it, Hopkins says “people have been trampling on each other”. Scenes in some Tesco stores overnight were, he adds, “akin to a mini riot”.

He says that in Tesco stores across Greater Manchester:

People need to take a long hard look at themselves and ask, what on earth was I doing?

Tesco should have had appropriate security and stewards, Hopkins adds, pointing out that GMP has lost 1,500 officers in the last three years and does not want to use its “scarce resources” on “predictable” events such as these.

1.25pm GMT13:25

The Associated Press has filed a round-up as Black Friday sales get underway in the US:

Millions of Americans are expected to head out in search of steep discounts today. The National Retail Federation forecasts holiday sales will grow 4.1% to $616.9bn, the biggest jump since 2011. It’s a make-or-break time for many retailers, which on average get 20% of their annual sales during the holiday shopping season.

Businesses are taking steps to keep crowds under control. Such efforts were stepped up after 2008, when a Wal-Mart worker died after a stampede of shoppers.

Best Buy, for instance, has a ticketing and line process that starts two hours before doorbusters to ensure an orderly entrance into its stores. The company also says stores held training sessions last weekend to prep for this weekend’s rush.

At Target, deals are spread throughout the stores and signs direct shoppers to hot items. And the company says every store has a crowd-management captain for inside and outside the store.

That doesn’t mean everyone remembers their manners. Wendy Iscra noted it got a little competitive at Wal-Mart in a Chicago suburb where she where she was shopping Thanksgiving. ‘People were shoving each other in there,’ the 40-year-old said.

The National Retail Federation expected 25.6 million shoppers to head to stores on Thanksgiving, which would be slightly down from last year. The numbers aren’t in yet, but there were crowds across the country.

Macy’s said more than 15,000 people were lined up outside its flagship location in New York City’s Herald Square when the doors opened at 6pm. In the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois, the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store was full about a half hour before deals started at 6pm., including $199 iPad minis.

And thousands of people were at Citadel Outlets in Los Angeles, which opened at 8pm on Thanksgiving for a ‘Moonlight Madness’ all-night sale. Hordes of cars inched past rows of palm trees wrapped in red and white lights.

Updated at 1.26pm GMT

1.14pm GMT13:14

Tesco statement

Sky News reports that Tesco has put out a statement after police were called to several of its stores last night, and the chief constable of Greater Manchester police criticised the retailer for “insufficient” security:

In the interests of customer safety, a small number of stores contacted police last night to help control crowds.

Tesco says it is working with police ahead of next year’s Black Friday sales.

1.08pm GMT13:08

Sarah Butler sends a further update, this time from Police Scotland:

Police in Scotland confirmed they were called to only one store – Tesco in Dundee, where they were called out because concerns about a large crowd. There were no arrests.

That makes 11 UK Tesco stores where police were called.

12.59pm GMT12:59

I think Nasa might have won Black Friday:

It's #BlackFriday, but for us, it's the 2nd annual #BlackHoleFriday. Today, we'll post pics & info about black holes pic.twitter.com/6npxklEw2N

12.52pm GMT12:52

A quick reminder for those not terrified into hiding by the coverage of Black Friday so far that our updated guide to the best deals today can be found here.

12.44pm GMT12:44

Police chief: disorder 'entirely predictable'

The chief constable of Greater Manchester police, Sir Peter Fahy, has been highly critical of the Tesco stores that witnessed outbreaks of violence and overcrowding last night:

It does not help that this was in the early hours when police resources are already stretched.

Across Greater Manchester large supermarkets already make significant demands on policing through calls to shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and thefts of fuel from their petrol stations – much of which is preventable.

We just ask these stores to work with us to reduce the demands on policing and reduce the risks of disorder and crime.

12.42pm GMT12:42

Police statement on Manchester Tesco disturbances

Greater Manchester police has now sent us this statement. It says two arrests were made, and one woman taken off in an ambulance with minor injuries, after disturbances were reported at seven separate Tesco stores in greater Manchester:

Police have been called to seven Tesco stores across Greater Manchester following disturbances at Black Friday sales events. At 11.37pm on Thursday 27 November 2014, officers were called to Tesco Central Park, Wigan after reports of several hundred people trying to enter the store. Two men were ejected before control was regained.Officers were also called to Tesco on Ashton Road West at 11.40pm yesterday, after more than 500 people attended the store. The Tesco store at Ellesmere Shopping Centre in Walkden was closed down after a crowd of more than 500 people attended. Shoppers were asked to leave.The Tesco Extra in Stretford was closed after fights broke out between shoppers trying to get their hands on sale stock. A woman suffered minor injuries after being hit by a falling television and an ambulance was called. The store was closed at 12.36am, just over half an hour after the sales event started.Shortly after 1.05am on Friday 28th November 2014, police were called to Tesco on Woodrow Way, Salford. One man was arrested on suspicion of assault after his conduct in store was challenged by staff. He threatened to ‘smash’ a staff member’s face in.At 12.40am on Thursday, officers were called to Tesco Extra on Barton Road, Middleton, following reports that around 200 people would not leave, despite being told stock had all gone. Doors had been locked but they refused to leave. No arrests were made.Shortly after 12.05am on Friday, police called to Tesco Extra on Stockport Road, Hattersley, following reports of fighting in store. Approximately 300 people were present in store and staff were advised to close. One man was arrested for a public order offence.

Watch: Hundreds of Black Friday bargain hunters clear shelves at Tesco http://t.co/FARUZpHiO9 pic.twitter.com/MxzqdwJ69f

12.34pm GMT12:34

My colleague Sarah Butler sends an update on calls to police from Black Friday stores:

Greater Manchester police say they were called out to seven Tesco stores today; the London Metropolitan police confirmed they had been called to three Tesco stores.

Both forces said they hadn’t been called to any other stores.

Sainsbury’s says no police were called to any of its stores and there was no ‘major disruption’.

She reports that the chaos and shopper-shouldering – at Tesco stores and elsewhere – now seem to be mostly under control.

12.30pm GMT12:30

Some images from Black Friday sales. This is Currys PC World in Solihull:

These from the US – South Portland, Maine:

And a cheerful-looking queue in Wembley, north London:

Updated at 12.30pm GMT

12.26pm GMT12:26

Manchester shopper Jamie Hook, speaking to BBC News now, is saying that Tesco staff last night were “diving for cover” as Black Friday shoppers piled on to bargains, “climbing over self-service tills … I could hear shouting”. Staff members had to block an exit with trollies, he says.

He left with only the grocery shopping he’d gone in for, he says: “No bargains.”

12.14pm GMT12:14

A spokesperson for John Lewis sends this update on the retailer’s morning, predicting it will be their biggest-ever single day of online trading.

“All of the shops successfully opened at 8am”, which admittedly is not something that normally needs pointing out. But these are not normal times …

The website started churning out deals from midnight, and here are some stats for the period from then until 7am:

(*Had to google Nutribullet, which looks to be a juicer that “bursts open seeds, cracks through stems, and shreds tough skins”. Just £69.95 today, seed-haters.)

12.07pm GMT12:07

Good afternoon, this is Claire Phipps taking over from my hardworking colleagues Jennifer Rankin and Hilary Osborne, who need to nip off for a cut-price coffee maker.

The Black Friday rush continues in UK stores, of course, plus shoppers in the eastern reaches of the US are currently waking up (those who haven’t been camping outside stores overnight, that is) to their own set of bargains/Vines of people elbowing each other for Hoovers.

We’ll have updates throughout the day.

12.00pm GMT12:00

Sarah Butler, the Guardian’s retail correspondent, has just been speaking to police in London.

She reports:

Metropolitan police said they had only been called to three supermarkets and they were all Tescos - in Edmonton, Willesden and Surrey Quays.They said there had been no arrests or serious disturbances..

11.55am GMT11:55

One theory on the origins of Black Friday...

I expect retailers prefer the explanation that it is the day in their financial year when they start making profits.

Updated at 11.56am GMT

11.47am GMT11:47

Still confused about why adults are fighting each other for flat-screen TVs in the small hours of the morning?

Then you need to read Dean Burnett’s guide to surviving Black Friday...

Functioning humans are seemingly reduced to the mentality of swarming creatures mindlessly desperate to obtain something. It’s like piranhas attacking a cow carcass, except instead of a cow it’s a discount flatscreen TV, and instead of teeth the piranhas have credit cards. This analogy does break down a bit admittedly, but not as much as social norms on Black Friday, so I feel it’s warranted.

Read on here

11.39am GMT11:39

More scenes of mayhem at Asda in Wembley courtesy of the chief correspondent of ITV’s Good Morning show.

A tussle for a TV at the same Asda.

11.32am GMT11:32

It is not just Britain that has imported America’s Black Friday madness.

The shopping days has also taken of in Brazil, as shown by this scene from Sao Paulo.

Kenneth Rapoza, a contributor to Forbes, told the Toronto Star that the event has become more popular in Brazil.

It’s not crazy like in the US, but there are more stores participating every year. It’s a cultural phenomenon in Brazil because Brazil in general, and especially the middle class and wealthy Brazilians, love to copy American culture.

But the joke on the street is that customers are paying 50% less for items that have been marked up by 200%, he said.

Updated at 11.42am GMT

11.17am GMT11:17

Birmingham had the highest number of people doing online shopping in the small hours, according to data crunchers at Postcode Anywhere.

The researchers looked at the number of people logging onto retail websites between midnight and 8am this morning. I haven’t seen any numbers, but here are their top ten online shopping cities.

10.58am GMT10:58

The leader of the Scottish National Party council group in Inverclyde, Christopher McEleny, has an idea for an alternative to today’s shopping frenzy.

Updated at 11.00am GMT

10.50am GMT10:50

Internet experts are also faulting retailers for not doing enough to ready their websites, for the Black Friday surge in demand.

Big name websites, including Tesco, Curry’s, Argos and John Lewis have been struggling to cope this morning.

Michael Allen, vice president of Dynatrace, a company that advises firms on apps and websites, said the failings will damage their brands.

Brands know that their digital channels are strategic, but seems like they still struggle to be fully prepared. Digital channels demand the same level of planning and commitment as, for instance, physical stores hiring extra staff on the floor today to cope with demand. In addition, when executed well, Web sites and mobile apps barely need additional staff for this important day.

Updated at 10.50am GMT

10.33am GMT10:33

An update on that last post: at 9.35 this morning, Greater Manchester police had arrested three people at different supermarkets.

10.30am GMT10:30

Police blame retailers for Black Friday mayhem

One of the UK’s most senior police officers has blamed retailers for not providing enough security, after Black Friday discounts sparked chaos and violence around the country.

Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), said the stampede was entirely predictable.

It does not help that this was in the early hours when police resources are already stretched.

Greater Manchester police took to social media to try and stop the madness.

Here is a quick rundown of the mayhem

Via Press Association

Updated at 11.03am GMT

10.26am GMT10:26

My colleague Aditya Chakrabortty wrote earlier this year about Edmonton in north London, where some of the scenes of chaos took place overnight.

This morning he tweeted:

10.17am GMT10:17

Here are some of the scenes at Asda in Wembley this morning, via Sarah Butler, who was there when the doors opened.

Shoppers were welcomed by cheerleaders, belting out Asda songs.

For some shoppers the main point was getting a bargain and it didn’t really matter what it was.

Letting people in in batches of 20s and 30s and getting v busy. One of managers reckons at least 30% more people here than last year

10.05am GMT10:05

Tesco’s website seems to have recovered - and has some offers left: £50 off an iPad mini seems to be one of the better deals, along with a Blaupunkt 50” HD LED TV.

Over at Amazon, you’d better act fast if you want to bag a Frolicat Bolt Automatic Laser Light at a hefty 58% off, as the deal ends in just over an hour.

Is that the worst deal out there? Let us know if you spot anything you’re less inclined to buy.

Updated at 10.06am GMT

9.59am GMT09:59

There is the usual Twitter backlash - not just reporting on the chaotic scenes, but commenting on the chaos:

80% off dignity though

9.57am GMT09:57

Just looking at the Currys site again and now there’s 30 minute wait:

9.56am GMT09:56

Earlier we reported on Currys online queue (7am).

9.53am GMT09:53

More from Sarah Butler again, this time on TVs, which seem the focal point of today’s bargain hunting:

Tellys defo the favourite whole flocks of them heading towards the till.. pic.twitter.com/45dqjWuPR8

9.52am GMT09:52

As if the scenes from shops around the country are not eye-popping enough, this website claims to be using data from Visa to show how much Brits have spent so far in real-time - it currently reckons that £212m has gone through the tills. High street stores were expecting to bag £200m from the day, so they might be in line for an early Christmas present.

9.51am GMT09:51

A warning from the police (HT @SimonNeville):

Even on #BlackFriday shoving people to the floor so you can get £20 off a Coffee Maker is still an assault. pic.twitter.com/azOSD1HmCp

9.47am GMT09:47