Manchester: Many shoppers faced problems accessing their orders from one of the largest grocery stores in Britain. Asda’s website and app went down, leaving customers unable to place new orders or check their existing ones.
The issues mainly affected the app, with over 1,000 complaints reported on DownDetector. Cities like Nottingham, London, Glasgow, Plymouth, and Birmingham also experienced difficulties.
The problems began around 3 PM and seemed to involve both the app and the website. Customers were frustrated as they could not complete their shopping.
An Asda representative explained that a global issue impacted many businesses, causing the website to be unavailable for about an hour. They apologized for the trouble and assured customers that everything was back to normal.
This outage happened just after Asda announced a new self-service returns option. This feature allows customers to return items without needing to talk to staff.
The trial for this new return system is happening at a store in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester. Customers can return various items, including groceries and clothing, using special machines.
To use the machines, shoppers scan their receipts and product barcodes before placing their returns in designated areas. This process is designed to make returns quicker and easier.
An Asda manager mentioned that using the return machine should only take about 30 seconds. This change aims to reduce long wait times at customer service desks, which can be a hassle for shoppers.
Image Credit: metro.co.uk