A card payment system breakdown led to excessive queueing at Asda stores on Sunday, with the supermarket apologising to customers over the delays.
The error lay in the processing of card payments, with the machines becoming unresponsive and not allowing payments to be made.
While all the chain’s stores were affected by the glitch on Sunday, the issue was fixed at some branches more quickly than others, a spokesperson said. Many stores were forced to close for the day.
As a result of the chaos, many shoppers took to social media to air their anger. Josh Williams was stuck at the tills at Asda in Reading, Berkshire, and said: “We were waiting for about 50 minutes. People weren’t too pleased! Now we have been told to leave because they can’t fix the system.”
A lack of clear communication from Asda was one of the main criticisms from shoppers, with Carey Luke tweeting: “I understand these things happen but no one can hear announcements so your [sic] in a queue for a till (30 deep) for baskets and then being told.”
Twitter user Jim Bentley said there was “no backup, no redundancy system. We’re just stood here like cattle waiting for your systems to start working again. On Sunday.”
All systems are back online again now, and the supermarket has apologised for any inconvenience caused to its customers.