What took you so long? It was a strange way for Asda to respond after it was overtaken by Sainsbury’s in the Kantar Worldpanel data this week. But there was no shortage of strange responses.

Why did Tesco, for example, which should benefit both from offering a one-stop shop experience, and having such an enormous convenience estate, blame the snow for slow sales this week? While Booker, which services restaurants and independents surely at a greater disadvantage should somehow be immune.

Justin King wasn’t blaming the weather. In a good week for Sainsbury’s all round, as well as the best like-for-like numbers, I wasn’t sure whether Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Fish Fight was a TV commercial for Sainsbury’s pole-and-line caught tuna or the new series of Wish You Were Here…?

But the most surprising response is the eerie silence surrounding Asda’s new improved Price Guarantee. Our Asda mystery shopper this week was able to claim back a £3.32 saving as the Morrisons shop in Tuesday’s Grocer 33 was just 4.5% cheaper, though it was interesting that Asda was around 10% cheaper than other rivals.

So what was the response of shoppers? According to Hitwise the website recorded just 92,245 hits in its first week 0.5% of the 17 million transactions it averages every week.

Of course, a price guarantee relies upon inertia to be successful. But it’s the eerie silence from Asda’s rivals that intrigues me most. So far, there have been no complaints to the ASA or Trading Standards; no legal actions or injunctions; no tart ad campaigns, or calculated price moves.

They will surely come. Either that, or they will offer to misredeem Asda’s coupons. Well, why not? It’s par for the course, these days.

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