Update Please note that this was a special launch offer and ended on 22nd September 2009.
Dan Brown’s eagerly anticipated new novel The Lost Symbol went on sale at one minute past midnight this morning – and we’re selling it in Asda stores at the amazingly low price of £5.
The normal recommended retail price of the hardback is £18.99.
The book – and our great price – was under strict embargo until today and store managers went to great lengths to keep the books under wraps. Until now the book’s plot has been a closely-guarded secret known only to the author and his publishers. Closely guarded by security in depot, store deliveries of the book come with strict guidelines stating boxes containing The Lost Symbol should not be opened until a minute past midnight.
Dan Brown’s previous book, The Da Vinci Code, sold more than 80 million copies and became the best-selling adult novel of the 21st century, so we’ve ordered extra stock to make sure we can cope with customer demand.
Asda’s marketing manager for books, Dewi Williams, is expecting to sell 20,000 copies in the first week. She says: “Our customers rely on us to bring them unbeatable low prices every day and that’s exactly what we’ll be giving them with The Lost Symbol.”
To celebrate we thought we’d have a bit of fun and hold some “unofficial Dan Brown signing sessions” in stores where we have colleagues named Dan Brown. We have our very own Dan Browns in our stores in Dundee Kirkton, Bangor, Nuneaton and Cwmbram. They’re not as reclusive as the novelist himself so pop along you if you fancy getting a Dan Brown signature in your £5 copy of The Lost Symbol.
The launch of the new novel coincides with the release of his blockbuster cinema hit Angels and Demons on DVD and we’re running a promotion allowing customers to buy both The Lost Symbol book and Angels and Demons DVD for a staggering £14.
Posted by Trina on 15 September 2009, 08:02Posted in:
12 Comments for "Wraps come off Dan Brown's new novel - and our amazing low price"
Still no copies in the Slough branch every time I go in. Off to Tesco’s I think!!!
I am writing to share my recent dissapointing experience at Asda.
I have made 6 seperate journeys to Asda since the new Dan Brown book was launched and only on my 6th visit did any stock appear (at the higher £9.00 price). I feel that Asda has conciously mislead me to get me into the store, as each time I have visited I have been assured by your staff that more stock is due to be delivered but while the promotion was running the extra books never materialised. Only at the higher price did they miraculously appear.
I normally visit your stores a few times each week as I take people with me who have mobility problems. In future Iwe will shop elsewhere.
Was not surprised to see display full of Dan Brown’s book today 23rd Sept at Motherwell Asda – Eventually!!!!!! However its nearly twice the price now £9.00. I think asda use this ruse to guage the demand for a product then maraculously can not only supply this book but have a comfortable stock. How could Asda not have managed this promotion better, as I stated in my first comment this is not unique to me or this offer.I have had difficulty getting past offers and I am left feeling cheated. This cannot be Asda’s objective to promise goods at one price and not have stock; then have stock but unfortunately not the promotional price. Asda could have sold token on any of the six times i visited the store which could be redeemed when the stock came in therefore honouring their part of the deal. Still very disappointed
Very disappointed! Saw this offer For Dan Browns’ ‘The Lost Symbol’ for £5 in the stores right here on the internet and thought, ooh I’ll go and get that for that price. So I went to our local Asda to find it’s £9. Still a good deal I know, but it wasn’t £5, so I asked a member of staff, who said ‘Yeah it was £5 but it went back up to £9 this morning’. I know it’s only £4 more but I left it on the shelf for the time being!
5 days 5 trips even did shopping on two of them but NO Dan Brown book to be seen at a fiver. now up to 30 miles of petrol so that Dan book will now have cost me a minimum £10 inc petrol!! ” we had a few but they went in 5 mins” is the reply each day. ASDA this is cheating loss leaders are acceptable but non existent loss leaders are just downright dishonest! How do I collect my voucher to make sure that when the price goes up and the stock miraculously appears I can indeed still purchase my book at the offer price.
Further to your response stating all your stores have had a good supply of this book; Motherwell customer services claim they never received any Saturday nor today (Sunday). Now been 6 times, incidentally bought other goods while i was in the store. I think i will surrender now and pay the extra £2 at Tesco in Wishaw.
I’m sorry, but I cannot agree with ‘Dewi from Asda’s’ comments. On the day of the book’s release, I visited our South Woodham Ferrers store, after dropping my children off at school. The time was around 9.20 am. The ‘Dan Brown’ display unit in the foyer was empty. When I enquired at ‘Customer Services’, I was told that the 100 copies the store had received had all been sold out, and that they may be getting more copies in later that week, but could not guarantee when they would be coming in. I was also told that orders for the book were not being taken. I have re-visited the store every day this week, where I (and many other frustrated customers), have been told the same story. Today I was told that new copies will be delivered on Monday – THE DAY THE OFFER ENDS! My questions are these:- Did the store really check-out 100 customers on 16th Sept, between 8.15am and 9.30am, when the store was actually really quiet? Why were there not any restrictions on purchases per customer? – eg: one copy per customer – (none of the advertising said this). What I believe happened is this:- One or two bright sparks came in and bought all the copies that were available. They could do this because there were no restrictions on the number of copies that could be purchased (unlike the on-line offer). Good luck to them – as I am sure that they are now on sale on ‘e-bay’, or at a car boot sale near you; at a much higher price than £5.00. This previously happened with the ‘Mamma Mia’ DVD promotion. I saw customers walking out of the store on it’s release date, with several copies of the DVD. ASDA – You need to make sure your offers are fair for all your customers, or you are likely to lose reputation and business, to your competitors.
Thanks for all your feedback on the Dan Brown launch. We’re glad that the £5 offer has been so popular, but we have to say that it’s also put a strain on our delivery network. All our stores have had a good stock of the book and we’ve sold many tens of thousands of them already. An equal number of new copies should be hitting stores today. Following that we’ll have another major delivery that will re-fill our shelves for Monday. This should mean that everyone who wants a copy from Asda can obtain one. Thanks for highlighting these issues and allowing us to react quickly to improve things.
Another great bargain you are unable to get !
Asda can sell anything at any price if they never have any in stock. Over the past few years i have tried to get a number of “special Offers” Asda have been promoting and have never been able to get any of them. The staff say “oh they went quick this morning”. If this is the case why cant asda order more or have a late afternoon delivery for non perishable goods such as this book, to enable the workers of Britain to benefit from these offers. It seems to me that the retired and unemployed are the only people catered for and the people that keep this country afloat are penalised for working.
Most disgruntled
Motherwell
Disappointed !! – wanted Dan Brown new novel and an extra birthday pressie but non in stock in North Hykeham or Asda Living . been three times on a promise stock arrives all the time – Might as well have gone to Sainsburys as its cost be a fiver in extra fuel. Staff tell me its been delivered to the wrong store and they have contacted the head office. Fat lot of use that is…Signs all over the entrance saying its released 15th September….SO WHERE IS IT ASDA MANAGEMENT ? >>>
In spite of your extra orders of “The Lost Symbol” when my wife tried to purchase a copy in your romford branch the stocks had run out. This was not on the first day but the second. However your £5.00 offer is yet to be beaten in any shop that I know of and you are fairly close to us. My question is when your new stock arrives will the offer stand and as I am a disabled person and find it a problem to travel far, will the romford branch be re-stocked? Thank you for your time,
The launch of Dan Brown’s latest novel “The Lost Symbol” at my local Asda in Boston was kept so secret that at least up to 8.15am today ( 16th September 2009 ) it was still not on the shelves ( or it was hidden so well no one could find it !).
Even if it is £2 cheaper at Asda if you cannot find it, I’m off to Tesco where they have it for £7.
Not the level of service we would expect from Asda.