Asda has announced that it will not longer sell single kitchen knives, removing these from all stores by the end of April 2019. The decision reflects rising concerns about knife crimes, particularly those involving young people and children. The retailer will continue to sell knives in multi-packs.
Nick Jones, Asda’s senior vice president commented: “We strongly believe that we have a responsibility to support the communities that we serve. Whilst we have already taken steps to restrict the sale of knives to ensure that they do not fall into the wrong hands, we felt there was more we could be doing to support those looking at how to bring this issue under control.”
He elaborated: “We know single knives are the most common knife products to be stolen and that is why we have chosen to remove these items from our stores. This is an issue that means a lot to our customers and to our colleagues, and we are committed to playing our small partin helping to make our communities safer for all.”
In 2016, Asda was a founding signatory to the Home Office voluntary agreement on a set of principles to prevent the sale of knives to under 18s and to ensure that knives are safely displayed and packaged.
In October 2018, Poundland stopped selling kitchen knives altogether.
Top: Asda will take single knives off its shelves by the end of April.
