Mevio UK

The onesie well and truly took over sales in 2012 but Asda are hoping that their “twosie” will hit the spot for Valentine’s day this year.

Looking at it, we’re not so sure.

Couples can double up and snuggle up this Valentine’s Day in George at Asda’s”twosie.”

It has 10 metres of fabric, four arms, two hoods and features a bunny inspired design.  Probably more relevant for a joke present than anything else but seeing as 92 per cent of couples are planning to stay in this year instead of the usual romantic candle lit dinner fare, it could be a surprise sell out.

The survey, conducted by Asda, also found that two thirds of women say that they would rather receive a simple or novelty gift rather than an expensive or elaborate present, in which case, for all you men out there, what are you waiting for?

Today 100 limited edition ‘twosies’ will be available to buy online.  In the run up to Christmas, George at Asda sold over one million onesies, and even opened a onesie store to keep up with demand.  The difference between a onesie and a twosie is that the twosie is more of a cape design rather than an adult babygro, allowing you and your partner to be snuggled close, while still giving you a little bit of freedom.

Fiona Lambert, George Brand Director said, “The onesie was a phenomenon that swept the nation in 2012.   Demand from customers for more onesie innovation was through the roof and what a perfect way to move on but with the ‘Twosie.’  We expect it to be an instant sell out and 100 lucky couples will be able to get their hands on them from today for that special day.”

Some of the UK’s retailers will take after a US tradition today as they slash their prices just a month before Christmas.

Amazon, Asda and Apple are among the companies that have launched Black Friday sales in Britain.  This is a strange move seeing as many consumers are unaware of the American custom.

Every year in the UK, a day after Thanksgiving, thousands of stores discount their prices and many open for longer hours.

Last year records were toppled as shoppers battled their way through the shops to spend a total of $52bn (£32.6bn).

US online retailer Amazon was one of the first companies to bring the sale to the UK and launched a week long Black Friday deal on Monday.

Apple and Asda are hoping to make the most of Christmas bargain hunters with their one day sales.

Retail Week’s Gemma Goldfingle said, “There are more retailers launching sales this year than ever before – and many British consumers are becoming aware of the tradition for the first time.  In the US it an absolute phenomenon, with people queuing up all night to snap up the best deals.”

She added that Americans have Thanksgiving to kick off the event whereas int he UK it remains a normal day.  She mused, “A lot of British retailers would prefer not to have it.  They want to be selling items at full price ahead of Christmas, especially given the tough economic conditions.”

Black Friday, which is thought to come from the first day of the year that retailers go “into the black”, comes just before Cyber Monday the day which the industry claims is the biggest day in the online shopping calendar.

They may well be cute and just darn right handy when it comes to packing light and nifty but the mini toiletry size products sold in Boots are also just a great big rip off.

Travel-sized toiletries are priced eight times higher per ml than regular bottles and what with passengers being forbidden from taking 10ml worth of toiletries on board in their hand luggage, it makes for a huge surge in the number of people buying miniature bottles at the airport.

Research has revealed though that manufacturers and retailers are cashing in on the flight restrictions and are pricing travel-sized bottles significantly higher than their full-sized equivalents.

A number of branded toiletries sold in High Street stores Boots, Asda and Superdrug were compared with their mini counterparts sold at Manchester and London airports.  They found that a standard 150ml spray can of Dove anti-perspirant costs £1 on the High Street but the travel-sized version at the airport costs nearly double – £1.99 – for just 35ml.  A 500ml bottle of Johnsons Top to Toe Bath for babies costs £2.67 from Asda, but a 50ml bottle from WHSmith at airports is £1.99 – a huge 845% increase per millimetre.  Likewise, a 500ml bottle of Listerine is £3 on the High Street while if you wait till the airport, it’ll cost you £1.05 for 35ml.

Bob Atkinson, a travel expert at Travelsupermarket.com, said “Whilst security regulations are tight in airports in this day and age, consumers can easily get caught out paying over the odds for their toiletries,’ he said. ‘We found over 30 products where the mark-up was over 100 per cent – or double the normal price per ml. In most cases passengers are in a no-win situation. They either have to pay out to put their bags in the hold, or travel hand-luggage only and shell out for miniatures. However, savvy travellers can get around this – my number one tip is to invest in and reuse small bottles which you can decant your regular products into before you head off on holiday.”

Shopping for jeans has forever been a chore for women wanting to get the perfect fit and to also get ones that make their bums look good.

A new pair of jeans is being hailed as a wonder for this dilemma and no, it’s not from Victoria Beckham or from Seven for all Mankind so forget about using all your paycheck, it’s from Asda and costs a mere £18.

Asda claim its jeans will give anyone a  perfect bottom regardless of their age or shape or size.  Two rows of stitching – running from the side seam to the back pockets – pull the material in around the thigh and therefore lift the bottom while the lower row of stitching has a slight slope  giving the impression of a more bootylicious behind.

Fiona Lambert, from George at Asda, said, “Our customers asked us for something they can wear every day that will help embrace their curves.  The latest addition to our shaping range – the Great Bum Jean – offers a fantastic solution to creating a pert and perky bottom for an affordable £18.  It just goes to show that you don’t need to spend thousands of pounds on painful surgery, expensive creams and gimmicks in order to achieve the perfect shape.”

The jeans launch in store today.