Two Lidl adverts claiming customers could make big savings compared to Big 4 grocer Tesco have been banned following a complaint from rival discount retailer Aldi.
According to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the ban of the two ads came as a result of claims it was possible to save over 35% and another 30% at the German discounter compared with Tesco prices on its Scottish-themed range.
As a result, the advertising agency branded the ads as “misleading”, and said it did not consider the ads, which ran in Scotland, to have made it “sufficiently clear that the 30% and 35% savings related only to the specific selection of products shown.”
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“We considered consumers (in Scotland) would be likely to understand the savings referred to price differences offered by the two supermarkets more widely, rather than being specific only to the example basket of goods, and that the same level of savings could be achieved more generally in a typical weekly shop,” the ASA said in a statement.
“Because we had not seen evidence that this general level of savings could ordinarily be achieved, we considered the ads were likely to mislead.”
However, Lidl believes the ads were “clear” that the comparison was of a mix of branded and non-branded products that were related to Scotland, arguing that the ads specifically stated “saving based on these branded and own-brand goods at Tesco vs the cost of an equivalent product meeting the same need at Lidl. Tesco may sell other products at other prices”.
The news follows pricing claims three years ago between Aldi, Lidl and Tesco following similar rulings against both the German discounters in regards to price comparisons with the Big 4 grocer.
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