// Lidl’s recommended retail prices in its ads ruled as misleading according to ASA

// Lidl ran a series of ads in April and May this year on its own website and in leaflets

// Aldi complained the claimed rrps differed from the prices at which the featured products were generally sold

The advertising watchdog has ruled that Lidl’s recommended retail prices in its ads were misleading, following a complaint from Aldi.

Lidl ran a series of ads in April and May this year on its own website and in leaflets, featuring prices of general merchandise special offers alongside claimed rrps.

The products included a Black & Decker cordless strimmer priced at £69.99 with a claimed rrp of £99.99, and a Salter sandwich toaster at £14.99 with an rrp of £49.99.

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Rival Aldi launched a complaint that the claimed rrps differed from the prices at which the featured products were generally sold.

Lidl responded by saying its approach to rrps was based on Chartered Trading Standards Institute guidance and information from the products’ manufacturers.

It pointed to claimed rrps on manufacturers’ and competitors’ websites which were around the same as those in its ads and dated from the same time.

Lidl also provided evidence from September 2020 of selected products being sold at the same rrps by third parties.

However, the Advertising Standards Authority found that consumers understand rrp claims to refer not just to manufacturer recommendations but also to the price at which retailers generally sold the goods across the market.

It also said Lidl had not provided enough evidence to suggest the products were generally sold at the prices found in its ads.

The watchdog said the rrp and savings claims in the ads had not been substantiated and were misleading.

It has since ordered Lidl not to publish the ads again in the form complained about and ensure that claimed rrps reflect prices at which the products are generally sold in future ads.

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