German supermarket Aldi Süd has been found guilty of breaching EU consumer law by offering fake discounts on groceries such as bananas. The company was accused of increasing prices only to later reduce them, claiming to offer a “shock price” reduction in promotional flyers. The EU Court of Justice ruled that traders cannot mislead consumers by falsely displaying price reductions and that discounts must be based on the lowest price offered by the trader in the previous 30 days.
The case was brought by consumer activists in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, who found that despite Aldi’s claims of a 23% reduction in banana prices, the actual prices had not decreased compared to previous months. Aldi argued that they were following the laws by displaying previous prices, but the court ruled that they were in violation of rules on price indications and unfair commercial practices.
Consumer organizations pointed out that Aldi’s misleading advertising practices were deceiving customers and not providing genuine discounts as claimed. Both Aldi Süd and Verbraucherzentrale Baden-Württemberg, the consumer organization responsible for bringing the case forward, have not yet commented on the ruling.
This decision serves as a reminder for supermarkets and retailers to ensure that their promotional offers are genuine and comply with consumer protection laws. Customers deserve transparency and honesty when it comes to pricing and discounts, and any deceptive practices will not be tolerated.
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