Action fails to block Lidl’s price comparisons

Action has (for now) failed in its legal battle against Lidl. The Dutch discount retailer sought to have its German rival’s comparative advertising campaigns banned, with penalties of up to 100,000 euros per violation. But the French court sees insufficient grounds to intervene.

Misleading comparison?

Since January, Lidl has been directly comparing its prices with those of Action in its French advertising campaigns. The Dutch discount chain subsequently took the matter to court. According to Action, Lidl compares promotional prices with regular prices, uses price data from different dates, and pits products against each other that are not sufficiently comparable.