Albert Heijn under fire for unhealthy bulk discounts

With an average of 1,000 weekly promotions such as “buy one, get one free” or “second item half price”, market leader Albert Heijn is the primary driver of sales promotions that encourage price hikes, less healthy food choices, and waste, according to the Dutch Consumers’ Association.

Waste and overconsumption

The Dutch Consumers’ Association analyzed the promotions at supermarket chains Albert Heijn, Dekamarkt, Dirk, Hoogvliet, Jumbo, Poiesz, Plus, and Vomar over an eight-week period. 57% of the total 44,000 promotions turned out to be bulk deals, requiring consumers to buy more than one item of a product to receive a discount. Albert Heijn had by far the highest number of bulk discounts, averaging over 1,000 per week. Far behind are Jumbo, Plus, and Poiesz, with an average of over 500 bulk offers per week. Dekamarkt, Hoogvliet, and Vomar do so on a smaller scale; Aldi, Dirk, and Lidl do not.

Bulk offers seem attractive, but they often drive up prices, says the consumer organization. The regular price is often unnecessarily high to offset the offers. That is unfair to single-person households and consumers with limited budgets or storage space. Moreover, bulk discounts encourage consumers to buy more than they need. Research shows that these types of offers cause consumers to buy up to 27% more than they intended. This leads to waste and overconsumption.

Taking social responsibility

“We believe that Albert Heijn, as the market leader, must take its social responsibility seriously,” says Sandra Molenaar, director of the Dutch Consumers’ Association. “The supermarket promises to make better food accessible to everyone. But in the meantime, it offers an average of over 1,000 incentives per week to tempt customers to stock up in large quantities. And often, these are unhealthy products. Phase out bulk deals and start with the unhealthy ones. That’s better for consumers and aligns with Albert Heijn’s mission.”

Politicians are also concerned: the topic of bulk promotions is on the agenda for discussion in the House of Representatives on April 15, 2026.