The 2+5 promotional offer that Albert Heijn launched in Belgium in early November was indeed in compliance with the rules. This has been confirmed by an investigation conducted by the Economic Inspectorate.
Promotion caused chaos
Albert Heijn’s promotion, featuring 2+5 deals on sixteen products including Dreft dishwasher tablets and Colgate toothpaste, caused quite a stir in the Belgian market in November and also led to chaos in stores. After all, stocks ran out very quickly, leaving shoppers disappointed.
Minister of Consumer Protection Rob Beenders therefore announced an investigation:“Last week’s promotions did not go as they should have everywhere. Consumers are entitled to clear, fair, and realistic discounts. And businesses deserve a market where success is based on fair play, not on economies of scale,” he emphasized at the time.
No bait-and-switch tactics
But it now turns out that the promotion did indeed proceed according to the rules. The chain did not sell at a loss, and there was also no bait-and-switch, where promotions are run with insufficient stock.
Nevertheless, the minister wants to remain vigilant, he told the Belga news agency. “I want to avoid a situation where large discounts on certain products are offset by secretly raising the prices of other products in the store. Consumers must be able to trust that promotions are fair and transparent. That is why I will continue to request investigations into pricing and promotions in the supermarket sector in the future. My priority remains ensuring that consumers are treated fairly. Discounts are positive, but they must always be fair and clear.”
