[Analysis] Promotional stunts earn Albert Heijn more goodwill than criticism

With a promotional stunt featuring the Belgian pasta brand Soubry, Albert Heijn is once again making headlines in Flanders. Such extreme discount campaigns seem to be earning the retailer more goodwill than criticism.

Business as usual

Anyone who thought that Albert Heijn had reached a limit with its much-discussed and heavily criticized “2+5 free” promotion last November was mistaken. This week, the Dutch supermarket chain is rolling out yet another rather unprecedented promotion in Flanders: ten packages of Soubry pasta for just 4.99 euros, which amounts to a discount of more than 75% on the large packages.