• ASA rules Asda misled shoppers over price
  • The grocer said the advert in question “communicated the current selling price”
  • Asda is examining its pricing tactics following CMA investigation

Asda has been found to have misled shoppers on price by an industry watchdog, a week after the grocer said it will review its price promotions.

The grocer has been found by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to have confused shoppers with a misleading promotion on Choco Squares cereal.

The industry watchdog ruled that Asda’s online shop, which offered a multi-buy promotion on three boxes of Choco Squares cereal for £3 while stating a single box cost £1.38, represented an increase in price from 97p per box and was therefore misleading.

A statement from the ASA said: "We considered the promotion was likely to encourage consumers to purchase multiple packs of Choco Squares when previously they might have purchased only one, based on the ad’s suggestion that a genuine saving was available.”

Asda denied that the offer was misleading and said the ad communicated the current selling price of £1.38 for an individual pack and that all other information was present in the advert for shoppers to make an informed decision.

The ruling from the ASA follows Asda agreeing to make changes to its multi-buy promotions following talks with the Competition and Markets Authority.

 

 

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