Lidl shoots an own goal with a swipe at Edeka – “lowest belt line”
Created: 2023-01-06 21:27
By: Miriam Haberhauer
Grocery stores are fighting fiercely for their customers.
Lidl now took a dig at competitor Edeka.
But the tempting offer seems glossed over.
Munich – Food prices have risen sharply.
Supermarkets and discounters are therefore trying every means possible to lure customers into their stores - and they do not shy away from attacking the competition.
Grocery retailers in a price war: a dig at the competition
In the fight for customers, the discount chain Lidl now took a dig at competitor Edeka: “Don’t skimp on quality.
But the price,” says an advertisement that the discounter published on its Facebook page earlier this year.
The advertised product is a fruit and vegetable shopping basket with various groceries.
At Lidl, the bag is advertised for 11.03 euros, while at competitor Edeka, customers pay 15.85 euros for the same amount of groceries.
Lidl promises that customers will supposedly save almost five euros – 30 percent.
A single store vs. a complete range – unfair comparison?
A tempting offer, one might think.
On closer inspection, however, it quickly becomes clear: Lidl deliberately adjusted the shopping cart advertising to fit.
The comparison is based on only one Edeka branch, whereas Lidl was simply able to take the cheapest offer from its entire range.
"The shopping cart comparison is based on a purchase of the goods shown here as an example on December 28th, 2022 in the Edeka Sommer branch in Tullastr.
4, 75031 Eppingen and at Lidl Germany,” the Facebook post says.
The selected products in the fruit and vegetable bag also play into the hands of the discounter giant: raspberries, grapes, kiwi, peppers, radishes, spring onions and zucchini are included.
For most products, the prices at both food retailers are close together.
For example, a kilogram of zucchini costs just 20 cents more at Edeka than at Lidl.
But it looks different when comparing peppers: the red vegetables cost a full two euros more in the selected Edeka branch than the cheapest Lidl option.
Two euros of the promised savings of 4.82 euros are therefore attributable to a single product.
Customers are also clearly feeling the effects of the rapidly rising prices for other products: Some products have become up to 70 percent more expensive.
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Comparative advertising at Lidl: "You don't do that"
Discounter giant Lidl tries to attract more customers to its stores with such advertisements.
But the offensive price war is not well received by everyone: "It's not nice and you don't do that," commented one user.
"Is Lidl so 'bad' (...) that they need such advertising?" Another user said: "Just the bottom line that you compare yourself to Edeka like that."
Although comparative advertising is usually not welcomed in Germany, it is certainly permitted.
"Comparative advertising is not prohibited per se, but is subject to strict restrictions under Section 6 of the Act Against Unfair Competition (UWG)," says
juraforum.de
.
However, there are a number of conditions to be considered.
For example, the advertising must not be misleading and must not disparage the named competitor.
Price wars are by no means new on the German market: with a provocative campaign, Kaufland also reached out to customers from Lidl, Aldi and Co.
(mlh) last year.
