Aldi fined by competition authority for misleading 'widest selection' advertising claims
The Gazdasági Versenyhivatal imposed a penalty on Aldi after finding its "widest selection" and "best promotions" slogans unsupported by objective data.
The Hungarian competition watchdog, Gazdasági Versenyhivatal, levied a fine against Aldi for promoting the slogans "Legszélesebb választék!" and "Legjobb akciók!" without objective proof of market leadership. The regulator launched the investigation after noticing the retailer’s campaign began in March and suspected the claims were inaccurate. Aldi defended the wording by pointing to its first-place results in the "Legszélesebb választék!" and "Legjobb akciók!" categories of the Nők Lapja Food Awards 2024, an accolade based on a public vote.
The authority rejected this justification, stating that market-leading claims must be supported by concrete, up-to-date data at the time of publication. Consequently, the fine was calculated from the cost of the advertising campaign, and Aldi ceased using the contested statements after the case was opened.
Why it matters
The ruling underscores the need for retailers to substantiate market-leadership claims with verifiable data, protecting consumers from misleading advertising.
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