The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint from Sainsbury's against Aldi over a newspaper ad claiming to sell 'Britain's cheapest Christmas dinner'. The watchdog ruled the advert was misleading on multiple counts.
The Aldi ad, which ran in early December, featured a four-page wraparound stating: 'The home of Britain's cheapest Christmas dinner. Why go anywhere else?' It compared prices of £44.81 at Sainsbury's with £33.80 at Aldi, suggesting shoppers could save over 20%.
Sainsbury's challenged the claims, arguing they could not be verified. The ASA agreed, noting that the advert led shoppers to believe Aldi was definitively the cheapest supermarket for Christmas dinner ingredients, though Which? had found just a 4p difference between Aldi and Lidl. The watchdog also criticised the timing of the price comparison, which was made in late November, not when shoppers would buy fresh ingredients.
Aldi expressed disappointment, calling the ruling 'an advertising technicality', while a Which? spokesperson said they had sought assurances that Aldi would not reuse their endorsement logo in breach of rules. Sainsbury's welcomed the decision, emphasising the importance of fair consumer information.
The ruling adds to ongoing supermarket disputes, including Tesco's legal loss to Lidl over a logo, and M&S's 2022 settlement with Aldi over the Colin the Caterpillar cake.
