(The Center Square) – Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has initiated a consumer protection lawsuit Monday against supermarket giant Albertsons Companies, claiming that its stores utilized deceptive “buy one, get one free” promotions to mislead customers.
Albertsons, based in Boise, Idaho, primarily operates Safeway stores in Washington, though it has around two dozen Albertson’s and Haggen supermarkets in the state.
The legal complaint, filed in King County Superior Court, alleges that the grocery chain systematically inflated the prices of everyday goods immediately before offering BOGO deals between October 2019 and May 2024.
Brown held a Seattle press conference on Monday morning, where he said the practice created a false sense of savings.
“Consumers walk into these stores, think that they’re getting a bargain,” Brown said. “They’re being told that they’re getting a deal, but in reality, they’re just paying an inflated price for that first item.”
He said investigators found that this strategy affected a wide array of household staples, including coffee, bread, produce and cooking oil.
In one specific instance, the price of olive oil at a Gig Harbor Safeway jumped from $6.99 to $10.99 just before a promotion began, only to be lowered again once the sale concluded.
An unidentified Albertson’s spokesperson in an email to The Center Square said the chain was aware of the lawsuit.
“We engaged in good‑faith discussions with the Attorney General’s Office and strongly disagree with its claims, which are based on flawed analysis and data errors that we identified and raised,” the statement said.
The statement also said that Albertsons is committed to complying with the law and to offering customers “clear value” through our promotions.
“As this is pending litigation, we will address the matter through the legal process and cannot comment further,” it said.
Brown estimated that more than 3 million transactions were impacted between late 2019 and mid-2024, resulting in approximately $20 million in additional revenue for the company.
The suit seeks an injunction against “unfair and deceptive” buy-one, get-one promotions. Albertson’s Companies, if the suit were successful, could also be required to make restitution to Washington consumers, along with civil and other penalties.
