Lidl's '€16.78 cheaper basket' ad was suspended in Portugal — the comparison was rigged

From 20 April 2026 Lidl Portugal ran a campaign — weekly leaflet, website, in-store, social media and a TV spot — under the claim 'É uma cabazada até 16,78€ mais barato': a basket of 39 products up to €16.78 cheaper. The comparison set Lidl's private-label basket (€98.34) against two anonymous rivals, 'Supermercado 2' (€113.27) and 'Supermercado 3' (€115.12) — per Lidl's own methodology document, Continente in Telheiras and Mercadona in Massamá. The prices had been collected on 26 March, nearly a month before the campaign started.

Modelo Continente complained to Auto Regulação Publicitária (ARP). On 5 May 2026 the Ethics Jury's first section ruled the campaign unlawful: the comparisons were unequal (300g of Lidl bacon against 200g of a rival's), the supporting documents contradicted the basket — they said non-food items were excluded, yet it held dog food, shampoo, detergent and toilet paper — and the TV spot reproduced Continente's visual and colour elements. The catchphrase 'Até à próxima… Se for caso disso' went beyond legitimate humour, seeking to dissuade shoppers from returning to the rival.

ARP ordered immediate suspension and barred reinstating the campaign, in whole or in part, in any medium. Lidl had defended the comparison as objective, called the document contradiction 'a mere writing lapse', and argued that comparative-advertising rules in Article 16 of Portugal's Advertising Code applied only between businesses — the jury rejected that, holding the rules exist to protect consumers.