Puzzle or Deception? - Shoppers Outraged by Lidl's Promotion

Such confusion was caused by the mango promotion at the "Lidl" store — although the terms are stated, shoppers believe they could have been presented much more clearly. "The dumbest type of promotion I've ever seen in a grocery store," writes one commenter on social media. Others agree, pointing out that such an offer confuses shoppers and creates unnecessary difficulties both in the store and at the checkout. "Today in the store, I noticed that many shoppers do not understand this, especially older people. But I agree — these promotions are really dumb and pointless. It's a real hassle for shoppers, and I assume cashiers have to explain it all the time," writes one woman. She believes the store could have presented the offer much more simply: "It would have been normal to just state that it’s 1.20 euros each." Another shopper also admits that the terms of the promotion, although seemingly written out, are still confusing. "It seems everything is clearly written if you know how to read. But it’s very confusing. Because the third one is at full price, the fourth at a discounted price… In the end, it feels like it’s intentionally designed to be ambiguous to sell more," she reflects. One woman adds that her mother was also puzzled trying to understand the offer. Another commenter recalls hearing an elderly man at the checkout recently worrying about the promotion's terms, while the cashier just laughed at his confusion. "Ugh, ugh, ugh," she writes. However, there are also shoppers who understood the essence of the promotion. "I understand it as getting two for 0.39 euros with Lidl Plus," writes one commenter, but he is corrected that the principle of the offer is different. To avoid misunderstandings — with "Lidl Plus," the first mango is purchased for 1.99 euros, and the second for 0.39 euros. So it is not about two mangoes, each costing 0.39 euros. This presentation is what raised questions, as some shoppers believe the store should have made it clearer that the discount applies to the second fruit. "It feels like a deception with prices because it’s not clearly stated that you buy one for 1.99, and the second has an 80% discount. Wtf," expresses one shopper's confusion. Another commenter notes that this is not the first time Lidl's discount terms have left shoppers scratching their heads: "They often have misleading 'discounts' with mindfuck conditions. Of course, it’s not about the cents, but it’s unpleasant to feel cheated." Although the terms of the promotion are available, the shoppers' reactions show that simply stating the price is not always enough — it’s important for the offer to be understood quickly and without additional guessing.