What price saving concepts are involved in comparison with your own previous price(s)?
-The product's "normal price" is the starting point for the offer price, before / now prices, save XX%, save XX DKK.
How long must an item have been at "normal price" before I can use price comparison?
-The “normal price” period is called a longer period, and its duration is six consecutive weeks. For groceries and seasonal categories/range the period is four weeks! Short period is up to two weeks and for groceries / seasonal categories/ranges it is one week.
What if I have sold my product cheaper within this period?
-You are allowed only to compare the price to the lowest price you have sold it for during that period. If you use a savings price, you may only use the difference between your offer and the lowest price you have sold it for during the period.
Case examples:
You sell a T-shirt at a "normal price" of DKK 200 and you have planned an advertising price / offer price six weeks later, where it will cost DKK 150.
If the price has not been reduced during the six weeks, you can advertise the product with a full discount of DKK 50/ save 25%.
Had it had been, on the other hand, reduced to DKK 175 within the six weeks, you are only allowed to advertise that DKK 25/save 14% is being saved.
If within the 6-week period the product has been reduced to DKK 160 and then later sold at a price of DKK 175, you are not allowed to advertise with a price difference between the DKK 150 (advertising price) and the 175 but are only allowed to use the price difference between the lowest price sold (160) and the advertising sales price. In this case DKK 10/6%.
Are there exceptions for the longer period?
There is as an example offers on an entire product category or assortment category. This means that if you advertise offers on e.g., all T-shirts (max. three days), then you may subsequently advertise with "full savings price" if you have e.g. two specific T-shirts in the prize reduced in a normal campaign afterwards.
Real normal price and pitfalls!
If a product often is on offer / reduced in connection with / as part of 3-day campaigns, included in combination offers or sold with a quantity discount, it would be misleading to say that you have a normal price!
How often can one run a birthday and for how long?
This one is a little more convoluted. In practice, you are welcome to use advertising as a birthday year (anniversary year), month, week, etc. What however is not complicated, is the price comparison against your own "normal price". It's just like everything else. This means that you can have offers running for up to two weeks (short period).
If you are a single store, you are allowed to celebrate birthday once a year. If you are a chain store, you are allowed to celebrate it several times, the number of stores in your chain.
What if I provide a Price Guarantee?
Let's say you have a price guarantee in your store. You have a product for DKK 200, which you want to advertise at a reduced price, e.g. March 1 and a week ahead. Normally, you must not have sold this product with a price reduction within the last six consecutive weeks. But the exception occurs if you provide a price guarantee and a competitor has it cheaper, let’s say three weeks before your ad starts. In this case, you are welcome to match the price to the individual customer who may be with you at any given time and subsequently complete your price ad with savings. It is important, however, that YOU can prove that the reduction is due to the price guarantee!
Rule of thumb: When giving a price guarantee / match, make a note of who you are doing it to and at what time! You have the obligation of documentation!
There are many other relevant questions in your everyday life about price comparison, etc. therefore you can follow this link to "Guidelines for price marketing" that the Consumer Ombudsman has made.
Important: It is your own duty to keep yourself continuously informed about any changes and new legislative measures! If in doubt, you should always get professional legal advice / counselling or contact the Consumer Council!
