It seems like Albertsons can’t get a break these days. The supermarket conglomerate has faced several lawsuits in recent years and now it’s about to face yet another major one.
It’s not uncommon for supermarkets like Albertsons to get sued. Roughly eight in ten companies are involved with a lawsuit, findings from the 2026 annual litigation trends survey show.
Albertsons’ earnings recently took a hit after it settled a lawsuit alleging it had a role in the opioid crisis, The Wall Street Journal reported.
And now it could find itself having to shell out more amid new allegations.
Albertsons sued over its pricing of these deals
Albertsons faces a fresh consumer protection lawsuit over its Buy One Get One deals.
The lawsuit by Washington state alleges the grocery chains of Safeway, Albertsons and Haggen have overcharged consumers in the past five years from these deals.
“Consumers walk into these stores, think that they’re getting a bargain,” state Attorney General Nick Brown said during a news conference. “They’re being told that they’re getting a deal, but in reality, they’re just paying an inflated price for that first item.”
The lawsuit alleges that Albertsons used unfair and deceptive acts by artifically increasing the prices of items before the price deal and then lowering the price shortly after the promotion ended. By doing this, the Brown’s office accuses Albertsons of misrepresenting prices and practising unfair competition.
Related: More trouble brewing for Albertsons and Kroger
The Attorney General’s office claims that one Albertsons store increased the price of olive oil to $10.99 for one deal from $6.99 a week earlier. The price then dropped to $6.99 after the deal ended.
This practice alledgely led to consumers being overcharged on more than three million transactions, bringing in as much as $19.7 million to Albertsons.
“We’re not going to stand for people getting fleeced by these deceptive practices,” Brown said. “That’s why we’ve filed this case. We want to make sure we’re protecting people’s pocketbooks, and we all know that affordability is a major issue these days. We’ve got to push back when companies are misleading their customers.”
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Not the first time Albertsons faces Washington in court
This isn’t the first time that Washington state has sued Albertsons. The state has gone after the grocer several times in the past few years, usually related to Albertsons failed merger with Kroger.
Washington state vs Alberstons lawsuits
- Washington state filed a lawsuit to block Albertsons from issuing a $4 billion payout to shareholders in connection with its plans to merge with Kroger, according to state records.
- Courts in Washington and Oregon struck down the $24.6 billion merger in 2024, the Washington State Standard reported.
- The Attorney General in Washington issued a preliminary injunction against the merger and a judge approved a $28.4 million payment to cover the state’s costs from the case, Law360 reported.
Albertons has also faced similar lawsuits over its buy one get one free deals. The grocer settled a 2016 class action lawsuit in Oregon for $107 million, Supermarket News reported. Another class action lawsuit in California makes similar allegations, reports media company BoisDev.
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Albertsons, which operates 225 stores across Washington, disagrees with the claims made in the latest lawsuit. The grocer said it has engaged with the Washington Attorney General’s office and that the allegations in the lawsuit are inaccurate, Supermarket News reported.
“Albertsons Companies is committed to complying with the law and to offering customers clear value through our promotions,” the company told Supermarket News.
Related: More grocery stores close, leaving customers with no options
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