Are grocery store “BOGO” deals really bargains—or just clever price manipulation? In this episode, we unpack Washington Attorney General Nick Brown’s lawsuit against Albertsons, Safeway, and Haggen over allegedly deceptive “buy one, get one free” promotions, where the state claims the grocers quietly inflated prices before running BOGO sales and then dropped them afterward, generating nearly $20 million in alleged overcharges across more than 3 million transactions. The case highlights intensifying regulatory scrutiny around pricing transparency, discount advertising, and consumer perception at a time when rising grocery costs are already under the microscope—and serves as a warning that regulators are increasingly willing to challenge whether “free” really means free.

Hosted by Simone Roach. Based on a blog post by Gonzalo E. Mon.