A Tesco advert that labels food sourced up to 174 miles away as ‘local’ has this week been criticised by advertising watchdogs.
The newspaper advert placed by the UK’s biggest retailer was deemed misleading because it tried to pass off products at a North Wales store as local because they came from Wales, according to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA).
The advert stated: “Water from your local springs. Wine from your local vineyards. And vegetables from you local farms. Now all available at your local Tesco.”
But a Tesco customer from Bangor complained to ASA that none of the products came from his area. And the ASA agreed the ad was misleading because shoppers would interpret ‘local’ as their immediate district.
The blow comes when all the major supermarkets are attempting to increase their local produce offer.
Tesco said it was trying to promote Welsh-sourced produce and claimed that Welsh shoppers would count this as ‘local’.
