Toys R Us is one of several chains that have complained to state attorneys general about Walmart price ads, arguing that the ads are inaccurate or misleading, according to the Wall Street Journal. The complaints have been made in at least six states.
The ad campaign compares Walmart prices to competitors’ on specific products, including computers, toys, and groceries. It began on radio and TV in 31 U.S. cities beginning last spring and nationally against Toys R Us and Best Buy over the holidays.
The Toys R Us complaints in Michigan said that prices in Walmart ads for a Fisher-Price toy kitchen, a holiday Barbie, and an electric Razor scooter were inaccurate.
Walmart says it is "confident on the legal, ethical and methodological standards associated with our price comparison ads." The company reported that the ads were working, and that store visits and sales were up in the markets where the ads ran when compared to markets where the ads didn’t run.