Boots and Superdrug accused of ‘dodgy deals’ to mislead loyalty customers | UK | News

Boots and Superdrug have been accused of « taking customers for a ride » with misleading deals that make savings appear greater through loyalty card schemes.Which? has called for an investigation after finding hundreds of deals across Boots and Superdrug used a more expensive reference price than what the product was being sold for before or after the offer. They said this would make loyalty card customers think they were grabbing a bargain, when it was not the case. Nearly one in five products (17%) at Boots were found to be misleading in the study, while around 3% of deals at Superdrug were of concern, during a six-month period in 2025.

“Boots was a loyalty scheme pioneer with its Advantage card, but the retailer seems to be taking its customers for a ride by making some of its deals look better than they really are, » said Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy at Which? It’s concerning that Boots’ rival Superdrug seems to be employing similar dodgy-looking pricing tactics – meaning shoppers at two of the biggest players in the health and beauty sector are at risk of being misled. »

It claimed that 119 of 700 Advantage Card deals at Boots made customers believe they were getting a better deal than they were, while 162 raised concerns across 6,000 products at Superdrug, where the consumer champion analysed nearly ten times as many deals.

Examples at Boots included a L’Oréal Paris cleanser, which was £3.74 more expensive for loyalty card customers than before or after the promotion, priced at £11.24, compared to £14.99 for everyone.

However, immediately before the deal, it was advertised at a discounted rate of £8.99 to all customers, and £7.49 immediately after, for the L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Spot Fading Serum-In-Cleanser Niacinamide and Salicylic Acid (150ml).

Superdrug’s offers included the Simple Refresh and Replenish skincare bundle, which was £4.98 for loyalty members and £9.98 for those not signed up to the scheme.

But immediately before this, the bundle was reduced from £4.80 for everyone, down from an original price of £9.98, and £4.49 for everyone immediately after.

Which? has called on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate Boots and Superdrug for malpractice, and to create a « meaningful deterrent » for underhanded pricing practices, so consumers can trust that deals are genuine.

The CMA guidance is focused on supermarkets. However, it acknowledges relevance to other markets with loyalty schemes, and is based on the belief that reference prices must be the genuine ‘usual’ price.

A Boots spokesperson said: “At Boots we strive to deliver great value for money for our customers every day. Boots Advantage Card members benefit from earning points on their purchases, enjoy an ongoing 10% discount on Boots own brand products, and have access to exclusive promotional prices.

“We welcome the loyalty pricing report from the CMA and the clarification it provides. Boots is a strong supporter of transparency to consumers and consistent standards across all retailers in the industry. We have taken on board the report’s guidance and have been working diligently to ensure all our promotions are aligned to it.”

A spokesperson for Superdrug said: “As an accessible health and beauty retailer, we strive to deliver value to all our customers, and especially our Health & Beautycard members, who save more with our most competitive pricing and a range of points and reward opportunities.

« Across the year we offer regular promotions to all customers, as well as favourable members-only pricing. This ensures our pricing is competitive across the market, but also that our most loyal shoppers can purchase at the best prices most frequently via member events. We always aim to offer value and savings to customers ensuring we are clear, fair and reward loyalty.”