Wal-Mart Stores Inc. launched its first radio advertising campaign this week asking Massachusetts shoppers to support a bill that would eliminate the state requirement to put price tags on individual grocery items.
The advertisement by the world’s largest retailer, now running on WBZ radio, is the latest effort to pass legislation that would let stores set up electronic price scanners in aisles rather than place price stickers on every grocery item. Massachusetts and Michigan are the only two states that mandate price tags be put on individual merchandise, a requirement that merchants says is outdated and costly.
In its ad, Wal-Mart, which has 47 stores in Massachusetts, says the new bill will improve pricing accuracy and customer service and “enable stores like Wal-Mart to focus on things that matter most: your everyday needs.’’
The push comes about six years after Wal-Mart reached a multimillion dollar agreement to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused the chain of failing to comply with the state’s item pricing regulation. Consumer advocates have resisted changes to the law, saying changes would make it harder for shoppers to easily and accurately obtain price information.
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