AH XL 31/08-06/09

The words 1+1 gratis are everywhere in a Dutch supermarket, and very few people ever read the line of small print underneath them. The cover and page two of this AH XL edition set that out plainly.

It is valid from 31 August to 6 September, runs to 41 pages, and the cover itself is printed Week 36. The two 1+1 gratis offers readable on those pages, together with the rule in their small print, are the thing worth understanding first.

• Cover: Alle AH Bakkersbrood Les Pains heel at 1+1 gratis, with the page stating De actieprijs is 2.39. The side note reads Voor aanbiedingen met 2 of meer productvarianten geldt: combineren mogelijk, so different varieties may be paired.
• Page two: Alle Optimel gekoelde zuivel at 1+1 gratis, with the page stating De actieprijzen variëren van 1.59-2.79. The range covers everything from pots to drinking yoghurt under that brand, so the two items need not be identical.
• The small print on the same page reads Voor 1+1 gratis geldt: per combinatie kan de prijs verschillen. Je krijgt 50% korting op de totaalprijs, which means a mixed pair is not the cheaper item free but half off the two added together. To get the largest reduction, pick both items from the higher end of the range.

Hokimi field note: Dutch supermarket 1+1 gratis is settled in more than one way, and half off the combined total is a common one, which makes grabbing a cheap second item to complete the pair the worse move here. The rest of this edition's offers are as shown on the flyer pages, and prices and participating stores are as marked in the shop.