F'T ED

7

ANNE MILGRAM

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF NEW JERSEY Division of Law l24Halsey Street- 5'hFloor P.O. Box 45029 Newark,New Jersey07101 Attorney for Plaintiffs

By: Nicholas Kant Deputy Attorney General (973) 648-4s84

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SUPERIORCOURTOFNEW JERSEY CHANCERYDIVISION,

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StateofNew Jersey,DAVID M. SZUCHMAN,

Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, and LOUIS E. GREENLEAF, Superintendentof the State of New Jersey,Office of Weights and Measures,

Civil Action

Plaintiffs,

V.

WAL-MART STORES, INC., JANE AND JOHN DOES 1-20,individually andasowners, officers, directors, shareholders, founders, managers, agents, servants, employees, representativesand/or independentcontractors of WAL-MART STORES, INC., and XYZ CORPORATIONS 1-20,

Defendants.

COMPLAINT

PlaintiffsAnneMilgram.AttorneyGeneralof theStateofNew Jersey("AttorneyGeneral"), with offices locatedat 124HalseyStreet,Fifth Floor,Newark,New Jersey,David M. Szuchman,

Director of the New JerseyDivision of ConsumerAffairs ("Director"), with offices locatedat 124 Halsey Street,SeventhFloor, Newark, New Jersey,and Louis E. Greenleaf,Superintendentof the New JerseyOffice ofWeights andMeasures("superintendent"),with officeslocatedat 126l Routes 1 & 9 South,Avenel, New Jersey,by way of this Complaint state:

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT 1. With theendof thesummear ndthebeginningof theschoosl easonm, anyfamilies in the StateofNew Jersey("State" or "New Jersey'')arebusyshoppingfor schoolsuppliesandother necessities.In thesedifficult economictimes, consumersaresearchingfor the bestproduct at the bestvalue,while retailestablishmentasreaggressivelycompetingfor consumersb' usinessa, mong other things, by advertisingweekly specials. Wal-Mart Stores,Inc. ("Wal-Mart" or "Defendant") is amongthoseretailersthat advertisesand sellsmerchandise,amongother things, through stores locatedin the State. 2. CommencingAugust 25, 2008, investigatorsfrom the New JerseyDivision of ConsumerAffairs ("Division") and the New JerseyOffice of Weights and Measures("Office of WeightsandMeasures")conductedinspectionswithin fifteen(15)of the forty-eight(48)Wal-Mart retail storeswithin theState.Consequentlyt,heinvestigatorsfoundthatthoseWal-Mart retail stores, amongother things: (1) were offering for saleand/orselling infant formula andnon-prescription drugsbeyondtheir expirationdates;(2) were sellinga varietyof merchandiset,hroughthe useof scannersa, t pricesin excessof the price listed at the point of display;(3) were failing to post the selling price of merchandise;(4) were not maintaininga sufficientquantityof advertisedsales merchandisea, nd (5) were failing to post a properbicycle safetysiatementpromotingthe useof helmets.As detailedbelow,suchconductis deceptiveandin violationofthe New JerseyConsumer

FraudAct,N.J.S.A5. 6:8-1etteq.("CFA"),theWeightsandMeasureAsct,N.J.S.A5. l:1-1,etseq. ("WeightsandMeasuresAct"), relatedstatutesandregulationsa, swell asa prior ConsenOt rder enteredinto with theDivision.

PARTIES AND JURISDICTION 3. The Attorney General is chargedwith the responsibility of enforcing the CFA, N.J.S.A. 56:8-1et seq.,and all regulationspromulgatedthereunderN, .J.A.C. 13:45A-1.1et sgg. ("CFA Regulations"). The Director of the Division is chargedwith the responsibility of administeringthe CFA andthe CFA Regulationson behalf of the Attomey General. 4. Pursuantto N.J.S.A. 5l:7-42, the New JerseyOffice of Weights and Measures ("Office of Weights and Measures') in the Departmentof Law andPublic Safety,is chargedwith the responsibility,amongotherthings, of establishinga uniform standardof weights andmeasures andto providepenaltiesfor theuseof otherthanstandardor legalweightsandmeasuresa, sprovided in theWeightsandMeasuresAct, N.J.S.A.51:1-1,et seq. 5. The Superintendentis chargedwith the responsibilityof administeringthe Weights and MeasuresAct, and all regulationspromulgatedthereunder,N.J.A.C. 13:478-1.1 et geg. and 13:47K-L1 et seq.("WeightsandMeasuresRegulations"). 6. By this action, the Attorney General, Director and Superintendent(collectively, "Plaintiffs") seekinjunctiveandotherrelief for violationsof the CFA, theCFA Regulationsand/or theWeightsandMeasuresAct. Plaintiffsbringthisactionpursuanto theirauthorityundertheCFA and/ortheWeightsandMeasuresAct, specificallyN.J.S.A.56:8-8,56:8-11, 56:8-13and/or51:1103. Venueis properin HudsonCounty,pursuant o R. 4:3-2,becauseit is a countyin which the causeof actionaroseand/orin which the defendanht asconductedbusiness.

1. DefendantWal-Mart is an Arkansascorporationestablishedon October31,1969. Upon information andbelief, at all relevant times, Wal-Mart hasmaintaineda principal place of businessat702 SW 8'hStreet,Bentonville,Arkansas12116.

8. As of January23, 7989,Wal-Mart has been authorizedto conduct businessas a foreign corporationin New Jersey. Wal-Mart's registeredagentin the Stateis CorporationTrust Company,820BearTavernRoad,WestTrenton,New Jersey08628.

9. Upon information and belief, John and Jane Does I through 2A are fictitious individuals meant to representthe owners, officers, directors,shareholders,founders,managers, agents,servants,employees,representativesand/orindependentcontractorsofWal-Mart who have been involved in the conduct that gives rise to this Complaint, but are heretofore unknown to Plaintiffs. As thesedefendantsareidentified, Plaintiffs shall amendthe Complaint to include them.

10. Upon information and belief, XYZ Corporations 1 through 20 are fictitious corporationsmeantto representanyadditionalcorporationswho havebeeninvolved in the conduct that gives rise to this Complaint,but areheretoforeunknown to the Plaintiffs: As thesedefendants are identified, Plaintiffs shall amendthe Complairit to include them.

GENERAL ALLEGATIONS COMMON TO ALL COUNTS A. Advertisement and Retail Saleof Merchandise:

1l. At all relevanttimes,Defendanthasbeenengagedin thebusinessof operatingretail storesin the Stateandelsewhere.Uponinformationandbelief,thesestoresengagein theretailsale of a wide assortmenot f merchandiseincluding,but not limited to, infant formula,non-prescription d r u g s ,f o o d , d r i n k s ,c o m p a c td i s c s ,h o u s e w a r e ss,p o r t i n gg o o d s ,c l o t h i n g ,a n ds c h o o l a n ds t a t i o n a r y supplies.

12. Upon information andbelief, Defendantadvertisesandotherwiseoffersmerchandise for saleto consumersin this Stateandelsewherethroughvariousmediumsincluding,but not limited to, television cornmercials,newspaperadvertisementsa, dvertisingcircularsandinternetweb sites including,but not limited to, .

13. Upon information andbelief, atall relevanttimes,Defendanthasbeenengagedin the operationof forty-eight(48) retail storesin the Stateunderthename"Wal-Mart" (hereinafter"WalMart Stores").

14. Upon information andbelief, at all relevanttimes,Defendanthasalsoconductedthe retail saleof merchandisein this Stateand elsewherethroughinternetweb sitesincluding, but not limited to, .

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