Coop Changes Ads

The Coop's advertisements no longer compare the sale price of its records with record manufacturers' suggested retail prices following an agreement signed two weeks ago with the Attorney General's office, Howard W. Davis, general manager of the Coop, said yesterday.

The Coop agreed to the new policy because of a state law that advertisements cannot use the word "list price" in comparison with another price unless a large number of the area's retail stores sell the item at the "list price," Davis said.

Davis said that is an industry-wide practice to sell records below the manufacturers' suggested price.

"We don't admit to having done anything wrong in the past," Davis said. "The Attorney General's office thought we were misleading people, but those who buy records know that records are never sold at list price."

Seven other large Boston-area retailers also signed agreements with the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's office.

The Coop's records sales have increased since it made the agreement, Davis said.

The Coop's new record sale advertisement reads "all popular and classical records at super savings!"