In Europe, there are rules about sale pricing for all items, they have to be at the original price for a certain period. They still manage to game it a bit, but slightly less so, eg some items are normally overpriced etc.
What I have noticed recently in UK TV adverts is that £xxx off special offer and then put an on-screen rider "discount on 'after offer' price".
So they pitch it like a sale but really they will just offer whatever is left of their product at a higher price for a while in some store or maybe just online.
Also offers have to be changed every 3 months in the UK, otherwise it is no longer considered an offer/bonus but the standard price and has to be advertised as such.