Consumer law

The ruling was originally filed under seal on May 20.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Hobby Lobby dodged unjust enrichment, but not false advertising, claims brought by consumers who say the company’s “limited time” sales are misleading because the discounted items are placed on sale so frequently that the baseline prices of the items are effectively meaningless. The consumers couldn’t show how the company’s tactics resulted in buyers getting lesser-value products than the ones they paid for, but some of the false advertising claims survive because consumers could still be misled by the company’s advertisements.

Declining gas prices will likely pull down headline inflation next month, yet measures of underlying inflation remain stubbornly elevated.