Aldi’s controversial decision causes a stir
A decision by Aldi to pull a wooden stool that was set to hit shelves this week, has caused outrage among customers.
The Aldi Natural Wood Side Table, with a price tag of $69.99, was due to be on sale as a Special Buy item from Wednesday this week.
However, the discount retailer announced to the homeware fanatics the night before it was due to hit shelves, that the item had to be pulled “due to production issues”.
“It will be available to purchase on Wednesday, August 29,” Aldi Australia posted on Facebook.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
The announcement follows the Design Institute of Australia (DIA), which represents Aussie designers, calling on Aldi to remove the stool from stores.
The DIA claims the table is a copy of Australian designer Mark Tuckey’s Egg Cup stool, which retails for more than $550.
The DIA also claimed another Aldi product, a clothes rack, is a copycat version of one designed by Siobhan Glass.
On the DIA’s website, there is a petition calling for Aldi to remove both items from shelves and apologise to the designers.
“It’s getting so blatant,” DIA chief executive officer Jo-Ann Kellock told news.com.au.
“Australia’s current intellectual property laws are grossly inadequate. IP Australia is currently considering if Australia should join The Hague Agreement (which) would afford Australian designers protection against replicas in multiple countries or regions with minimal formalities.”
Since then, an Aldi spokesperson clarified that the recall was due to an issue with Australian quarantine.
“The product needs to undergo further treatment before it is sold in Aldi stores,” the spokesperson said.
“We can confirm it will be available to purchase on Wednesday, 29th August.”
The decision to delay the launch of the item angered customers who waited outside stores the morning it was due to hit shelves, in the hope of purchasing the trendy furniture.
“Could’ve saved annoyed customers a lot of wasted time trying to find out what was going on,” one shopper wrote on Facebook.
Some customers were able to grab the stools in store but then had them recalled at the checkout.
“I had 2 in my trolley got right to the register tried to scan and sorry there’s a ‘manufacturing issue’,” another added.