Shoppers complain about "unfair" tactics at Aldi's chaotic snow gear sale
Customers who braved Aldi on Saturday morning encountered the chaos and frenzy of the annual snow gear sale.
Customers ready for a jaw-dropping bargain lined up in the cold in the early hours of the morning just to get a chance to buy one of the slashed products.
At an Aldi supermarket in Melbourne’s northern fringe, just before the doors opened an employee announced that there was enough stock for all those lined up, encouraging them to “be respectful and patient”.
However, when the doors opened, all politeness was forgotten as customers frantically dashed around the store to get the hands on the sizes they were after.
Customers were not keen to relive the disappointment of last year, when some left the store empty-handed and frustrated.
In the middle of every store, giant baskets filled with jackets, pants, goggles, boots and underlayers were up for grabs.
Men’s and women’s snow jackets were sold for an affordable $40, goggles from $14.99 and gloves for only $5.
“This is nuts,” a customer told news.com.au about the special buys sale. “I’ve never been in a line like this for anything before.”
Another customer said, “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I was worried about the line so got here super early.”
Customers at the Aldi store in Preston South raved about the organisation of the store and the controlled crowd.
“Well done to the Mornington Peninsula store,” Mishie Ivy wrote on Aldi’s Facebook page.
“They were fantastic ... shop was set out in an easy to find way. No issues. No fighting. Especially dealing with a crowd that was over 100 people.”
But not all customers had a similar experience.
Emily Wood and her mum arrived at the Aldi store in Maroochydore in Queensland hoping to purchase snow gear for their trip to New Zealand.
“We arrived at Aldi at 7.45 and the line had already filled the car park,” she said.
“We sat in the car for a while debating whether we should even bother trying and decided we may as well. We saw lots of kids and mothers with trolleys looking ready to fight it out to the death.
“There was at least 100 people in front of us and when the doors opened we were expecting to hear running and screaming but it was so relaxed.
“My mum and I managed to score everything we wanted which included thermals, boots, gloves and ski jackets. We decided to try them on in the different aisles with a bit of space.
“I started to notice a lot of trolleys being filled to the brim with things and I saw people going through their trolleys, trying things on and dumping stuff they didn’t want.
“They had clearly gone in with a trolley, scooped up an armful of the same thing and hoped that their size was there. I found this a tad unfair for people that were really trying to find their size but these other people had dumped their unwanted clothes in different aisles.”
Ski and snowboard industry expert Glenn Cullen described the sale as a “sh*t show” on his blog The Snow Gauge.
“I’m calling for an end to (the Aldi snow sale) in its current set-up and here’s why,” he said.
“Not because Aldi gear isn’t at least passably good ... to me it still seems like a great entry point for the casual to semi-regular snow enthusiast. And if it gets more people skiing or snowboarding — great.
“No, the problem I have with the Aldi sale is the feeding frenzy concept that it very deliberately creates. I do geddit, you know. It’s economics 101. Create a limited supply and then, if your product and the word of mouth is good, develop extraordinary demand. Aldi do it and do it well.
“In the early 2000s you had the major brands and the major stores with their major prices. The casual enthusiast either had to hire or shell out the big bucks. Sure, you might be able to get a cheap winter parka at Kmart — but what about some proper ski pants, a helmet and a dozen other ski-specific things you might need?
“Aldi filled that void and kudos to them. But I reckon it has now turned into a bit of a sh*t show and an unnecessary one at that.”
Have you ever been to the annual snow gear sale at Aldi? If so, share your experience in the comments below.