Shoppers have threatened to boycott Aldi for good after missing out on Dyson vacuum cleaners in the latest Special Buy offer.
German retail giant, Aldi, drew thousands of shoppers to its stores at the weekend with massive discounts on Dyson vacuum cleaners and portable air conditioners.
But when customers arrived to find chaotic scenes, and the sale items sold out, some threatened to shun the store altogether.
‘I don’t get into the Special Buys, but am disgusted by people fighting over the couple of items that are high demand,’ one man said.
Frustrated Aldi customers have taken to social media to vent after the store’s special buys for Dyson vacuums (pictured) sold out in minutes this weekend amid huge queues
‘I just come to shop and I now plan my Saturday as to whether you have something crazy on as that’s when I’ll skip your groceries and go to Coles.’
He was not the only disgruntled Aldi customer to vent their frustrations with the chain following Saturday’s madness.
‘I went to the Bondi Junction store and there was no crowd control or ticket system, people were running and pushing each other… they only had 20 (vacuums) and the crowd was about 200,’ one woman said.
‘Never shopping at Aldi again.’
One woman took to Aldi Australia’s Facebook page to accuse the supermarket of intentionally stocking very few specials.
‘Aldi is doing publicity having some special and stocking ridiculously small quantities. Absurd and ridiculous,’ she said.
Some claimed stores stocked as few as three of the items, while others were surprised by lines of dozens of people half an hour before the supermarkets even opened
Aldi Australia spokeswoman said it wasn’t the supermarket’s intention to cause disappointment for its customers.
She urged customers to phone its customer service team if their store ran out of a product they wanted – and the team would direct them to a nearby store with more stock.
Aldi customers reportedly snatched discounted vacuum cleaners from children and stole from each other’s trolleys in Saturday’s bizarre shopping frenzy.
Melbourne woman Mary McKenzie said she lined up outside the Frankston store, in Melbourne’s south-east, on Saturday to be one of the first in line to buy the Dyson vacuum cleaner.
She said she was one of about 40 keen customers lined up outside the store before the doors opened.
‘As it got closer to 8.30am you could feel a change, there was a determined look in their eyes and even adopted a different stance,’ she told 3AW.
‘People became feral.’
Melbourne woman Mary McKenzie said she lined up outside the Frankston store (pictured), in Melbourne’s south-east, on Saturday to be one of the first in line to buy the Dyson vacuum cleaner
Ms McKenzie said she watched on as a child had the product taken right out of her hands.
‘We had a little girl next to us called Ava, 10-years-old, and she said: ‘I had my hands on the box and somebody came and took it from underneath me’,’ she said.
‘She was so disappointed.’
Others were disappointed that the store did not enforce a limit on how many of the bargain products people could purchase, with some people seen grabbing multiple items
Frustrated Aldi customers took to social media to vent after the store’s special buys sold out in minutes at the weekend.
Some claimed stores stocked as few as three of the items, while others were surprised by lines of dozens of people half an hour before the supermarkets even opened.
The highly sought after items included a handheld DC44 Dyson vacuum for $299 and a DC29 Multifloor for $349, as well as a $279 2kW air-conditioner.
One woman slammed the chain in an online post Saturday, commenting on Aldi’s Facebook page that she was ‘very disappointed’ in her treatment at the Waurn Ponds store.
The German retail giant offered a range of bargains but many shoppers were greeted by empty crates upon arriving (pictured)
‘Lined up to get the Dyson (first in line) and was appalled in the manner this huge event was handled,’ she wrote.
‘Knocking over elderly people, even had someone snatch (the item) out of my six-year-old’s hand.’
Another Victorian woman told how her partner had visited Aldi Monbulk in Victoria where they had been met with an unruly group.
‘He was elbowed by numerous women, pushed and shoved so they could buy multiple Dyson stick vacs.’
One woman slammed the chain in an online post, commenting on Aldi’s Facebook page that she was ‘very disappointed’ and ‘appalled’ at how the situation was handled
Others were disappointed that the store did not enforce a limit on how many of the bargain products people could purchase.
‘I think it’s quite disgusting that there is no limit on your special buys per transaction,’ a women vented.
Despite being one of the first 20 people through the door, the annoyed customer said she had missed out on an air conditioner, with one family taking six of the ten units in stock.
Another woman from Tamworth expressed similar dismay, claiming many people in line at her local store had missed out.
‘I understand your special buys are popular but it’s rather unfair you let people buy three or even four of the Dysons on offer,’ she said.
‘Many people who were in line missed out because others grabbed as many as they humanly could.’
‘ The queue at Aldi Eltham’ one customer said alongside this photo
Lines spread through the carpark of the supermarket’s stores, as people eagerly tried to get their hands on the products Saturday
The highly sought after items included a handheld DC44 Dyson vacuum for $299 (right) and a DC29 Multifloor for $349 (left)
Another angry shopper questioned how the products had sold out before stores had even opened.
‘Can someone explain to me how it is possible to sell out of a product five minutes before a store opens, on the day it is meant to be available for purchase?’ she wrote.
While one man compared the huge lines and violent proceedings to the notorious ‘Black Friday’ sales.
‘The definition of bedlam, is trying to get a Dyson at Aldi on Saturday when the sale starts,’ he wrote.
‘This was probably the closest thing I have seen to the craziness of the Black Friday sales videos.’
However, some stores including those in Brunswick and Marrickville, reportedly allocated tickets to the first customers in line to help combat the pandemonium.
Following the chaos on Saturday customers called for the store to change their practices for future special buy sales.
‘Why not have them at the front entrance, control the crowd and hand them out as people enter,’ one person suggested.
One man compared the huge lines and violent proceedings to the notorious ‘Black Friday’ sales, calling the scenes ‘bedlam’
Following the chaos on Saturday customers called for the store to change their practices for future special buy sales, asking for crowd control and fewer items to be sold to each person
While another added that enlisting ‘a member of staff near the special offers’ to police the crowds and allowing people fewer items could make sales smoother.
Similar scenes occurred earlier in the year when shoppers angled for a $99 grey armchair and at some stores found just three items available.
And Aldi Australia spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday that the items were ordered ‘months in advance’ and were intended to be on sale for one week to keep the range ‘fresh and interesting’.
‘We do our best to supply our stores with sufficient stock however, sometimes they sell out faster than expected due to their exceptional value and high quality,’ they said.
‘If you miss out on a Special Buy we recommend asking the team at your local ALDI and they should be able to help with stock availability in your area.
‘Special Buys have been a key part of the ALDI offering since we began operations in Australia in 2001.’
‘Each Wednesday and Saturday different Special Buys arrive in store and it’s not uncommon to see customers queuing before opening hours in anticipation of the Special Buys being released that day.’
An Aldi spokesperson said earlier this year they ‘do our best to supply our stores with sufficient stock however, sometimes they sell out faster than expected due to their exceptional value and high quality’