Shoppers hoping to make a profit are selling Aldi’s sought-after caviar-infused moisturisers on Bay for more than 10 times the retail price.
Huge crowds flocked to the stores on Saturday morning to be the first to grab the Lacura beauty Christmas gift sets, retailed at $29.99, as part of the Special Buys catalogue.
But Australian shoppers had to get in quick to snatch up the bargain, with early birds already lined up ready to race inside before the doors had even opened.
Many were left furious after the items sold out within three minutes – as savvy sellers attempt to turn the limited-edition skincare boxes into a lucrative business by listing them on eBay for up to $330 per pack.
Savvy sellers are now attempting to turn Aldi’s $30 sought-after caviar-infused moisturisers into a lucrative business by listing them on eBay for up to $330 per pack
Huge crowds flocked to Aldi to get their hands on the Lacura beauty Christmas gift sets, retailed at $29.99. The items were sold out within three minutes on Saturday morning
There are currently more than 150 Lacura products listed on the website, with prices on the gift sets starting from $60 – excluding postage.
Shoppers who missed out on the sale are demanding Aldi to impose a two-item limit per customer, as demand for the product has skyrocketed.
However an ALDI Australia spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday: ‘We are not in the practice of restricting the volume of items sold to our customers and our focus will remain on correctly balancing customer demand with stock availability.
‘The Lacura Caviar skincare range has become a popular favourite for our customers, which is why we include the product within multiple Special Buys throughout the year.
‘It is never our intention to cause disappointment to our customers, or miss out on sales, and we will always strive to allocate optimal supplies for our stores to meet forecast demand.’
After selling out within three minutes of hitting the shelves, the limited-edition Christmas gift sets have since appeared on eBay for nearly four times the retail price
The budget caviar skin creams were part of the weekend’s Special Buys catalogue – and were previously sold out in record times in recent years
Shoppers who missed out on the sale are demanding Aldi to impose a two-item limit per customer, as demand for the product has skyrocketed
In recent months, shoppers have been raving about the anti-ageing cream, with many claiming they have noticed the difference after using it.
‘It’s a dupe for the La Prairie moisturiser that sells for around $500 dollars! I’ve been using it for two or so years and it’s amazing,’ one woman said.
And another mother insisted: ‘If anyone wants to know if the cream works, I was asked for ID when buying matches.’
But those who struggled to get their hands on one have since called out the ‘feral’ customers after they went to extreme lengths to clear out the shelves.
One frustrated customer said she was fed up with the shocking behaviour displayed by other shoppers who knocked others out of the way just to get the gift sets.
‘Well, yet again feral shoppers cleared out all of the Caviar products in one swoop just minutes after opening and walked out with it all, leaving nothing behind for anyone else,’ one woman said in a lengthy post on Facebook.
‘Frankly, I am sick to death of this happening and I want Aldi to start policing this with a two-item limit for each shopper.
‘One person should not be allowed to walk out with almost the whole lot. It sucks! Get with the program Aldi and strictly enforce a limit to stop such reckless behaviour in every store.
‘What actually got me riled wasn’t just the greed, it was the behaviour I witnessed not on just this occasion but others, where these people push, almost shove to the ground elderly shoppers with absolutely no care.
‘It was nothing but bullying, aggressive feral behaviour.’
Australian shoppers had to get in quick to snatch up a bargain, with early birds already lining up ready to race inside before the store had even opened
Another loyal customer said she tactically arrived half an hour before her local store opened its doors – but she still missed out on the stock
Another shopper said she had lined up before the doors had even open, only to miss out on the items because her store only stocked eight of each product.
‘Far out! I stood in a line before they opened in one of Sydney’s busiest stores. The girls behind me ran all over the store in front of everyone the second the store opened, grabbed the entire lot and not a single person got one,’ she said.
‘They only had eight of each in stock! It was ridiculous! Bet they’re on eBay for $200 each now. P***es me off because everyone else was just there to get them as Christmas gifts.’
One woman said: ‘I was left angry at someone buying 20 tubs as soon as the doors open.’
Another loyal customer said she tactically arrived half an hour before her local store opened its doors – but she still missed out on the stock.
‘Once the shop opened, we all rushed inside but a guy pushed me and grabbed three full boxes and left and I ended up with nothing,’ she said.
‘It is unfair for individual customers to be victims of feral shoppers or wholesalers. I would suggest that one of Aldi employees sells only two sets to each customer.’
Other shoppers revealed similar stories after they attempted to get their hands on the Lacura cream from the previous Special Buys events.
‘Last time they had them on, I witnessed a heap of older women just about get into a punch up! I could only get one jar of the night cream as people were taking three boxes at a time,’ one woman said.
Australian shoppers had to get in quick to snatch up Lacura’s CellSation and Caviar Illumination gift sets, which retailed for $29.99 each
The sought-after caviar-infused Lacura moisturisers have been a crowd favourite in recent years, with hundreds of shoppers flocking to the store every time Aldi releases the limited-edition range (picture taken in September)
Shortly after the products were sold out, many were furious to see the budget beauty product on eBay for more than three times the retail price.
‘Already on eBay for ridiculous prices. All you can do is not support those selling for a huge profit… if no one buys then they’ll stop doing it,’ one shopper said.
Another said: ‘I am frustrated that greedy people take the whole lot and then post them on eBay, Gumtree and Facebook marketplace to make a profit.’
And another said: ‘I think it’s unfair that a few people scoop it up. There are people who genuinely use the product because it works for them and it’s frustrating when you run out and can’t access the item and having to change your skin routine. Hence people buying all of it and then reselling at higher prices because they know there are people who are desperate. It’s ridiculous.’
The budget caviar skin creams have been selling out in record times in recent years, with many comparing the budget product to luxury brand La Prairie, which retails for a staggering $575.
According to Aldi, what makes the cream so good is that it is a ‘revolutionary’ and contains snow algae extract.
‘Elasticity improves and radiance restored skin becomes smoother and silkier deeply moisturises, minimising wrinkles for a youthful and radiant appearance,’ the product description reads.
‘In conjunction with caviar extract it contains the revolutionary snow algae extract which stimulates collagen synthesis, effectively counteracting the skin aging process and therefore visible signs of aging.’