Last Saturday, I roused up early, grabbed a coffee and bleary-eyed sprinted towards Aldi at 7:30am. Crazy enough, there was already a queue! I have the worst love-hate relationship with Aldi special buys…but 99% of the time, I hate them.

There’s something about good deals that make people do crazy things – like get up at the crack of dawn to buy a cut-price 1000-inch TV. And twice a week, on a Wednesday and a Saturday, without fail – a line snakes from the entry of Aldi as shoppers get ready to pounce.

The Special Buys Deal Is Here!

Even if you had no idea you even wanted an egg chair, when you get that inevitable special buy email advertising that elusive hanging egg chair for only $199, your blood boils with lust. I want one! No, I NEED one! They generally sell for close to 300 bucks, so this is a deal I cannot miss out on!!!

So you plot your strategy (arrive early, SPRINT and Grab), get your fastest trainers on, join the queue and wait. I make sure I look innocent and nonchalant so my fellow rivals expect me to be a walkover. But my eyes are shining with the challenge. I’m ready to scramble my competition to get to the egg.

The Tension Builds

The queue is building, the excitement is palpable as some shoppers strike up a conversation.

“So what are you here for?”

“The Plant Pots”

Pshew, I smile, I can be friends with you.

But I overhear the person in front say they’re gunning for the egg chairs. I size them up. Yep, I can outrun you. You better watch out.

Look Out, Here’s Trouble

But then the worst happens….

It was just two minutes before the door was about to open and I was doing my intimidating stretches…when one of the Aldi workers – the one that clearly drew the short straw – came out and bravely told the crowd that the “egg chair special buys hadn’t been delivered yet!”

Cue complete and utter pandemonium.

If this bunch were vampires, their fangs would be well and truly out and the poor Aldi man would be a sack of skin on the ground by now.

WHAT?!?

“Why are you telling us this only now???!??” one woman roared.

“When are they going to be here!” yelled an elderly man behind me, who’s dreams of swinging the day away in his hanging chair had just dissolved in a poof.

“Check the other stores” demanded an immaculately dressed supermodel somewhere near the front. What? Couldn’t she afford to get the real thing from Matt Blanc (I know, how judgemental am I, but we’re in a battle here people!).

I Lost!

I was beaten. In the battle of Aldi Special Buys vs Me, I was the big egg-less loser. I knew I had no chance.

There was zero indication when those beloved egg chairs would arrive. It may not even be today…it may not even be ever!!! But I do know, that one lucky shopper would walk into their Aldi at some random time and see an egg chair sitting on the shelf. And they would know that stars had aligned perfectly for them that day.

Boycott Aldi Special Buys

I seriously can’t do this again! Those Aldi special buys are simply evil – they toy with you, manipulate you, ease you into a false sense of hope and then they crush your dreams.

Even when the special buys are in stock, there are so few on the shelves, that they’ve gone in a minute and shoppers are left disappointed and frustrated.  I think it’s time to boycott the Special Buys. I may have to start a petition!

And I’m certainly not the only one who feels this way.

Another Aldi shopper shared her frustration on an Aldi facebook group.

Seriously, What’s The Point!

“The thing is that I’m getting to the stage of thinking ‘what’s the point of going in to the store to try and buy one of these middle aisle specials’. I suspect that soon I won’t bother to try given the limited stock and the craziness. Maybe Aldi needs to consider the fallout of disgruntled customers in terms of this strategy they use to bring people into their stores. Not happy, Jan!”

You see, I’m not alone. And many people agreed.

False Advertising!

“Will save ourselves a lot of stress, just go in when we need to shop, if specials there great.”

“I avoid going in on Wednesday and Saturday morning I’m not fighting crowds for stuff that I can get elsewhere.”

“This totally puts me off shopping at Aldi. It’s false advertising to have one or two or sometimes none of the items in the special buys catalogue shipped to each store.”

Some suggested that it’s all part of Aldi’s mastermind strategy to eke out the most sales:

“Maybe Aldi has the perfect strategy since people flock to them and their specials sell out. Just saying”

Others say that it’s a sneaky way to attract shoppers to their store.

“If they haven’t got what you’ve queued for I bet you still pick up a few other bits. All they need is you through the door. Clever”

Love Them

Of course, there are always those that support the Special Buys shortage:

“Its all part of the excitement and challenge. I love the middle aisle because of the craziness”

“You know what the rules are….there are never enough for every one. Get over it!! Would you like Aldi to hand out participation trophies for the losers so they feel adequate??”

Well, actually a trophy sounds good. But I’d prefer an egg chair, thank you very much!

Have you ever had your eye on an Aldi deal that you never managed to get? Tell us your experience with Aldi special buys in the comments below.

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