Aldi customers plead with supermarket to change strict rule
Aldi customers are calling on the German retail giant to offer a click & collect or delivery option as Covid-19 restrictions continue to impact states across the country.
Unlike Coles and Woolworths, Aldi is yet to introduce online grocery shopping options.
Loyal customers are now begging the retailer to give them contactless shopping options to help them shop safely.
“Aldi please, please, please start delivery,” a customer said on a popular Aldi fans Facebook page.
The post was quickly flooded with comments from customers eagerly agreeing that they’d love to see the store take their grocery offering online.
“Home delivery, click and collect, trolley to boot, ANYTHING please!” another shopper agreed.
“Yes please, yes please, a thousand times yes. Maybe they can’t because they want you in store to casually browse at all the sale items as us buying them probably pays the rent,” another person joked.
“Definitely would get home delivery from Aldi, they're the bomb, always have cool stuff and groceries at great prices, can you say bargain!” agreed a third.
Back in March Aldi announced they were introducing online shopping options for selected Special Buys products.
Customers have already successfully purchased some Special Buys online with the store’s 82 inch smart TV and mini portable projector currently sold out online.
“I bought the projector online on the weekend and it’s being delivered... perhaps it’s a sign of things to come,” one excited shopper commented.
Will delivery impact Aldi prices?
While customers said they’d love to see Aldi roll out delivery or click and collect options, they questioned whether it would impact the low prices the store is known for.
“Yes, agree but don't think it will ever happen as the prices are so low compared to other supermarkets,” one person said.
“It will push the prices up in the store,” cautioned another.
“I love shopping there because it is cheap if they do delivery the prices will go up. Plus you would miss out on centre aisle bargains and that is half the fun of shopping there!” commented a third.
Retail expert at the Queensland University of Technology, Gary Mortimer, told Yahoo News Australia that Aldi could miss out on impulse purchases from customers in-store if they offer an online model.
“If Aldi were to go online it would literally be starting from scratch. While they do have the money to do that, it's never been part of their model,” he said.
Aldi responds to calls for home delivery
While an Aldi spokesperson said the retailer actively reviews customer feedback, there are no plans to introduce online grocery shopping options.
"We are continuing to review our business operations to ensure we deliver exceptional value to our customers, and are pleased that our entry into online shopping with selected Special Buys has been popular with our customers," the spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia.
"Positive customer feedback on our online offer to date is encouraging and reaffirms our plans to expand our online offering of Special Buys over time."
However, when it comes to an online grocery offering, the spokesperson said: "There are no plans to offer online grocery shopping or click and collect at this time."
"We encourage shoppers to keep an eye out for even more upcoming products in our catalogue and on the Aldi Australia website."
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