Aldi shoppers outraged over change to popular baby item
Loyal Aldi customers have blasted the store over recent "terrible" changes to one of the store's most popular baby products – Mamia nappies.
Mum-of-three Kerri told Yahoo News Australia she’s been a long-time Aldi customer and has used the Aldi brand nappies for each of her children aged 10, four, and two years old.
But recently, she’s noticed a big change in the brand - especially the size 6 Ultradry Mamia nappies that she uses on her two-year-old.
The Australian manufactured nappies have suddenly started falling off her toddler with the tabs ripping off completely and the nappies aren't holding themselves closed.
"I’ve used Aldi nappies for all my kids from birth until they were out of nappies and I’ve never had an issue," she told Yahoo News Australia.
"So the difference was very quick to pick up on.
"Two weeks ago I did my normal fortnightly shop and grabbed the nappies. I opened a packet that night. I’ve since opened the second packet I bought that same day and they are just as bad."
Aldi confirmed to Yahoo News Australia that there had been "improvements" made to their Mamia UltraDry nappies.
Other mums noticed the change too
Sharing their frustrations on the popular Facebook page Aldi Mums Australia, Kerri asked whether anyone else had noticed the difference in quality.
“Not sure what is going on with the red nappies at the moment but wow they are terrible!” she wrote.
“Tabs ripping off, not holding nappies closed. Is anyone having the same dramas with the junior nappies at the moment?”
Fellow Aldi mums said they’d noticed a redesign across all the nappy sizes and were equally unimpressed with the difference.
“I feel like the nappies have changed, I use size 5 toddlers for my son and the past two times I've bought them they seem to be different and not sticking like they did before,” one mum agreed.
“Our nappies have been the same, leaking as well. We use size 3,” added another.
“We are having the same problem with the blue ones. The tabs aren't sticking and the nappy keeps falling off. Never had this issue before and we have used the same size for months,” added a third.
Mums furious at change to 'best nappies'
While Kerri only noticed the change two weeks ago, other mums said they’d compared the old and the new nappies to confirm their suspicions that the nappies were different.
The most noticeable change is in the absorbent part of the nappies which was smooth but has now been changed to a bumpy texture. The outside of the nappy also has a different texture.
“They have changed them. If they have dots in the nappies they are the new ones, the old ones were smooth,” one mum said.
“It sucks because they were the best nappies before.”
Another mum agreed sharing a picture of the old and new nappy designs.
“They’re definitely different. The nappy feels different too, which is why the tabs don’t stick,” she said.
Aldi explains the change
An Aldi spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia that the store's Mamia brand nappies had indeed had a redesign, confirming a change to the waistbands and the absorbent layer.
"We have made improvements to our Mamia Ultra Dry Nappies including wider waistbands for a better fit and added a new dimple top sheet layer for faster absorption and longer-lasting dryness," the spokesperson said.
When it comes to the difference in quality, customers are encouraged to provide product feedback to Aldi Australia via their website help forms.
Aldi nappies have changed before
This isn’t the first time Aldi has made changes to their popular nappy brand. Back in 2019 the store launched their "new and improved nappies" which Aldi described as being "better than the originals".
Changes to the newborn and infant nappies included an ultra-dry layer, a soft and breathable top sheet, a wetness indicator and hypoallergenic materials that are suitable for delicate skin.
Meanwhile, changes to the Crawler, Toddler, Walker and Junior nappies included a soft and stretchy waistband. Tweaks were also made to sizes across the range.
“Mamia nappies have been a hit with parents due to their quality and great value, so we didn’t want to mess with the winning formula when we set out to improve the range,” Nicole Paquet, Buying Director for Mamia at Aldi Australia said at the time of the change.
“But our customers were asking for some improvements, so we pushed ahead and came up with something even better.
"The new Mamia nappies offer even greater levels of absorption and protection than the old ones without compromising on quality or value. If you liked the previous version, you’ll love the new ones.”
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