Aldi shoppers storm stores for annual super sale
Large crowds have been pictured gathering outside Aldi stores for the supermarket's annual snow gear Special Buys promotion.
Cult fans of the once-a-year event converged in the hundreds on Saturday, queuing outside stores nationwide to get their hands on the hotly anticipated bargain range of premium snow gear.
Images shared online show people who arrived in the early hours of the morning to get first pick of the gear, with Aldi introducing a host of safety protocols to allow customers to shop safely.
The supermarket cancelled the event last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but went ahead this year with the assistance of security guards, staggered entries, spaced-out tables, signage, and additional staff.
Shoppers reported still being able to get their hands on the items they planned on buying, despite having to wait in long lines to get in.
One photographed an extensive line outside the Dapto store, about 100km south of Sydney, at 8.15am and said "surprisingly all these people got to go in (including me)".
They added the tables were well organised and safely distanced, and most customers were considerate of others around them.
Other shoppers were similarly impressed, reporting far more respectable behaviour than what has been observed in previous years.
"We got to our Aldi 15 minutes early and there were about 100 people in the queue in front of us as well as two security guards who aren’t usually there," another shopper said.
"Just before the manager opened the store he lectured us about not being aggressive. Luckily I was able to get everything we need and we can’t wait to hit the snow soon."
"My partner was there and he said it was very respectful too," someone else added.
One said they had no trouble collecting $700 worth of gear for their family-of-five from a Melbourne Aldi, despite arriving at 9.30am.
"I went at 9.30am and the queue was still around the corner. It's now gone," someone wrote.
Another shopper claimed there were more than 200 people waiting in line outside the Doncaster East store in Melbourne before it opened.
Many said they had no trouble finding the things they wanted, even those who arrived after 10.30am.
Some chaotic scenes were captured by news.com.au inside Sydney's Chatswood store, with shoppers shown sorting through piles of clothing in close proximity to others.
Few customers seemed to adhere to social distancing guidelines, with security guards appearing unable to do much to separate the shoulder-rubbing bargain hunters.
With the hysteria of previous years in mind, some shoppers said they were happy to avoid the chaos and enjoy a sleep in instead.
"I'm avoiding Aldi like the plague today," one person said.
"Why waste time in a line only to take a chance that you might get it? Ridiculous waste of time," another remarked.
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