Aldi's new tactic to stop shoppers fighting over special buys

Retail giant Aldi came up with a simple yet genius solution to combat shopper rage, as its highly sought-after rocking chair went on sale for less than $200 yesterday.

Shoppers – most of whom were either pregnant women, their partners or family members – lined up early outside Aldi stores nationally, hoping not to miss out on the internationally-popular Special Buy rocking chairs.

When the coveted piece of furniture was last on sale as part of the chain’s Special Buys range in July last year, it became widely praised by nursing mothers on parenting forums nationally.

The item, which comes with two sets of legs to allow conversion from a rocking chair to an occasional chair, was so popular it was re-released in January this year, but sold out in minutes in most stores across the country.

This weekend, one Sydney store came prepared to bring order to the anticipated shopping frenzy, by allocating tickets to those queuing up before the doors opened, corresponding with the number of chairs available in store.

An employee reportedly informed those waiting outside the Bondi Junction Aldi there were only a limited number of chairs available, so tickets would be given to the first in line.

“Giving the tickets out is a safer way of doing it,” acting store manager Aaron told news.com.au.

“Last time this chair went on sale it was a bit crazy and there were pregnant women involved trying to get the chair. And to me, this is just a safer way to do it”.

Some shoppers reported lining up since 7am at the Bondi store, but that was not even enough for those who missed out.

However, a handful of expectant parents across the country have praised other shoppers for kindness in helping them snap up the coveted sale item.

“Thank you to the kind lady at ALDI Australia Preston Victoria store this morning, who so generously gave up her rocking chair to me,” Melbourne dad Sam Viavattene wrote on Facebook, sharing a picture of the chair set up in his toddler’s room.

“My faith in humanity was restored after the barbaric behaviour I had witnessed only moments earlier!”

Pregnant mum Alannah Jean was rapt in the chair her partner picked up at a Brisbane store.

“Adam said it was surprisingly civil! I don’t think it was so easy at other stores,” she wrote on Instagram.

Another expectant mum was stoked to pick up a chair by stroke of luck, after another customer returned it earlier in the day.

“We dropped into a store at lunch time and found it. Apparently a guy had returned it because it didn’t fit through his door. Meant to be!” Ingrid wrote on Instagram.

Perth woman Lisa Marie Scutti didn’t have as much luck at her local store.

” Absolutely pathetic… lined up for 50 minutes in the cold for the Saturday sale and the store received 6 chairs for over 100 people in the line,” she reported on the Aldi Facebook page.

“Poor excuse for a sale. Don’t advertise if you can’t deliver the goods. I’ll stick to Coles and Woolies from now on.”