Aldi Shoppers Are Scrambling To Buy the Hottest New Items Before They Sell Out
While it may not boast as many bells and whistles as a Whole Foods or Wegmans, Aldi has managed to build a loyal fanbase nonetheless with its discount groceries and tempting impulse buys. So, to reward those dedicated customers, Aldi is selling something that's a little offbeat from its usual offerings but is still proving to be wildly popular with shoppers: fashion.
The grocery chain just debuted a brand-new collection of Aldi gear in stores nationwide, following up its successful but smaller gear release in 2022. And in keeping with the company's dedication to low prices, all of the items are $10 or less.
The new line includes bucket hats, belt bags, socks, slides, track suits, tumblers, and even keychains where customers can store the quarter they use to unlock Aldi's shopping carts. The items are available in signature Aldi colors like light blue, navy, gray, and white. Additionally, each entry in the collection includes some type of nod to the yellow, orange, and red stripes that border the Aldi logo.
The collection just hit stores on March 22, but already customers are having a hard time finding some of the items because of soaring demand. One customer reported on Reddit yesterday that other shoppers were grabbing entire boxes of the clothing items and making a beeline for the checkout lines.
The customer lamented that "scalpers" were buying up all the stock, and indeed, some of the new Aldi items have already started to appear at elevated prices on eBay. Other Aldi fans said that they had to visit multiple stores just to find the items they wanted.
But aside from any issues with availability, fans seem overwhelmingly pleased with the collection itself. The Aldi subreddit and Facebook group for Aldi fans have been filling up with pictures from excited customers showing off their merch hauls and modeling the colorful hats and track suits.
"Aldi supported us through college, so we support Aldi," one Reddit commenter posted, with an accompanying photo showing several Aldi fans showing off their new merch.
The Aldi merch has also found many fans on TikTok, who have been documenting their experiences shopping for the new clothing items and trying them on once they get home.
"At ALDI, we are lucky enough to have one of the most loyal and passionate fan bases and this collection was designed with them in mind – giving shoppers all new ways to wear their ALDI love," Kate Kirkpatrick, director of communications at Aldi USA, said in a statement. "The response to the collection has blown us away! We love seeing all of the excitement on social and while the collection is selling fast – we encourage everyone to visit the ALDI Finds aisle for new and unexpected items every week, including new ALDI Gear drops in the future."
Aldi isn't the only major grocery chain that has recently delighted customers with branded clothing. Costco dropped its own line of Kirkland Signature-themed crewnecks and joggers just last month, which similarly generated a lot of online chatter, according to The New York Post.
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