Are Australians over their obsession with Aldi?
Aldi hit the Australian market by stealth. The German company opened a few stores, garnered a lot of publicity and then steadily opened store after store. There are now 592 stores in Australia.
To start, Aldi was a bit of a novelty, but quickly became an Aussie favourite with its mix of knock-off branding and that weird centre aisle of random specials, all at astonishingly cheap prices.
But is the romance over?
A report on news.com.au has crunched the numbers and far from the 10 per cent growth it enjoyed for many years, the company managed only 1 per cent for 2020-21.
The analysts are blaming this sudden drop on a few things.
Primarily, during that pandemic period, Australians turned to online shopping, which Aldi doesn’t provide.
Another theory is that as Aldi moves to stock a lot more known Australian brands than their usual weirdness, shoppers are happy buying them at Coles and Woolworths.
Or is it that Aldi is fudging the figures? As a private company, it doesn’t have to supply as much data as publicly listed companies such as Coles and Woolworths.
But maybe you should ask the consumers. Facebook pages devoted to Aldi are littered with complaints about skyrocketing prices and falling standards. Not to mention how to go about returning items, many of them from that centre aisle.
So what’s the solution? Maybe it needs to go back to the enthusiastic discounter it once was and get with the times on online shopping.
This week’s best deals
IGA
Sensible: Whiskas Dry Cat Food, 800g $4.50, save $2.65. You should always snag savings on pet food when you can. Critters can be expensive. I also salute Whiskas for no longer pretending what’s on the pack is what’s in the pack. The packaging makes it clear it’s chicken and rabbit ‘flavours’, whatever they are.
Indulgence: Smirnoff, Gordon’s, Bundaberg and Johnnie Walker 1L, $59. If you are beginning to squirrel away stuff for Christmas, these popular spirits at this price are a good start.
See the catalogue here.
Aldi
Sensible: Ready Steady Cook marinated chicken kebabs, $7.99. With warm weather entertaining underway and Christmas a few weeks out, some corners may need to be cut along the way. Bung these on the barbie, serve with salad and away you go.
Indulgence: Ocean Royale Wild Peeled Prawns, $15.99, save $3. There was a wee controversy a while back regarding this brand, in that they were good enough for human consumption, but not to be used for bait. Ouch. Actually, it’s due to Australia’s strict biosecurity and designed to stop nasties getting in our waterways. Still stings a bit though.
See the catalogue here.
Woolworths
Sensible: Weis Ice Cream bars, $5.50, save $4. Good special on an excellent product. Weis bars serve a dual purpose. Great on their own but also handy for smoothies if you don’t have fresh fruit on hand.
Indulgence: Christmas Confectionary Stockings, 20 per cent off. I’m the sort of craft tragic who made my kids their own cross-stitch Christmas stockings using hideously expensive imported threads. I know without a doubt that when they were young if I had offered them supermarket stockings stuffed with lollies instead they’d have changed their minds so quickly their heads would have snapped. Lots to choose from including Cadbury, Chupa Chups and M&Ms.
See the catalogue here.
Coles
Sensible: Coles Beechwood Smoked Leg Ham, $8/kg. I’ll probably be pointing this out a lot before Christmas this year, but buying a ham is cheaper than buying sliced ham at the deli. Deli ham rarely gets below $20/kg, and here it is at $8/kg. Don’t worry about leftovers, it’s perfect for freezing.
Indulgence: Lamb Loin Chops, $18/kg. I’m putting this in the indulgence list because prices like these are not going to last. Farmers are rapidly destocking and there are bargains to be had. However, eventually demand will outstrip supply and those eye-watering prices will be back. Enjoy it while you can.
See the catalogue here.
Have you notices Aldi prices going up? Do you shop there often? Why not share your experience in the comments section below?
Also read: Snacks and treats become luxury items as Australians cut back