Aldi fans outraged by $20 Valentine's roses
Fans of the budget supermarket chain have complained the discount supermarket is charging too much for their dozen roses.
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Discount supermarket chain Aldi has been scolded by shoppers who say their offering of a dozen red roses available for Valentine’s Day is simply not cheap enough.
Other commenters said the chain shouldn’t be importing roses from overseas to feed the massive demand brought on by the holiday, and should be supporting local farmers.
Aldi’s bunch of special Valentine’s Day roses go on sale today, and the budget chain announced the sale on Facebook this week.
A dozen red roses, a traditional gift for loved up Valentines, are notoriously expensive around February 14, as demand skyrockets and costs shift well above the regular retail level.
More than 500 people have expressed their opinion on the Facebook post, many saying the supermarket should have done things differently.
“20 bucks? I can get six hamburgers and two frozen cokes down at Macca’s for that,” one man said. “And still have change for the bus fare for two.”
“Buy your loved one a living plant,” one woman wrote under the post. “Buying cut flowers is like giving a half-dead pet! Not to mention the total waste of your money!”
“Usually pay only $6.99 for Aldi roses,” another said.
Some people thought it was a bargain, pointing out that other supermarket chains were charging around $30 for a dozen red roses.
“That’s cheap,” one woman said, with her friend chiming in they should let their husbands know.
“I used to be a florist and these flowers tend to last longer than the Aussie grown roses and larger buds – I rather think they are good value.”
Other people took serious issue with the fact that Aldi was buying the roses from overseas, saying the supermarket giant should be supporting local rose growers.
“We select the best value roses meeting its strict quality standards and for our amazing value 12 stem bunch this year we have used top grade roses from growers in Kenya,” the supermarket said when asked where the roses came from.
The supermarket said it “works with Australian growers” to buy as much local produce as possible, and the Australian climate was “not ideal” for high volumes of quality roses, adding that “seasonal conditions can affect crops”.
“Why buy roses that are from overseas?!” one woman asked. “If you’re one that likes flowers as a gift or you’re buying for a loved one, buy natives from local florists. Even better buy a plant,” she suggested.
“Buy Australian grown flowers. Support our growers. They don’t have to be roses,” another said.
A recent claim circulating on social media, that most of Australia’s rose crops for cut flowers had been destroyed in bushfires, resulting in new importing of Valentine’s Day roses, was found to be partly false by AAP Fact Check.
The claim, posted by Take Back Australia, said after the destruction of local rose farms had resulted in roses being imported from overseas.
Valentine’s Day roses have been imported to Australia for at least a decade.
Originally published as Aldi fans outraged by $20 Valentine's roses