Aldi Snow Sale 2021: Annual sale event looks very different in 2021
After being canned in 2020 amid the pandemic, the Aldi snow sale was pegged to be ‘better than ever’. But the scenes at one store looked very different.
With that chill in the air, it can only mean one thing. Winter is here, and with that brings the crowds and chaos also known as the annual Aldi Snow Sale.
After taking a pause last year amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, there were expectation for crowds of customers to line up around the country for the supermarket’s most popular sale of the year.
Traditionally, the sale sees swarms of shoppers desperately trying to snap up a bargain, with families and friends often trying to “work in teams” to get their hands on the best deals and lining up hours in advance.
But at one of the most popular stores for grabbing a bargain – Sydney’s Chatswood Westfield – the scene was a little more subdued than normal.
Speaking to news.com.au, business owner Sam Khaled of Mrs Field cafe, said the lines were the smallest he’d ever seen in the 45 minutes prior to the supermarket’s doors opening.
“I have been here for 10 years, and this is the quietest sale I have ever seen,” Mr Khaled said, whose cafe sits just metres from Aldi’s front doors. “Normally I make $500 before 8am at least just from shoppers waiting in line. But not this year … it’s quite shocking I’ve never seen it so quiet so close to opening time.”
Friends Edeline and Janice who had travelled from nearby Macquarie Park, said they arrived at 6.30am in anticipation for mass crowds and queues.
“We were expecting massive lines, but by 7am there was still no one,” Edeline told news.com.au.
“It’s our first time skiing, and we plan on going to New Zealand in July. We have never skied or snowboarded before so we are after the everything - the works.
“We were so surprised by how little people were here at even 7.30am. I’ve lined up before to get an airfryer and I got here 30 minutes before the store opened and the line then was maybe 200 metres long.
“So I really did expect a similar situation today for the snow sale.”
But by the time 8am rolled around, like a switch the crowds descended on the German retailer in anticipation for the store opening at 8.30am.
As the roller doors opened and security did their best to control the crowds, the masses won and the centre aisle of Aldi turned into chaos.
“You do jackets and I’ll grab the pants,” one woman barked at her husband who was clearly yet to have his morning caffeine hit.
“What size are the kids again,” he said back.
Truckloads of jackets, boots, pants and thermals lined the aisle as far as the eye could see.
A mass of colour flying through the air as shoppers picked through the pieces finding the rights size and fit.
“I got the jacket...I got the jacket,” one woman screamed.
“Great, I’ll find the same pants,” her friend replied.
With no changerooms in sight, shoppers stripped off their jumpers to try on the jackets, with some slipping into pants over their jeans.
Security teams monitored the aisle, but were unable to separate the crowds all hungry for a bargain. For the first hour of store opening, social distancing became a thing of the past.
Some shoppers were quick to take note of the lack of space between shoppers, and while the Chatswood store had the ability to cater for 250 shoppers – the proximity of the aisle meant everyone was shoulder to shoulder.
“I thought everyone would be a little more spaced out,” one woman whispered to her partner.
“It feels very crowded in here.”
How the Aldi Snow Sale will work in 2021
Despite the large crowds, there was slight calm among the chaos as a result of the retailer making a stern warning that this weekend’s sale would be very different to previous ones.
“Times have changed since our last Snow Gear Special Buys event, so your experience in store might be a bit different,” the retailer warned on Wednesday.
“We ask everyone coming to our stores to be patient, calm and mindful of other customers and our employees.”
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Instead of a grab-happy free-for-all, shoppers taking part on the Saturday 22 May sale faced one-off safety measures, including;
Customer lines – Bollards and additional signage will be on display outside of stores to ensure customers line up in a safe and socially distanced manner.
Staggering entry into our stores – Each store will stagger customers’ entry into the store in groups of 50 people every 15 minutes, until they reach each store’s density limit based on our COVID Safe Plan. A one person in, one person out policy will then apply while the store is at its density limit.
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Additional security – The majority of our stores will have security guards on hand to help manage the safe flow of customers into each store. In select stores where there will not be a security guard, our Store Manager will manage the staggered entry of customers.
Middle aisle layout – We are spreading out the tables in the Special Buys area to further encourage social distancing.
Additional ALDI employees – All ALDI stores will have additional team members on hand to help customers and to encourage social distancing in stores.
The Aldi snow sale traditionally takes place each May and attracts thousands of shoppers across the country desperate to snap up a cool saving on snow gear.
In 2017, the sale created chaotic scenes in stores across the country, with some shoppers pushing and shoving their way through the aisles.
What are some of the highlights from the Aldi Snow Sale
From jackets to goggles, boots and under layers, each Snow Sale the German retailer rolls out everything you’ll need for a weekend at the snow.
With the retailer’s Premium range designed in Austria, the snow gear – in both men’s, women’s and even children’s sizes – is said to withstand all extreme weather conditions from the Alps to the Snowy Mountains.
The retailer said this year, there will be enough gear that shoppers can dress a family of four head-to-toe for under $1000.
Some of the highlights include six varieties of snow jackets for adults, ranging from a light knit jacket ($39.99) and soft shell jackets ($59.99) all the way to a superior windproof, waterproof, breathable shell jacket with a removable inner jacket ($119.99), which is suitable for all alpine conditions.
For both men and women there will be four varieties of snow pants, including the popular “In Need of a Challenge”, which boast PFC-free waterproof finish, pre-shaped knees, adjustable waist and leg cuffs with abrasion-resistant reinforcement ($99.99).
For the kids this year, there will are five varieties of snow jackets suitable for two to 14-year-olds, and two varieties of snow pants appropriate for the same age range with PFC-free water-repellent finish (for just $29.99).
Australia’s ski and snow retail sector – estimated to be worth more than $2 billion a year – is dominated by Aldi’s annual sale.
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