Aldi’s new ‘special buys’ are holidays, but are they actually bargains?

Will you pick up a cruise holiday along with your discount chocolate and one-off winter coat in a supermarket aisle? Aldi certainly hopes so.

In an intriguing development for Australian travel, German supermarket chain Aldi has launched Aldi Holidays in Australia, an online portal for what it says are exclusive deals on tours, short breaks and cruises.

European deals are in store for ALDI customers.

In a first for supermarkets in Australia, Aldi is partnering with Queensland-based Ignite Travel Group, owned by Flight Centre Travel Group, for the new venture.

Many commentators here have seemed surprised, but it’s nothing new for Aldi, which has long had similar travel portals in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Other European supermarket chains such as BILLA in Austria, Tesco in Britain and Carrefour in several European countries also have travel arms.

Rodney Balech, group director of Aldi Australia, says the new service will “unlock incredible value… we’re bringing our Special Buys to the skies, offering savvy travellers premium holiday options”.

As with Aldi’s bi-weekly Special Buys in its centre aisle, you can expect a limited number of exclusive deals, available until sold out and changing regularly. Travellers can customise add-on options such as preferred airlines, departure airports and room upgrades.

Holiday choices on the other hand will be limited. Current modest options are just four overseas tours (to Europe, China, Sri Lanka and South Africa) and two cruises. Inclusions differ for each.

One cruise is a nine-night Vanuatu and New Caledonia sailing, departing on February 23 from Sydney with Royal Caribbean, and priced from $1499pp twin-share, including gratuities and $US200 ($290) of on-board credit.

The other is a 14-night Celebrity Cruises journey in Japan departing on August 30 and priced from $4990pp twin-share, including economy flights, a two-night Tokyo hotel stay, and onboard beverage, Wi-Fi and gratuity packages.

As travellers increasingly look for good deals and value holidays, the launch comes at a perfect time for Australian consumers – but it would pay to compare with other travel platforms and cruise-line websites.

Royal Caribbean’s own website currently has the Pacific cruise at $1899pp with $US100 of on-board credit, which is $255pp more expensive than Aldi’s offer.

Celebrity Cruises’ website prices the Japan cruise at $3237pp, which appears significantly cheaper, even if you have to add on your own hotel stay and extras.

Supermarket chains in Europe have wisely stuck to partnerships with existing travel companies rather than plunge into a business in which they lack experience. The business model is neither new nor a market disruptor.

For now, Aldi Holidays isn’t likely to shake up the Australian cruise industry and there’s no sign that Coles or Woolworths intend to launch travel portals.

But watch Aldi’s space. It sells millions of holidays in Europe, so plenty of cruises might soon be coming to a supermarket aisle near you.