Aldi Australia has made a major change to its online store, leaving customers disappointed.
Last year, Aldi announced a trial where shoppers could purchase some of its Special Buys items online, but it has now been revealed it has concluded.
In discussing the change, a spokesperson for the German supermarket chain said while the trial provided valuable insight and some customers enjoyed the online ordering option, it “wasn’t the right time to expand”, 7 Life reported.
“Supply chain pressures and inflation means that our top focus [is] to deliver the best priced groceries to Australians. We believe that this focus, while it might come at the cost of other projects, delivers the best value to our customers,” the spokesperson said.
“We have been clear that delivering quality groceries at the best prices is our ongoing goal, especially when we are seeing Australians feel the pressure of inflation.
“Our unique business model is built on efficiency, and while we don’t want to see customers disappointed, we believe this is the best decision to continue maintaining our price gap of over 15 per cent compared to our competitors.”
The spokesperson said there was no immediate plan to bring online Special Buys back but Aldi wouldn’t rule it out for the future.
News.com.au has contacted Aldi for further comment.
Aldi first announced alcohol and Special Buys would be available online early last year, with plans to eventually have the store’s entire range online.
At the time of the announcement, Aldi CEO Tom Daunt, said groceries could be added at a later date but e-commerce was set to be part of the supermarket’s future as the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated Aussies’ online shopping habits.
Aldi customers were quick to spot the backflip by the supermarket.
“So did Aldi just quietly remove their online range instead of the promised expansion of eventually offering all their products online?” one person asked on social media.
“I can’t see any mention of online products anymore anywhere on their app or website ever since they had their online clearance last week.
“And they used to offer all the larger items like the table saw for delivery, but not any longer.
“I really feel like they’re removing the option altogether.”
Others noted that clearance items were still on offer online.
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