A promotional discount on disinfectant products like hand sanitiser gels and wipes has caused a rush of customers to Aldi stores across Germany.

Customers form queues outside Aldi

Long queues formed outside several Aldi branches on Monday morning as customers desperately tried to get their hands on disinfectant products. A spokesperson for Aldi Nord confirmed that groups of up to 50 people had been waiting outside shops around the country. Aldi Süd also confirmed that queues had formed outside numerous branches.

The sudden rush was caused by a sales campaign, promoting a range of disinfectant products. According to the company, this promotion was planned months ago and was completely unrelated to the coronavirus outbreak. A spokesperson for Aldi Süd said, “For years in March, when the travel season begins, we have had a range of promotions on disinfectants." 

However, with the virus currently rampaging around Europe and panicked consumers stocking up on sanitary products, the campaign attracted more attention than previously expected.

Unprecedented demand for hygiene products

The promotional products quickly sold out as supply wasn’t very big. No one expected such increased demand due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has now affected over 1.100 people in Germany. To supply as many customers as possible, the supermarket chain announced that it would limit customers to three products per person.

According to the company, the sale continued without any major issues or incidents. In fact, the company spokesperson emphasised that no incidents worth mentioning occurred. The queues affected branches in Dusseldorf, Cologne, Bremen and Munich.