Dire sign from Aldi ski sale

Perth Now

a day ago

In what has been dubbed the latest recession indicator, a hugely popular shopping day has gone unsold, despite offering huge discounts on a number of products.
Aldi's iconic annual ski gear sale was met with chaotic and crowded scenes, with customers lined up out the door before the supermarket chain even opened its doors.
Inside, shoppers were seen urgently rifling through piles of ski jackets searching for their sizes.
But in the weeks that followed, interest declined.
Popular TikToker Bec Brewin highlighted that despite the buzz around Aldi's much loved sale, none of the items were actually sold out. Aldi's popular ski sale was not a sellout this year, which one TikTokker has claimed is 'the latest recession' indicator. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia
'Do you remember when the ski gear at Aldi used to sell out?,' she said.
'Well apparently this is the latest recession indicator because none of this has sold out and it's been there for a while.'
'I can't afford to go skiing and I certainly can't afford knee surgery after I fall over what would be the easiest run on the mountain.'
Aldi has been contacted for comment.
AMP economist My Bui told NewsWire the situation is consistent with the broader issues facing the Australian economy.
'This is playing out in Macroeconomic data.
'I looked at the NAB Business Sentiment Survey …. it shows conditions have still been deteriorating even when consumer confidence has been improving,' she said.
Ms Bui's comments come after Australia's longest hit to living standards since the Second World War officially ended in March 2025, with households getting out of their per capita recession.
Mortgage holders might be on average $200 better off a month but businesses say they are still feeling the brunt of cost-of-living pressures.
But that doesn't mean households are spending, with Q1 retail sales figures released by the ABS showing retail volumes on a per capita basis fell 0.4 per cent after growth in the previous two quarters.
Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics, said 'Retail sales volumes were flat this quarter and reflected subdued spending. This comes after sustained promotional activity boosted discretionary spending in late 2024.'
Ms Bui agreed saying unlike the post covid years, businesses have less power to increase prices and have turned to promotions in order to clear stock.
'Retailers have less pricing power compared with before,' She said.
'Businesses had the power to raise prices. Right now, if you look at input costs and even when these costs increase, businesses do not feel they can raise their prices.'
'When you look at retail sales every single month there are more promotions than usual, but that is not a sign of strengthening as it is only driven by promotions, so it's actually a sign of weakness. ALDI ski sale at Chatswood. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia The store was crowded when doors opened, but interest has since declined. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia
Ms Bui said despite the overall outlook improving, it is coming off a relatively low base.
The call comes just weeks after footage showed shoppers queuing up outside Aldi in Chatswood before opening to get ahead of the Snow Gear sale.
The popular retailer has launched a premium range describing it as their 'coolest collection' to date, with more than 65 products under $100.
'We know our Aussie customers look forward to our annual Snow Gear Special Buys sale, and we're blown away by the overwhelming response by shoppers every year who line up before the store opens to get their hands on the range,' an Aldi spokesperson said at the time.
'The momentum we have seen over the last 20 years is reflective of the high quality and low price point Aldi's Snow Gear presents.
'Our customers continue to be excited about the release of the range each year, and we look forward to being part of their snow holiday plans with top quality gear at low prices in 2025.'