I recall reading an article on Aldi’s buying strategy for some lines of special buys…they use buying agents who specialising in shifting products from liquidated manufacturers or items which have been mass produced but not sold/unable to find a market. This can happen particularly in Asia by state owned enterprises who produce products (to keep their factory operating) before market is established.
Aldi buys these products very cheap (sometimes rebadges them as one of their own brands), and sells them as special buys. I also understand that the wholesale/liquated prices allow for substantial failure rates. They also count on some purchased products never been used…purchased on a whim by customers thinking they may use it, but the product remains unopened/in packaging in the customer’s home.
Such puchase methodologies cause different products being sold when one batch of special buy products being sold out. It also means Aldi has no control over quality, and accepts the special buys as is. I suppose the saying buyer beware may apply.
This is why the quailty of items can be hit and miss.
Also, such strategy produces significant waste, but one could argue the waste was already produced and Aldi is trying to find a home for those products which otherwise may never have gone to market (possibly scrapped and recycled or landfilled by the manufacturer/liquidator).
