This Aldi item sold out in 10 seconds

An Aldi Special Buy has created a frenzy this weekend, with stores selling out in a record-breaking 10 seconds and shoppers even queuing in the rain in the hopes of nabbing the coveted item.

The product behind the meltdown is The Ecovacs Robotics DEEBOT OZMO 610, a robotic vacuum cleaner that promises to do your housework for you.

The futuristic buy usually retails for almost $600, but the German supermarket-giant created a stir by slashing the price in half this weekend, offering the cleaner for just $299.

The result is probably exactly what you would imagine. One shopper summed up the trepidation that preceded the sale online, saying: “I hope I don’t have to tackle anyone to get one of these baby’s.”

As it turns out, she may well have had to.

The vacuum went on sale on Saturday and the public responded accordingly, wiping out stores in some cases in a matter of seconds.

Shoppers flooded social media in the general mayhem, reporting local stores that had sold out and the numbers are staggering.

Many reported their stores being cleared out before 9 am. Aldi stores that were wiped clean included Bundoora, Gladesville, Ryde and Alexandra Hills (QLD) among many others.

Shoppers were also floored by the speed at which the cleaners were gone, posting updates on social media.

“Forest Lake had 7 at 8am and 0 and 8.02am,” one user reported.

“Shepparton Aldi was sold out by 8.35am,” said another.

It quickly descended into a battle of the have and have nots. Those that missed out had salt rubbed into their wounds by the victorious shoppers’ reviews of the nifty item.

“I just brought it today and it’s cleaning my house as we speak…. it’s awesome!” said one lucky shopper.

“It’s awesome love it saved me so much time today,” said another.

Those left in the dust were clearly disgruntled, pointing out the supermarket should have stocked more, and slamming shoppers who stocked up on more than one.

“Seriously (sic) @aldiaustraliayou need to put more not fair for those ppl that already line up in the morning before the store opened,” one user wrote.

Another said their local store “was sold out immediately:( they had 8 and people grabbed 2 each.”

Tammy from Aldi Lovers Australia said that this shopper wasn’t alone and many found the exclusivity of the buy ‘frustrating’.

“Not everyone is able to be at the store at 8:30 – especially those that work at that time – and then it’s not fair that they miss out.

“Lots of stores sold out within minutes of opening,” she said, adding she began a dedicated post to help buyers find a store in stock.

A spokesperson for Aldi Australia said the popularity for the vacuum cleaner was ‘higher than expected’ and the low stocks experienced were unintentional.

“It is never our intention to cause disappointment to our customers, or miss out on sales, and we will
always strive to allocate optimal stock for our stores to meet forecast demand,” they said.

It’s not just the incredible price that had shoppers flocking; the machine behind the mayhem is a 2-in-1 creation.

Not only will it clean while you relax and watch MAFS, it also boasts a mopping function on top of the vacuum, cleaning your floors completely at the flick of a switch.

It’s not the first time Aldi has created a stir as their special buys regularly send shoppers wild most – recently with pet buys and kitchen must-haves.

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