Could you make money as an Aldipreneur?

Updated
Aldipreneurs make money from buying and selling Aldi Special Buys - can you cash in?
Aldipreneurs make money from buying and selling Aldi Special Buys - can you cash in?

For most people Aldi and Lidl are handy places to bag some grocery bargains - and browse the discount wetsuits, hot tubs and scented candles while they're there. For others, however, those weekly special offers - or Special Buys - are more than just a novelty during their weekly shop - they're an opportunity to make money.

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Sometimes known as Aldipreneurs, these shoppers snap up as many of the weekly specials as possible from the discounters - as early as possible on the say they are released (usually a Thursday). They then list them at a higher price on online auction sites - timing their sale to make as much money as possible.

Does it work?

The biggest profits are to be made from the items that capture people's imaginations and fly off the shelves.

One big success was the hot tub that went on sale just as the warm weather hit earlier this month. Aldi was selling the tubs in small numbers for £299, and they sold out across the UK. The Aldipreneurs who got hold of the deal then put their purchases on eBay, marked up by as much as £300.

Similarly the £3.99 Aldi scented candles that were said to smell like Jo Malone fragrances sold out, and were found on eBay for up to £30.

Is it fair?

Whenever this happens, shoppers will take to social media to complain, especially if they were convinced they had got to their local store early enough to take advantage - and are upset that normal buyers are missing out because of people buying in bulk.

Of course, the Aldipreneurs would argue that there's nothing stopping them from going along even earlier and indulging in a spot of bulk buying themselves.

Those who make money from reselling Aldi and Lidl products would also point out that for every item that sells out quickly, there are a huge number of others that trickle out of the door, so there's no easy money to be made from a massive mark-up on eBay.

They can, however, still make cash from these items too - as long as the deal is good enough in the first place. They can simply snap up the bargains and then hang onto them. After a few weeks the stores will have sold out, and they can offer them for a smaller profit online.

Could you do it?

Deciding whether you can make money as an Aldipreneur depends on your answers to five questions.

1) Are you prepared to get up very early for the most popular items?
2) Do you have the cash you can tie up in Aldi products while you wait for them to sell out in store?
3) Can you spot a winner?
4) Do you have enough disposable cash to write items off if you buy a few lemons?
5) Are you prepared for a backlash from other shoppers when you're selling a must-have item?

So what do you think? Does this appeal? Let us know in the comments.

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