Bought for £8 at Aldi, sold online for £250: the great resale frenzy
I t’s 7.40am on a drizzly Thursday and I’m in a suburban car park in Cambridge eyeballing the lady in the vehicle opposite. Another car purrs gently into a parking space, joining ten already here. Its driver glances furtively around. At 7.54am, the queueing starts, and behind the shop’s glass doors staff are put finishing touches to displays.
You might expect to see fashionistas up at the crack of dawn queueing for the latest Louboutins or trendy teenagers eager to get their hands on the new collection from Supreme, but instead demand for one-off collections from high street brands such as M&S and Primark has been booming.
Last month was the hotly anticipated launch of Aldi’s Little Town range of wooden toys, known for their charming aesthetic and even more charming prices ranging from £2.99 for a teething toy to £54.99 for a climbing frame — just in time for Christmas. They’re already being resold for triple the price. What’s driving the high street reselling frenzy?
Admittedly, part of the Aldi toys appeal is the Nordic look. The Little Town range looks expensive, including tasteful pastel-coloured rocking chairs with no plastic in sight.
