The plush toys of the stars of Aldi’s 2021 Christmas advert officially go on sale in store and online from today.
And, as they seem to do every year, people are already queueing to buy them.
Festive shoppers keen to get their hands on the cuddly toys have been taking to social media this morning to share their place in the online queue, with many reporting that they have been placed in a queue with more than 60,000 people ahead of them.
A message on the Aldi website holding page reads: “We’re very sorry, but there are currently lots of people trying to access the Aldi website. We’ve automatically placed you in a queue, but don’t worry about refreshing – this page will update automatically as you enter the site.”
“There are 30,000 people queuing to access Aldi’s website to buy soft toys,” one Twitter user wrote.
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“Ahhh the annual Aldi waiting in an online queue, it’s almost as traditional as mince pies and sprouts,” another tweet read.
In-person queues outside Aldi stores this morning have also been reported around the UK too.
The budget supermarket retailer has certainly become known for its Christmas adverts starring everyone’s favourite character ‘Kevin the Carrot’ in recent years, and this year, it’s absolutely no different, as the release of the 2021 edition earlier this month went on to amass millions of views and thousands of comments and interactions.
If you’ve not seen the advert yet, it’s a take on Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol – renamed ‘A Christmas Carrot by Charles Chickens’ – and it features various different and excellently-named, festive food-themed characters.
Characters starring in the advert include its lead ‘Ebanana Scrooge’, ‘Marcus Radishford’, ‘Peas & Goodwill’, ‘Tiny Tom’.
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Kevin the Carrot himself also took on the role of ‘the Spirit of Christmas’.
The story follows the Christmas-loathing Ebanana, who is reminded of the joys of the festive season by the Spirit of Christmas until he eventually realises the positives of Christmas, and goes around spreading goodwill.
The plush toys of the stars of Aldi’s 2021 Christmas advert officially go on sale in store and online from today / Credit: Aldi UK & Ireland
The plush toys of each of the advert’s characters are priced at £3.99 each.
As well as all the characters from the Christmas advert, Aldi has also announced that a plush toy version of its famous and much-loved ‘Cuthbert the Caterpiller’ – who many will remember grabbed headlines after being embroiled in a legal battle earlier this year – will also be available to buy in store and online.
This year, Aldi has partnered with award-winning giving platform Neighbourly – which helps businesses make a positive impact in their communities by donating volunteer time, money, and surplus products, all in one place.
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The retailer will donate 1.8 million meals to families in need this Christmas.
During Ebanana and the Spirit of Christmas’s whistle-stop tour, they encounter a smiley red radish named Marcus Radishford / Credit: Aldi UK & Ireland
Sean McGinty – Marketing Director at Aldi UK – added: “Christmas is a time for hope, and we’re privileged to be working with Marcus, who is one of the most inspirational young people in the UK, having done so much in the past 18 months to help provide free school meals for children.”
“We hope our campaign will remind everyone of the true meaning of Christmas,” he added.
Steve Butterworth – Chief Executive at Neighbourly – said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Aldi in their year-round food redistribution programme and in their commitment to donate 1.8 million meals this Christmas.
“These donations will help a record number of families across the UK during what is expected to be the busiest year on record for local charities and causes.”
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You can watch the 2021 Aldi Christmas advert in full here.
Aldi confirms ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its 1,000+ stores across UK
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has announced that it’ll, once again, be closing the doors of all of its stores across the UK for 62 hours this year.
Christmas is always known to be one of the busiest periods of the year for the retail industry, and Boxing Day has a reputation for being the ultimate day for shopping deals and discounts in the UK – but this year, just like it has done on several years in the past, Aldi has made the decision to close all of its stores nationwide on this bank holiday.
The supermarket retailer says it wants to thank its colleagues ‘for all their hard work’ throughout the year by giving them some extra time to spend with their families.
This means that all Aldi stores will be closed on both 25 and 26 December.
That’s not all though, as stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, and will reopen once again on Saturday 2 January 2027.
Aldi has announced a ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its UK stores / Credit: Aldi UK
Opening hours at different Aldi stores across the UK will vary in the lead-up to Christmas, so it’s important to check the times for your local store, but the retailer has confirmed that most branches will be operating extended hours to ‘ensure customers can stock up ahead of the big day’
In the interim period between Christmas and New Year, stores will reopen as usual on Sunday 27 through to Wednesday 30 December, with reduced hours also likely on Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
Speaking on the decision to shut up shop for a full 62-hour period this festive season, Rachel Geary, who is the Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.
“Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.
“We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them.”
Featured Image – Aldi UK
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Celebrity-loved ‘facial fitness’ brand Facegym is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Facegym, the ‘facial fitness’ brand loved by celebrities, will be opening a brand-new studio in Manchester this month.
Promising ‘facial workouts’, Facegym uses high-intensity hand massage, deep-tissue manipulation, and skin-tightening electronic muscle stimulation to tone and lift the skin.
Facegym’s signature workouts are designed to be energetic, combining massage and movement with techniques intended to stimulate circulation, sculpt the face and leave you with that post-facial glow.
The Signature Sculpt workout, for example, includes a cleanse and warm-up, high-energy movements, sculpting and contouring using gua sha and muscle stimulation, before finishing with skincare and lymphatic drainage.
Basically, it’s a workout, but for your face.
Facegym will be opening its first ever standalone studio in Manchester on King Street this September.
It joins a raft of new openings on the street, including Reformation and American Vintage, with plenty more on the way soon.
The brand has already made a name for itself across London and internationally, with studios in cities including New York, Los Angeles and Sydney, as well as a presence inside Selfridges in Manchester.
Now, Manchester is getting its very own standalone studio on one of the city’s most recognisable shopping streets.
The new King Street studio will be led by franchise partners Minesh and Hoosein, who bring more than two decades of experience across franchising, finance, retail, telecoms and food and drink.
The pair say they were drawn to Facegym because of its innovative take on beauty and wellness, and see Manchester as the perfect city to introduce the concept to a new audience.
The new studio will officially open its doors on 9 September, bringing Facegym’s high-energy approach to facial fitness and wellness to the North West.
And if you want to get involved from day one, Facegym is currently offering a limited Founding Membership for its Manchester launch.
The first 99 members can get a membership for £62 per month, compared with the standard Manchester membership price of £77. The membership includes one workout each month, plus discounts on boosters, additional workouts, skincare and tools.
Emily Sergeant -
25th November 2021 
