Just when you thought life couldn’t get any madder Kevin the Carrot proves you wrong. Aldi has caused a shopping frenzy with the launch of the cult vegetable toy, which was put on its website at a cost of £19.99 on Monday November 25.
By 3.00am shoppers had cleared what was available online and then queued from dawn for 2 million Kevin the Carrots which had been shipped to stores in time for the 8.00am opening. By evening the products were appearing on eBay for as much as £100 each.
There were reports of physical fights breaking out and frayed tempers as the product sold out before everyone could get their hands on one. Items which appeared on eBay included a full set of Aldi’s vegetable toy range – consisting of giant Kevin, Katie Carrot, their children, Russell Sprout and Tiny Tom – which was listed for £475, more than six times it would cost to buy directly from the store.
Danyoungman on Twitter posted: ‘This is not a drill, there are people in Aldi’s fighting over Kevin the carrot toys!’
Another Twitter user called Michelle said: ‘Well that was an experience, adults pushing and shoving for plush toys. I got a sprout and tomato though, after queuing since 6.30am.’
Shoppers who were caught in the frenzy whilst trying to do their regular shopping were shocked at the madness, described by some as “Actual. Hell”.
Speaking to the Daily Mail about his campaign to obtain Kevin, Dave Townend said: “I was outside from 6.30 this morning, my missus really wanted one so I thought I’d come down and wait outside to make sure I got one.” His friend, Luke Hallam, joined him just after 7.00am, saying: “I didn’t get one last year because I came down to the store too late. I really wanted one so I came down to meet Dave before they opened to make sure.”
A former mayor of North East Lincolnshire, Hazel Chase, was found waiting for Kevin’s Sprout and Tomato companions from 7.15am.
An Aldi spokesman described the shopping event as “unprecedented”. This year we in-creased the amount on offer [and] to give as many Kevin fans as possible the chance to buy the range, we have limited purchases to two soft toys per customer, but as with all of our Specialbuys products, once they’re gone, they’re gone.’
Daily Mail reporter, LAra Keau, wrote: “So-called ‘carrot fever’ first swept the nation in 2016 when the supermarket’s seasonal toy Kevin made his TV debut in a Christmas advert – and his popularity has grown ever since”.
This year’s TV campaign features pop star Robbie Williams.
