Bad news for shoppers
Lidl and Aldi are temporarily stopping the sale of 'non-essential' items from their middle aisles.
The move comes after a Garda crackdown on 'non-essential' retail products last weekend.
In a statement, Aldi said that their Specialbuy promotions were going to be suspended.
They said: “In line with Government guidance, we have decided to postpone all non-essential product Specialbuy promotions.
“One-off Specialbuy offers on essential products will continue to be placed on sale each Thursday and Sunday.
“Thank you for your cooperation and patience during these challenging times.”
Lidl is making similar changes, stating that they will not be selling Christmas decorations or toys.
In a statement, Lidl said: “Since the Government’s announcement outlining the new Level 5 restrictions, we have taken a number of steps to ensure we are fully compliant with the new regulations."
“We immediately cancelled the advertisement of all non-essential items and removed these items from our website.
“Unfortunately some of these items will still appear in our weekly leaflet, which has been printed a number of weeks in advance and we apologise to customers who are left disappointed by this.
“We will not be putting on sale any items that are deemed non-essential – e.g. Christmas decorations, casual clothing and toys.
“We are also in the process of removing from sale any residual stock of previous non-essential promotions."
What will be on sale?
Under the new regulations introduced last week, people can go to a retail outlet to buy 'essential items'.
This includes food, beverages, fuel, medicinal products, essential items for the health and welfare of animals, or supplies for the essential upkeep of the home.
According to the Level 5 restrictions, “retailers with mixed retail offering which have discrete spaces for essential and non-essential retail should make arrangements for the separation of relevant areas”.
Lidl said that they "will continue to sell items that are classed as essential"
This includes items for upkeep of residence and businesses, safety clothing, repair and maintenance of cars and bikes in their middle aisles.
