Discount holiday shopping, ALDI-style, has come to Australia. The budget German supermarket chain, founded in 1946, beloved across Europe, and Australia’s favourite place to shop, started selling package holidays to Europeans over 15 years ago, but has only just now launched the same travel line down under.

Buy in volume, sell at a discount

Partnered by the Gold Coast-based Ignite Travel Group, the chain is applying the same tried-and-tested buying strategy to its vacations as it does to its food, beverages and notorious “middle-aisle” homewares and lifestyle products. It puts together its travel promotions by restricting choice to a limited number of destinations and only working with a few accommodation providers in each. It buys at volume, and sells at a discount. 

And just as shoppers will find “Special Buys” on offer until they’ve sold out in the supermarket, they will find similar time-restricted deals online at ALDI Holidays. Perhaps unlike at the supermarket though, where products masquerade barely-disguised looking very much like household-name brands and often made by the same suppliers, ALDI holidaymakers will find they are very much getting the real deal complete with room upgrades, tours, bespoke experiences and flights.

16 packages from the Whitsundays to Europe

Having gone live to Australian consumers at the start of October 2024, there are currently 16 travel packages to choose from. These include what some say is the best beach destination in the world – the Whitsunday Islands, nestled into the Great Barrier Reef – as well as the Gold Coast’s Surfers Paradise, and bucket-list options beyond Australia’s borders such as Fiji, Thailand and Hawaii.

Recent special offers include a 10-day China Great Wall and Warriors trip and bargain stays at Bali’s Grand Mirage Hotel. Cruises too are on the menu, for example aboard the Ovation of the Seas to explore the Pacific Islands and a 14-night Japan tour sailing on the Celebrity Millennium, as well as 15-day tours in South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Europe.

Special Buys in the skies

It is not the first time ALDI has branched out beyond a supermarket’s classic remit in Australia. ALDI Mobile and new-to-the-stable ALDI Insurance have already proven the chain’s mettle in an expanding portfolio. Group Director Rodney Balach hailed the firm’s latest foray into the travel and tourism sector, saying: “With ALDI Holidays we’re bringing our Special Buys to the skies, offering savvy travellers premium holiday options. From budget-friendly bliss to extravagant escapes, there are different levels of luxury for every keen explorer.”