Chaos has erupted out as Aldi shoppers tussled over a viral £150 reformer pilates machine which has been selling out in minutes.
The discount supermarket chain has launched its own version of the step machine used in exercise routines boasting a celebrity following including the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Margot Robbie and Hailey Bieber.
Classes can cost up to £35 a time and instructors advise people to practice three times a week, making it an expensive hobby popular with the middle classes.
Yet the equipment now offered by German retail firm Aldi has tempted many with the promise of a cheaper way to get involved – while also sparking friction in stores.
And such is the popularity, many of those lucky buyers have already been putting the items for resale on internet auction site eBay.
Some sellers are charging more than three times the in-store cost, with listings of as much as £465.72, MailOnline today found.
A new TikTok video has gone viral showing commotion in the aisles of an Aldi store in London as screaming customers fight to get their hands on the pilates machine boxes.
One amused onlooker is heard saying in disbelief, ‘This is not happening’, while another comments on the crowds: ‘This is f***ing ridiculous.’
A TikTok video showed customers vying for Aldi’s reformer pilates products
The footage was shared from an Aldi supermarket store in London
Shoppers are seen grappling for boxes of the product and even sitting down on the items in disputes over who should get to claim them.
Remarks heard in the exchanges include ‘You were at the back of the queue’, ‘I was holding it before you’ and ‘People have queued up, wasted their morning queuing’.
Aldi‘s machine features five adaptable resistance levels, using resistance bands, as well as adjustable height settings.
It can also be folded for storage and has transport wheels that make it easier to move around to the right spots.
Aldi only unveiled their product this month, instantly selling out in many stores in the UK – having previously gone on sale in Australia this year.
Aldi had launched a £150 Reformer Pilates machine on Sunday, offering a cut-price alternative to the luxury studio equipment that usually retails for anywhere between £2,000 to £6,000.
Pilates fans rushed to snap up the budget-friendly reformer, but frustration quickly grew as shoppers claimed some outlets had as few as six units – with stock vanishing within minutes – while others said their local Aldi did not receive any at all.
MailOnline has contacted Aldi for comment.
The new Aldi version of the equipment went on sale for £149.99 on Sunday
The reformer pilates exercise routine has celebrity fans but can cost followers hundreds of pounds in weekly sessions
Customers were heard expressing their disbelief amid the rush to get hold of the products
The commotion came after Aldi launched its news £150 version of exercise equipment
The reformer pilates products have sold out within minutes in some Aldi stores
Shoppers wanting to get hold of the items were filmed arguing over the Aldi wares
One shopper was seen sitting on boxes inside the unidentified Aldi store in London
The firm previously said in a statement promoting the new product: ‘In a UK supermarket first, Aldi is bringing Reformer Pilates to the middle aisle.
‘Taking the internet by storm when it launched in Australia last year, with British TikTokers desperately asking “IS THIS THE UK ALDI???”, the £149.99 Reformer Pilates Machine is launching in stores 25th May. Shoppers better limber up, as with all Specialbuys, once they’re gone, they’re gone.
‘Reformer Pilates has never been more popular, with searches, sign-ups and studio spaces soaring, and the strength-building exercise is even being hailed as the ultimate workout for 2025.
‘Perfect for those looking to elevate their fitness routines, the NEW Reformer Pilates Machine (£149.99) offers professional-grade workouts without leaving the house.’
