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By Sally Dulson
With Father’s Day this Sunday, families across the Hawkesbury are once again scratching their heads over what to get Dad. If your dad’s anything like mine, he’s already got enough socks and undies to last a lifetime, so the real challenge is finding something he actually wants—not just something he needs.
But in our family, when we think about what Dad might like, more often than not, he’s already gone out and bought it himself—from his favourite store, Aldi.
Dad has had a love affair with Aldi since the early 2000s, and he’s not alone. Plenty of dads across the Hawkesbury sing the praises of the German supermarket chain, famous for its slogan: “Good Different.”
Dad puts it simply:
“You buy something from Aldi, it costs you 20 bucks. Whereas, if you buy it elsewhere, it’ll cost you 40. That’s because they have buying power.” – Greg Dulson
And he’s not wrong. Globally, Aldi serves over 60 million customers each week and uses its enormous buying power, limited range of products, and no-frills model to keep prices consistently lower than the big supermarkets.
Hawkesbury dad, Phil Tomkins, echoes Greg's sentiment.
"I've bought a lot of stuff from Aldi and it's still going. And if it doesn't, it doesn't matter because it's cheap!" – Phil Tomkins
Andrew Jones, an Ebenezer dad, has a fond view of Aldi too.
"I always do half my shop at Woolies and the other half at Aldi. Most of the meat, fruit and veg are cheaper and better value. The middle section deals are great too!" – Andrew Jones
Of course, Aldi love isn’t universal. My brother-in-law, Brendan Greenwood, a millennial dad, has a more sceptical view:
“I think you buy stuff you don’t need and it adds to a society of waste.”
But even he concedes there’s a silver lining:
“It’s good if they sell something you need in the Special Buys aisle.” – Brendan Greenwood
And there lies the magic—Aldi’s famous “middle aisle,” where you might walk in for bread and milk but walk out with a chainsaw, a kayak, or a heated throw blanket.
Why Dads Love It
For many Aussie dads, Aldi isn’t just about saving money—it’s about the thrill of the bargain. Walking down the Special Buys aisle is like a mini adventure, with deals galore that deliver that little dopamine hit of retail therapy.
From lawnmowers to toolkits, from camping gear to the occasional espresso machine, Aldi seems to know what dads secretly want before they do.
In fact, dads' love for Aldi runs deep across the globe. A catchy tune that encapsulates a trip to Aldi that Hawkesbury dads (and their spouses) can relate to, The Ballad of Lidl & Aldi, from Irish poet Mick MacConnell, tells the tale of a dad's haul from Aldi, as opposed to mums.
The Ballad of Lidl & Aldi - Mick MacConnell - John B. Keane's Bar - Listowel
It tells the tale of Mike who is sent to do the grocery shopping after his wife was unable due to an injury. It results in his credit card being revoked due to overspending in the "Special Buys" aisle! — if only we could put these sanctions on our dads around Father’s Day!
So, this Father’s Day, as we celebrate all the dads across the Hawkesbury, here’s a toast to the bargain-hunting, Special Buys–chasing, Aldi-loving dads who somehow turn the weekly grocery run (albeit an expensive one) into an adventure.
All retail talk aside, as much as my dad loves a bargain, the best present we can give him is quality time—taking him out for lunch and showering him with accolades about how much we love him.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!
