“Dear customers, due to the tense situation on the paper market worldwide, there are unfortunately only a small number of flyers at the moment. We are sorry that these are out of stock,” said a Munich Aldi Süd branch last Monday.
When asked, the employees explained that there are currently few brochures in the branches. Aldi Süd does not seem to be an isolated case.
Lidl, Penny and Netto Marken-Discount also occasionally have empty brochure compartments. The paper crisis is to blame.
Officially, however, one does not want to speak of a delivery bottleneck, but only of isolated branches that cannot be served continuously.
Why are paper bags and brochures missing in supermarkets?
The situation on the paper market remains tense because China’s economy is restarting and demand for wood, paper and other raw materials is increasing.
Due to the simultaneous no-Covid policy, ports and production facilities are closed for several days in the event of a Corona case. Goods are therefore left hanging at the locations and only reach Germany at great expense and with price surcharges. This leads to higher costs overall.
Last September, the Federal Statistical Office reported a price increase for waste paper of over 220 percent compared to August 2021.
Wood and pulp also cost significantly more in 2021, and the price has now stabilized, but is still at a “very high level”. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the price increase was almost 50 percent compared to the previous year.
How do customers know which offers apply?
If there are no paper bags, consumers can rely on alternatives such as fabric bags, boxes or reusable carrier bags. And there is also a remedy for brochures.
If you want to leaf through printed flyers from Aldi Süd, Lidl, Netto, Rewe, Penny and others, you should look for them regularly in the branches. The booklets are usually right at the exit, because the offers are valid for the next promotional period in a week or two. The shops will continue to be supplied with the brochures. Only in individual cases a small number arrives, which is then quickly sold out.
It is also helpful to browse through the free weekly papers or regional daily newspapers. In many cases the handouts are included. Make sure that the “No advertising please” sticker is on your mailbox. With free weekly newspapers, deliverers avoid throwing in the brochures.
If this is too cumbersome for you, you should know that almost all supermarkets and discounters offer online brochures.
CHIP advises: Download the official apps from Aldi Süd, Lidl, Rewe, Netto Marken-Discount, Kaufland and Co. In many cases there are regional discount vouchers that you can redeem directly in your favorite branch.
You can find the links to them here.
- Current example: If you shop for ten euros in a Lidl branch in Munich and show the Lidl Plus app at the checkout, you will either get free yoghurt or a free Coke from the Freeway brand.