Aldi shoppers have taken to TikTok to praise the supermarket for its new line of iconic dolls.
The discount retailer has launched a range of toys with different conditions, including vitiligo, cochlear implants and birthmarks, in UK stores as part of its new range, Little Town Plush Dolls.
Parents and carers have taken to the platform to express the positive impact the £6.99 toys have had on them and their children.
Rach, a mother living in the United Kingdom, bought a doll with a birthmark for her daughter and said: “Thank you for helping my daughter, among many others, feel seen.”
‘The birthmark/visible differences community is very proud and very grateful. “I hope you know the positive impact you have had on so many children.”
A mother-of-four from the Scottish Highlands, who goes by the name @frithonlife (pictured), said the Aldi toy is the first doll she has owned with a birthmark like hers.
Elsewhere, a mother of four from the Scottish Highlands, who goes by @frithonlife, bought herself a doll and said: “This is the first doll I’ve owned that has a birthmark like mine.”
She added that the dolls are “improving the lives of the next generation of beautifully marked children, so they feel represented,” which “means a lot” to her.
Another mother, Gaby Biasillo, 25, added: ‘I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve seen a toy with a birthmark! So sweet.’
“Seeing yourself represented in a children’s toy for the first time and immediately purchasing it for your future children,” added TikTok user Beth Rose.
It comes after a mum came under fire after admitting she shopped at Aldi’s wooden toys event only to resell the products on Vinted for double the price.
Atlanta Hatch, 25, took to TikTok to defend her “buy to resell” decision, taking more than four and a half minutes to lay out the reasons why it was the right thing to do despite the online backlash, but not everyone was convinced. .
The UK-based mum posted the clip after trolls called her “vile” and threatened to report her to HMRC for her actions.
But in the video titled “Controversial, I bought to resell at an Aldi wooden toy event,” Atlanta was defiant, telling her 860,000 viewers that she knows “at least three other people, also three other mothers, who did buy to resell”.
Gaby Biasillo, a 25-year-old mother, said it is the first time she has seen a doll with a birthmark.
A mother who goes by @stayathomemumto3 thanked the discount store for creating a doll representing her daughter (pictured)
Of the wooden toys she purchased, including a beauty tool belt, three activity boards, two slow cookers, a cookie tin, a donut set, a Cuthbert caterpillar, and a Kevin carrot cake, some were ” genuine gifts,” he said.
The others, however, were resold on the Vinted marketplace app, where some of the toys fetched double their original price.
Atlanta said: ‘So overall I resold the two cakes for £16 and the slow cooker for £20. So, yes, they were double, but they weren’t the extreme prices that everyone assumed they were selling for.’
However, instead of apologizing for its behavior that deprived other Aldi shoppers of reasonably priced wooden toys, Atlanta doubled down on its determination to turn a profit.
She said: “Now the reasoning is that I did this, personally, if I didn’t do it, someone else would, so why shouldn’t I benefit from this if I can?”
Atlanta argued that she “went in and bought” the toys and was therefore helping those who couldn’t get to the store.
“I had a man from Hull who bought these and he actually thanked me because it got there and people had bought them,” he added.
She told viewers that because she bought and resold the toy, the “son of man will enjoy Christmas.”
But his justifications did not end there. Responding to criticism raised by the cost of living crisis and the fact that other parents with fewer resources would now be unable to afford a reasonably priced wooden toy, Atlanta said, “I completely understand.”
However, instead of admitting that her behavior was unfair, the mother justified it by claiming that she has an autistic son.
He explained that he resold some items to “make a profit” to support his autistic son.
‘My pram costs £500 because I have a disabled pram. “Yours is £200 as a neurotypical child,” he said.
Atlanta added that she “could use the extra money” to purchase an adaptive stroller or “the sensory items” her son would appreciate more than a neurotypical child.
She emphasized: “I took the opportunity to go buy the most expensive toys that my son will enjoy the most, so I don’t see any problem.”
Atlanta’s video explaining why he had resold items at double the price caused a stir on the Internet and racked up more than 6,000 comments.
The vast majority of them expressed anger and dismay at his decision, calling it “selfish” and saying his “attitude sucks.”
One TikTok user commented: ‘Why would you do that? Your excuses are pathetic. You’re taking advantage! People are fighting and you’re here bragging. What a shame.’
Another TikToker added: “NONE of your reasons are valid, your attitude sucks.”
While a third argued: Incredibly selfish. The world needs fewer people like you.’
Several people criticized Atlanta for using “her son’s autism as an excuse.”
One person wrote: ‘Just pure greed. And trying to justify and use your child’s autism as an excuse is just disgusting!’
Another person commented in a similar tone: ‘As an autistic mom… please stop using autism as an excuse for your rubbish behavior. We get DLA and care allowance, and in some cases mobility allowance, to get our children’s things!! “It’s horrible behavior.”
However, not everyone was disappointed by Atlanta’s behavior, and some praised her for her intelligence.
One person commented: “Fair play to you, we need to make money where we can these days.”
While a second didn’t see what all the fuss was about, they wrote: “Why is everyone so desperate for some wooden toys from Aldi?” There are more exciting things out there, guys.