Aldi joins blind-box craze with Labubu benchmarked ALDImaniacs launch

Aldi is taking the blind-box formula out of specialist fandom and into the supermarket middle aisle, with ALDImaniacs set to land nationwide at $14.99 a box on Wednesday, June 17. The launch matters because it shows how far the surprise-and-chase model has travelled since Labubu turned mystery unboxing into a mass obsession.

ALDI Supermarkets’ ALDImaniacs page frames the range as a collectible surprise, with each box hiding one of eight characters: Slime, Bunny Yawn, Simply Pink, No Angel, Mellow Yellow, Snaccident, Boo Boo and Maniac. The blind-box reveal is the point. Shoppers are not buying a single known figure, they are buying the chance of landing a specific one, and that scarcity-by-design is exactly what has powered the biggest collectible toy drops of the past few years.

That is why the Labubu comparison lands so cleanly. Pop Mart says Labubu sits inside THE MONSTERS line created by artist Kasing Lung and inspired by Nordic myths, and the company still sells Labubu through blind-box products on its official store. Pop Mart’s 2024 annual report showed revenue from THE MONSTERS passed RMB1 billion for the first time, while full-year revenue reached RMB13.04 billion, up 106.9% year on year. In other words, the format Aldi is borrowing is not a gimmick. It is the engine behind one of the biggest collectible businesses in the toy market.

The Australian retail comparison is Bunnings, where Mystery Box Mini Bears sold for $12.50 and reportedly came in five standard designs plus one ultra-rare secret bear. That puts ALDImaniacs squarely in a local mini-craze built around repeat purchase, surprise and the hope of pulling something rarer than the rest. Aldi’s bet is that the same behaviour can move just as easily into groceries as it has into hardware and specialty toy culture.

Aldi’s own pitch leans into that logic. A spokesperson said blind-box collectibles are a trend shoppers cannot seem to get enough of and said the chain likes to bring fun, unexpected moments to the middle aisle. Online reaction has already split between sceptics who doubt the toys will sell through and fans who see the format as another signal that mystery merch has gone mainstream. Coverage of Labubu’s surge, including the 2024 social-media boost after BLACKPINK’s Lisa posted images of the toy, showed how fast the chase can spread once the unboxing becomes part of the appeal.

That is the real test for ALDImaniacs. If Labubu proved blind boxes could become a global collectible language, Aldi is now trying to speak it at checkout speed. The first question on June 17 will not be whether the toys are cute. It will be whether a supermarket can turn surprise into a genuine collecting habit, or only into a fast-moving imitation of the hype.