Aldi has launched a limited-edition jacket that transforms into a reusable shopping bag in seconds, and I put it to the test during a food shop. The Swag for Life jacket is designed to tackle what the supermarket calls the nation's "bag amnesia", after research it commissioned found four in five Brits admit they regularly forget to bring reusable bags when shopping.
Aldi says shoppers are spending an average of £3.36 a month replacing forgotten bags, which works out at more than £40 a year. Its research also found almost a third of people have resorted to carrying their shopping loose rather than buying another bag.
First impressions of the jacket
When I first saw the jacket, I was surprised by how stylish it looked. There's something about navy blue that gives it a slightly smarter, more serious feel and, despite knowing the whole point was that it would eventually become my shopping bag, it didn't immediately look like a novelty item. There was, however, one fairly obvious giveaway: "ALDI STORES" written across it.
I did wonder whether somebody might mistake me for an Aldi employee and I'd then have to explain that no, I don't work here – my jacket is actually my shopping bag and, once I've finished doing my food shop, I'm going to somehow turn it into one.
I remember looking at it and thinking: how on earth does this turn into a bag – and how much shopping can it realistically hold?
Putting it to the test
I hadn't studied a complicated set of instructions beforehand. I simply spotted a zip running across the back and started playing around with it. After a little folding and manoeuvring, lo and behold, there it was: a rather medium sized shopping bag.
I found myself laughing, partly because of how bizarre it was, but mainly because I was genuinely impressed. I'd never seen anything quite like it before.
That's when I started thinking that even beyond the food shop, it could actually be quite useful to keep in the car as an emergency jacket. If the weather suddenly turns, you've got something to throw on – and if you unexpectedly stop for groceries on the way home, you've got a shopping bag too.
Practical and comfortable
Wearing it around Aldi was probably the funniest part. I noticed shoppers looking over at me, some smiling and others laughing – in a good way – once they realised what was going on. A few even asked how they could get one themselves.
When it came to transforming the jacket properly at the checkout, I asked a shop assistant for a little help. She seemed just as surprised by it as I had been and told me she hadn't seen one before. She also commented on how nice it actually looked.
Aldi says the bag has been designed to hold up to 10kg, and I managed to fit a decent amount of groceries inside. Once everything was packed away, I threw the strap over my shoulder and headed out. It felt much like carrying a lightweight gym bag over my shoulder, with the material having an almost cushioned feel against me. I found it more comfortable than having several carrier bags digging into my fingers.
Perhaps most surprisingly, I never felt silly carrying it. Yes, it's unusual. You'll probably get a few looks and, with "ALDI STORES" emblazoned across it, you may temporarily resemble the supermarket's most enthusiastic customer. But after initially wondering whether this was simply a clever publicity stunt, I could see the practical side of it. Would I wear it everywhere? Probably not. But would I keep one in the car for those occasions when I've forgotten my shopping bags? Absolutely.
Customers can get a chance to win the jacket from 6th October by emailing SwagForLife@aldi.co.uk.
