Boxing Day sales starting early? No, it's the opening of a new Aldi: Shoppers queue for EIGHT hours to be first into budget chain's new store
- Frenzy on store's first day as shoppers arrive hours early for opening
- Villagers have waited nine months for the new supermarket to be built
- Huge queue snaked around car park of site for 8am opening today
- Patient mother-of-eight wins £100 voucher for being first in line
It looked like the Boxing Day sales had come early in West Yorkshire this week, when excited shoppers appeared hours before dawn to queue outside a store.
But rather than waiting for post-Christmas offers to begin, these bargain hunters were desperate to get a look at their new Aldi supermarket.
The grand opening of the budget chain's new branch in Slaithwaite, near Huddersfield was planned for 8am - but shoppers turned up hours in advance to get a good place in the queue.
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Hundreds of eager shoppers formed a huge queue for the opening a new Aldi store in Slaithwaite, Yorkshire
The air of anticipation was heightened by a 'golden ticket' scheme which offered first in line the chance to win prizes and vouchers
The customer who was first in the queue endured plunging temperatures overnight as she stood faithfully at the store's front door from midnight - a total of eight hours.
Mother-of-eight and former UKIP candidate Melanie Roberts, 61, said: 'I was keen to see what this new Aldi store was all about so I thought I might as well do it properly.'
Grandmother-of-12 Ms Roberts, who was awarded a £100 voucher, said she panicked after seeing on the internet that shoppers at the opening of other stores started queuing at 9.30pm the night before.
The bookshop owner added: 'I decided to set off at 11.30pm and got there at five minutes to midnight.
'Another car came at 12.15am, went away, and returned at 12.45am and more started arriving after 2am.'
The first in line, Melanie Roberts, started queuing at midnight and said others began joining her from 2am
The village was split over whether plans for the store should be approved, with fears local shops would be hit
The line of eager locals snaked around the new stores' car park this morning after the excitement built during the store's nine month construction.
Plans for the supermarket have split the village, with many fearing it will put independent shops out of business.
There fears may have been confirmed by the huge crowds who turned out on the store's opening day.
The atmosphere was made more frenzied by a 'golden ticket' scheme being offered to the first 100 customers, giving them the chance to win vouchers and prizes.
Manager Simon Dean, whose store has created 40 new jobs, said: 'Aldi would like to thank everyone for their patience and support over the last nine months and hope that customers enjoy their new Aldi store.'
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