Complaints about Albert Heijn’s new miniatures: what’s going wrong?

You’ve probably seen them already: the new miniatures from Albert Heijn that you receive for every ten euros spent on groceries. A fantastic saving campaign that reminds you of playing shop. But… are these miniatures really as fun as they seem? Not according to everyone. The new campaign is causing a lot of frustration among parents, who are sharing their complaints on social media. The term ‘crisis miniatures’ has even been used.

Fun miniatures, but not for everyone…

If there’s one thing Albert Heijn is good at, it’s coming up with saving campaigns. We could still eat from the vegetable garden campaign, so much pointed cabbage did we have. We remember the popular Little Shop campaign from 2012, in which children could set up their own supermarket. But the latest version? Erm… not quite the success story some people had hoped for. Parents are not exactly impressed with the quality and practicality of the new miniatures. The cardboard falls apart, and putting everything together requires higher mathematics.

Complaints on social media

Complaining on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms is a genuine sport—and the same goes for this campaign. The construction kits for the little shop are not as straightforward as Albert Heijn would have us believe. And on social media, alongside the enthusiasm for the campaign, there are also plenty of complaints. ‘Those shelves really aren’t explained properly’, ‘Does AH want to give parents even more stress with all that folding work pfffff’, ‘The handheld scanner works badly, it’s in the charger now. I got the shelves, but unfortunately I still haven’t managed to put them together properly’, ‘The little shop doesn’t fit together properly, the notches are too short’; just a small selection from the series of frustrations.

@nickytikkietokkieAH crisis miniatures, great for the parents because they already have so much free time!!! Or for the Einstein kids, but they don’t play with toy kitchens anymore. Millions in profit, but goodbye fun miniatures!♬ original sound – time fly’s

Frustration over the mini scanner

What makes this saving campaign special is the mini handheld scanner. It really brings the little shop to life. Children can scan the products, hear the familiar shop beeps and take part in a quiz with no fewer than 240 facts and jokes about the products. In this way, they discover through play why bananas are curved, that carrots used to be white, why astronauts love spinach and which type of coffee does not actually exist.

‘One big disappointment’

Imagine this: you’ve finally put the little shop and the miniatures together. But then the scanner doesn’t work. Even though that was precisely what made it so much fun! ‘The lights come on, but it doesn’t beep.’ Okay, panic. The children want to hear those fun shop sounds, but unfortunately they can’t. ‘The mini scanner doesn’t work half the time; the first few times we managed to get to the questions, they were much too difficult for the children. It’s extremely precise how you hold the scanner against the barcode, one big disappointment’, ‘I have two scanners, neither works—or only occasionally. I’ve already tried all the tips… fully charged….from left to right…really tried everything, but they still don’t work properly.’

So will it really become your children’s supermarket adventure? No, according to some parents, it’s more stress than fun.

Albert Heijn’s response

Albert Heijn has since responded. According to Maud Burgers, the supermarket’s spokesperson, the choice of cardboard folding kits was made to reduce plastic. And yes, it does require some extra dexterity. “That’s why there is a short step-by-step explanation with video on our website for all 40 miniatures. The egg carton is indeed a difficult one; if you have that one, the rest will probably be a piece of cake”, we read on RTL.

The exchange afternoons: a glimmer of hope amid the chaos

Did you manage to assemble the shelves, miniatures and scanner, but end up with duplicate items or missing something? Then there are Albert Heijn’s exchange afternoons. Children can trade their duplicate miniatures and complete their little shop. Albert Heijn is also organising a treasure hunt through the store, allowing children to earn their own supermarket manager diploma. Hopefully, that will be easier than folding the miniatures.

Also read:

• 10 gross things in the supermarket that you don’t want to know about as a customer
• Cottage cheese: how to use this protein-rich cheese in the kitchen in all kinds of ways
• Real life: Peggy never treats anyone. “Who’s getting the next round?” Well, not me

Image: Albert Heijn