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Chaos broke out in Aldi stores across the UK this morning as parents were seen fighting with children to try and buy a £1.99 energy drink made by two YouTube influencers.
The Prime bottles – fronted by viral social media boxers and influencers KSI and Logan Paul – can cost as much as £20 online, with eBay at one point listing one for £50,000.
When Aldi announced it would be flogging them for as little as £1.99 it was inevitable demand would go through the roof.
Scenes of pandemonium exploded in some stores today, with children captured on video climbing over the aisles in one shop to try and get them. In some stores the drink sold out within three minutes.
One mother told MailOnline her son had a bottle stolen out of his hand by an elderly pensioner while another father said: ‘People who were in the queue first were pushed and shoved out the way when the doors opened. People losing their minds – my kids were pushed by grown adults over a drink.’
Some youngsters were seen climbing over the aisles as they battled to try and get the drink
It sparked scuffles and ugly scenes in store as children and adults alike scrambled for them
Lengthy queues were seen forming from 6am as adults lined up with their children to get some
Lengthy queues were seen forming from 6am with footage inside the shops showing adults tussling with children to try and get their hands on them.
Commenting on one of the videos, KSI denied they were making too little of the drinks in order to increase hype.
He tweeted: ‘We’re not even trying to do that. We’re making loads of prime daily, the demand is literally too high man.’
When it was launched Prime was shipped in from the US to be sold.
But now it is also reportedly made with the help of Refresco in the UK, which also produces Old Jamaica and Calypso.
The drink is fronted by the two YouTubers but according to bottles in the UK the company here is actually owned by US firm Congo Brands.
That business is run by US businessmen Trey Steiger and Max Clemons.
Today Aldi – which is Britain’s cheapest supermarket – had limited customers to one bottle of each flavour per person but people were seen attempting to grab more.
Student Kristina Sheppard, 19, captured a brief video from her local store in Sydenham, East London, as customers battled it out to get their hands on the limited edition drink.
She said adults were ‘pushing children’ and people were walking out with crates of the drink, which Aldi is selling for knockdown price of £1.99.
Kristina, a PE and Sports Exercise Science student said: ‘I got there at around 7.45am and I took the video at 8.04am.
KSI today denied they were making the product scarce to increase its hype and desirability
Kristina Sheppard with her two bottles of Prime energy drink after witnessing instore chaos
There were troubling scenes in some of Aldi’s branches as the scrum to get the drink erupted
Aldi – which is Britain’s cheapest supermarket – had limited customers to one bottle of each flavour per person but people were seen attempting to grab more.
Stampede at Aldi for the Prime energy drink, which is made by two famous YouTubers
‘It was just hectic. I didn’t push anyone, but there was a lot of pushing and shoving going on.
‘I thought there was a limit of one bottle per flavour, but I saw people getting cases of them.
‘There were parents pushing children. There were kids between the ages of 7 and 14, they were being pushed out of the way.
‘One of the staff was shouting ‘parents, stop pushing the kids’. It was absolute carnage.
‘I just got my bottles and left, I didn’t want to stick around much longer.’
Another mother – who had previously tried to get them at Asda – said her effort to get to Aldi early had been worth it.
She told MailOnline: ‘After many, many mornings at Asda before 6am with no luck we finally got lucky at Aldi.
‘Only because of the manager and the way he did it.
‘When the doors opened everyone ran in pushing and shoving.
‘He shouted “there won’t be none of that, if you want the Prime drinks then form two queues, they are behind the tills and there will be strictly three per customer”.’
The manager told them the tills had been programmed not to let more than three bottles through.
The shopper added: They went on sale at 8am and they were sold out completely at 8.05am.
‘Half the queue was left disappointed, they must not have got many in really, I would estimate about 40 to 50 people max were successful.
‘I’m just glad we got there early.
‘I thought we would be the only ones there as it was 7.15am pitch black before sunrise, but as we rounded the corner to Aldi there was already a dozen teenage boys waiting.’
Another lucky mother told Mailonline she had seen children crying after they had missed out.
She added: We were at Aldi for 8am this morning in Studley – by 8.05am the shelf had been cleared.
‘Asda are causing lots of problems with prime with low stock levels, adults are swiping the shelves in Asda to re-sell for ridiculous prices on eBay.
‘No one knows what flavours Asda will have or what time they re-stock, they have also put no limits on how many each customer can buy.
‘We were in Asda later this morning and saw children crying as there was no Prime on Asda shelves and none left at Aldi.’
There was success for some in Fareham as the Porthester Aldi appeared to have enough for those queuing – reportedly clad in their pyjamas and slippers.
Hundreds of customers in Gravesend, Kent were packed shoulder-to-shoulder as they filed through one store to get hold of a bottle of the sought-after drink.
Bottles of Prime sold in the UK show this unassuming Amsterdam building as its address
Adam Smith took his son Charlie to Aldi this morning and managed to get three bottles of Prime
Thousands of customers have been left disappointed after Aldi stores across the country sold out
Pandemonium seen in some of the Aldi stores in footage posted online by stunned shoppers
The blurry video captured the chaos inside the stores once the drinks went on sale today
This Aldi store was extremely busy with customers desperate to get their hands on the drink
The Prime drinks – which can cost £20 online – was up for sale instore for £1.99 this morning
And there were large queues at the Aldi branch near the O2 Arena at North Greenwich in South East London.
While in Stapleford, Notts shoppers started queuing from 7am to get their hands on the product.
Adam Smith, 36, was one of them and calmly managed to get some before they quickly sold out.
He said: ‘Every child is obsessed with this Prime Hydration drink so my son insisted that we got up this morning before Aldi opened at 8am because they are stocking it.
‘We joined the queue at 7:20 and it was carnage but there wasn’t enough for everyone.
‘At least half the queue was disappointed and there were three per customer.. It’s absolutely insane for a drink.
‘We managed to get three as there were different flavours. They had them up the front near the checkouts and apparently, it’s a one-hit-wonder that they will not be restocking.
‘Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Each store was limited to a certain amount and that’s it.
‘There were about fifty people in front of us with at least a hundred behind us.’
The drinks are so popular due to the fame of the two figures behind the beverage.
KSI has a huge 24 million YouTube subscribers, while Logan Paul has 23.6 million.
On social media one shopper was critical of the queues.
He said: ‘I’m sorry, but really all of this over a drink, there are for more important things in life than a celebrity drink.’
Another person simply added: ‘Absolutely crazy.’
On the Isle of Wight, stock sold out within three minutes of the store opening.
Sam Ford tweeted: ‘Aldi on the Isle of Wight was sold out within three minutes of opening. Nothing but Prime at the checkouts.’
As is the case with all of Aldi’s Specialbuy products, once the stock in store has sold out, it will not be replenished.
A spokesperson for the supermarket said: ‘Aldi has primed its shelves to stock the latest internet sensation, Prime Hydration Drink.
‘The viral hydration drink created by two popular YouTube stars, KSI and Logan Paul, is available to buy for just £1.99 in Aldi stores nationwide on December 29.
‘The drink will be a Specialbuy – and as with all Specialbuys, once they’re gone, they’re gone!
‘The supermarket is expecting high demand so a purchase limit of one of each variant per customer has been set to ensure as many people as possible get the opportunity to buy the product.
‘The drink, which is 10 per cent coconut water, contains electrolytes and B vitamins and BCAAs, has zero sugar and around 20 calories per bottle.
‘Aldi shoppers can choose from three different flavours: Blue Raspberry, Lemon and Lime, and Ice Pop.
‘Prime Hydration Drink lands in Aldi stores on 29th December – but is only available while stocks last.’
The viral hydration drink created by two popular YouTube stars, KSI and Logan Paul
Logan Paul (right) and KSI (left) exchange punches their pro debut cruiserweight fight at Staples Center on November 9, 2019
Energy drink created by millionaire YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI sparks frenzy among young people leading to a spate of muggings and thefts amid huge demand
A sports drink created by a pair of YouTube stars has become a phenomenon amongst youngsters, leading to a spate of muggings and thefts.
Children as young as 10 have been threatened in playgrounds and punched in order to force them to hand over bottles of Prime.
Unlike many child vices, from smoking behind the bike sheds to passing around a bottle of cider, Prime is entirely harmless, given it is mainly water with added vitamins and minerals.
Such is demand that youngsters are pestering parents to travel long distances to get their hands on the drink, with some touring hundreds of miles during fruitless hunts.
Logan Paul, who has become a multimillion on the back of his YouTube fame, has promoted the drink
A 17-year-old was arrested in Ashford, Kent, for attempting to shoplift a case of the drinks from an Asda store.
KSI and Logan Paul, who have become multimillionaires on the back of their YouTube fame, have promoted the drink around high profile celebrity boxing bouts in the UK.
Demand for the drinks is massively outpacing supply as youngsters try to emulate their social media heroes.
Currently, Prime is only sold though Asda outlets in the UK, however, sales have been so strong that the supermarket has been rationing purchases to no more than three per customer.
Such is the demand that youngsters who manage to get their hands on a bottle are being bullied, mugged and robbed.
One worried parent said: ‘A mum I know sent her 10 year old off to the park on Sunday to let off some steam.
‘A small group of teenagers – two boys and a girl – were hanging about in the park and told him to give them his drink. He refused and he was punched in the face and obviously left very upset and traumatised.
‘Kids are getting bullied into handing them over at school too. I think they are becoming social currency amongst kids and unfortunately that can also bring violence.’
Fellow YouTuber KSI has also been promoting the drink around boxing events in the UK
The hype around the drink has been fuelled by the fact some people have been advertising bottles on eBay and social media at vastly inflated prices
The hype around the drink has been fuelled by the fact some people have been advertising bottles on eBay and social media at vastly inflated prices.
The official list price for a 500ml bottle is £2, however sellers are asking anything from £7 to £19.99 on eBay. Bizarrely, one seller even quoted an ambitious £50,000.
On Teeside a group of teens, who had been queuing from 6am, rushed a branch of Asda and cleared the shelves.
Unlike sports energy drinks, Prime does not contain any caffeine and, in fact, is largely water with added vitamins and minerals designed to boost exercise performance.
As a result, it is a harmless – even healthy alternative – to the high caffeine energy drinks popular with youngsters.
The drink’s ingredients mean it is a far better option than high caffeine drinks, such as Red Bull and Monster, which have been linked to dangerous and reckless behaviour, poor school performance and a lack of concentration in lessons.
Prime comes in a range of fruity flavours, including Lemon Lime, Tropical Punch, Ice Pop and Blue Raspberry, and the ingredients are typical of many other sports and nutrition drinks used by athletes.
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