I've noticed a frustrating trend with batteries for power tools at my local shops. It seems like they arrive in stores and are sold out almost instantly. However, if you check online, there are plenty available—but for double the price, which I'm not willing to pay. Stores seem to have introduced a system where you take a ticket to the register for these batteries, but they still run out quickly. I've tried even the larger stores nearby, and the situation remains the same. I'm wondering what's really going on here.
Here are my thoughts:
1. Are they not receiving enough batteries for stores to begin with, using them as a marketing ploy instead?
2. Or is it possible that staff are keeping them for themselves to sell online? (I find this the least likely.)
3. My strongest suspicion is that online sellers are buying up stocks in bulk as soon as they arrive, which is really frustrating. I'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts on this.
3 Answers
At my local shops, I’ve found that whenever batteries are delivered, they just get snatched up. It’s like you need to ask the staff for any batteries, as they often aren’t out on the shelves for long!
From what I've seen, places like Lidl hardly ever have batteries in stock, but Kaufland seems to have them regularly, just usually the lower capacity types. It's definitely true that scalpers buy them up quickly and resell for a profit on sites like eBay.
You should definitely reach out to Lidl. After I emailed them about this, I started noticing batteries showing up at my local store consistently. For the last couple of months, they’ve had a decent supply of 12v batteries for a good price, but no tools to go with them, so they still sit on the shelves.