Since arriving in Australia two decades ago, German discount supermarket Aldi has built a reputation for surprising its customers with jaw-dropping deals on items they never knew they needed.

Aldi’s so-called ‘aisle of dreams’ (the middle section of the supermarket) has become known as a place where shoppers can find everything from toasters to turntables at prices that are hard to turn down.

With Black Friday behind us, Christmas shoppers are entering the home stretch, and one item in Aldi’s pre-Christmas ‘special buys’ has garnered a lot of attention: the Cell Ultimo Electric Bike.

E-bikes have been growing in popularity over the past few years, as commuters look for ways to curb their car use and dodge inner-city traffic congestion.

• Read more: Rise of illegal electric bikes could be adding risk to food delivery services

One problem, however, is that e-bikes are not yet affordable enough for everyone to hop on board, with an entry-level model likely to set you back around $1500.

So at $999, Aldi’s e-bike is an encouraging sign that this increasingly popular form of transport is set to get cheaper and more accessible.

Positive reviews have already begun rolling in, with tech commentator Peter Wells describing it as “a fantastic cruiser, ideal for shorter commutes and quick trips to the shops”.

As is the case with Aldi’s most sought-after ‘special buys’, shoppers looking to get their hands on one of the e-bikes will need to be quick when they go on sale on Saturday.

For those looking to keep their Christmas shopping budget under the national average of $686, however, there are other bargains to be had, including two offerings from cult vacuum cleaner brand Dyson – the ‘Big ball vacuum’ and ‘V7 Motorhead Origin Cordless Vacuum’, both set to go on sale at $399.

Retro tech

Tech products that take inspiration from the past are an intriguing feature of Saturday’s round of ‘special buys’.

For $69.99 shoppers can purchase a retro ‘turntable with briefcase’ that features two built-in speakers, and vinyl to USB or microSD recording.

A ‘briefcase with turntable’ features in this round of ‘special buys’. Photo: Aldi

For nostalgic music fans who prefer a more traditional set-up, there’s a $99 turntable and speaker set, and even a set of Christmas records for $14.99.

Film buffs looking to channel John Cusack will enjoy the retro ’80s boombox, updated for the 21st century with Bluetooth of course.

If you’re looking for something a little more contemporary, though, there’s also a 50″ 4K Ultra HD TV for $379.