Hundreds of UK shoppers queue to buy YouTubers’ viral Prime energy drink

Hundreds of people across the UK queued on Thursday morning (29 December) to buy viral energy drink Prime, after it was made available at Aldi supermarkets.

Queues appear to be made up of teenagers accompanied by their parents, waiting for the Aldi stores to open.

Videos have surfaced on social media showing crowds of frenzied people pushing each other to get the last remaining bottles of stock.

Sussex Live reported that Crawley’s Aldi sold out of the drink in less than 30 minutes after the store opened at 8am on Thursday morning (29 December). By 8.50am, Aldi’s management displayed signs outside the store informing customers that all Prime stock had been sold out.

The beverage brand, Prime Hydration, was founded by YouTube stars KSI and Logan Paul.

KSI, a musician and part of the YouTube group The Sidemen, has more than 24 million subscribers internationally. Paul, who is a US-based YouTube star, who has more than 23 million subscribers.

Prime arrived in US stores in 2022, but the drink landed on Aldi supermarket shelves on Thursday 29 December, priced at ￡1.99 per bottle.

Aldi has been limiting the purchase of the drink to one of each flavour per person to ensure “as many people as possible get the opportunity to buy the drink”.

Bottles are now trading hands for more than the ￡1.99 retail price, with one Twitter user revealing that a local corner shop was selling the drink for ￡24.99 per bottle.

The drink is sold in different flavours including Blue Raspberry, Grape, Orange, Tropical Punch and Lemon Lime.

Prime’s official website describes it as a “naturally flavoured” beverage containing 10 per cent coconut water, antioxidants and electrolytes.