What Exactly Is An Aldi 'Golden Ticket'?

As loyal shoppers are well aware, it's generally quite rare to receive special coupons or promotions at Aldi, as the chain prefers to keep its prices low across the board, rather than in specific instances. This is why when Aldi diehards (Aldi is #7 on the list of America's favorite grocery stores) first hear about the golden tickets, a sense of intrigue begins to grow. However, what they soon find out is that if they're already shopping at a local Aldi store, it's unlikely they'll get their hands on one – the discount grocery store only hands out golden tickets to the first 100 customers at grand opening events.

In practice, the golden ticket promotion grants gift cards to the initial 100 customers to the store. The customers are first given a card that confirms they were one of the first 100 in line. When they enter the store, the card is exchanged for a gift card. As for the value of each card, a random draw dictates whether you are one of the 70 customers who receives a $10 gift card, the 20 who get a $25 gift card, or the 10 lucky golden ticket holders who are given a $100 gift card.

Aldi's most noteworthy promotion is primarily a way to celebrate the opening of a new store, but it also encourages customers to return to the new location and make it their primary grocery store. To do this, Aldi enforces a rule that doesn't allow anybody who lives more than 50 miles away from the store to take part in the golden ticket promotion, meaning people who are traveling with the sole purpose of receiving the golden ticket may be out of luck. The promotion also excludes employees and the immediate family members of employees from participating, to keep things as fair as possible.

While Aldi's golden ticket is typically reserved for grand openings of brand-new Aldi locations, the promotion does sometimes also take place at grand reopenings of stores that have undergone significant renovations. So, if you find yourself near an Aldi that's about to celebrate its opening (or reopening), try to get there early and see if you can get your hands on one of their golden tickets. If you do, we'd suggest waiting until the following Wednesday (the best day to shop at Aldi) to find out what the hype is about.