Free stuff, gift cards available at Florida Aldi grand opening

• Aldi is opening a new store in Vero Beach, with giveaways for the first 200 shoppers.
• The first 200 shoppers at each grand opening will receive goody bags and a gift card worth up to $100.
• The discount grocer is rapidly expanding in Florida as part of a plan to open over 180 new stores this year nationwide.

Want free stuff and gift cards from no-frills grocery chain Aldi? Get there early ot the grand opening of the newest location in Vero Beach on Thursday, March 19.

The first 200 shoppers in line at each grand opening will receive goody bags of ALDI-exclusive products and a "Golden Ticket" that could be worth up to $100. Shoppers will also get Aldi tote bags, while supplies last. Doors open at 9 a.m. after a ribbon-cutting.

Want a sneak peek? You can check out the store a day early on Wednesday, but you'll need to be at the grand opening for the giveaways.

Aldi is opening two more stores in April, in Boca Raton and Fernandina Beach.

Aldi expanding fast in Florida

The discount chain famous for low prices and a lack of grocery store standards such as a deli, a bakery, a pharmacy, or even overhead music already this year opened stores in Cape Coral, Deerfield Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Port Orange, Pensacola, Fort Myers, Neptune Beach, Tampa, and two in Jacksonville, all part of the chain's plan to open more than 180 new stores nationwide in 2026 and hit 3,200 stores by the end of 2028.

Aldi opened more than 60 new and converted stores in Florida last year. The company also plans to expand its distribution center in Haines City and build a new one in Baldwin, projected for a 2027 opening.

Where are new Aldi stores coming to Florida?

The next Florida Aldi store openings are:

• March 19:
  • Vero Beach: 2950 9th Street Southwest, ribbon cutting at 8:30 a.m.
• April 2:
  • Boca Raton: 7024 Beracasa Way
  • Fernadina Beach: 947 Amelia Plaza

The company said it plans to continue converting the nearly 80 Winn-Dixie and Harvey's Supermarket locations it retained after briefly acquiring the company in 2024-2025, with nearly 20 more in progress around the state, according to local media and filings.

Aldi grand openings offer free stuff

At every Aldi grand opening, the first 200 people in line will receive a gift bag of Aldi-exclusive products and a gift card for $10, $25 or $100 as part of the discount grocer's Golden Ticket program.

All shoppers can get a free Aldi shopping tote while supplies last. Look for an Aldi employee and ask.

Other grocery store chains expand in Florida

Meanwhile, The Winn-Dixie Company has plans to increase its focus on Florida, where the chain that became Winn-Dixie was founded in Miami in 1925. 

Sprouts Farmers Market opened new locations in Daytona Beach and Clermont in March, with more locations coming soon.

Publix continues to open new and renovated stores with its new, more shopper-friendly designs and amenities. A rebuilt St. Petersburg store is opening Thursday, a week after a redesigned Publix reopened in Clearwater. A Publix in Spring Hill is scheduled to open in April.

Trader Joe's, a more upscale grocery destination, opened a location in Daytona Beach in November and another in Melbourne on Dec. 3.

Where can I find an Aldi near me in Florida?

There are nearly 300 Aldi locations in Florida. You can find the list at stores.aldi.us/fl.

C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.