‘I got $100! Yes!’: Customers rewarded for lining up early at the opening of Bluffton’s Aldi

Bundled up against a 40-degree chill, Chloe-Ann Bell of Bluffton was determined to snag the first spot in line at the opening of the new Aldi on Thursday morning.

She arrived at the Fording Island Road grocery store at 4 a.m. and took her place right outside the sliding doors.

Being among the first 100 customers had its perks. Each would be given a reusable bag filled with “Aldi Fan Favorites” products and a gift card. The cards were randomly either $10, $25 or $100 in value.

“I’m definitely looking forward to the goodie bag,” Bell said.

Soon, others filled in behind her: Among them were well-dressed couples, senior citizens leaning on shopping carts and mothers with young children eating donuts. Cars filled the parking lot in front of Aldi and spilled over into spots closer to Hobby Lobby at the other end of the shopping center.

Jacquie Egan of Bluffton, who owns Go! calendar, puzzle and games shop at Tanger Outlets 2, and Bette Vost of New York arrived at 7 a.m. but decided to wait a while in their vehicle because of the cold.

“What’s the difference if we are 32 or 69,” Vost told Egan.

“But what if 32 gets the golden ticket?” Egan replied, and they decided to get in line.

Egan said she shops at the Pooler location about once a month and likes the prices on organic eggs and milk. It would be Vost’s first time in an Aldi.

Coincidentally, when the numbers were handed out, Egan landed in spot 32. It felt like a good omen.

As the line snaked around the side of the building, Maria Gutierrez of Bluffton held on to her card with number 100 on it, the last of the customers to qualify for the giveaway, though not the last in line to shop.

Gutierrez called Aldi “affordable” and “very accessible” and said she was looking forward to being able to shop in the store regularly.

At 9 a.m., with a quick ribbon-cutting out of the way, customers streamed in the front doors.

Denise Huggins of Bluffton turned in her number and picked up her goodie bag. The first thing she did was open her gift card, followed by a yell and a happy dance.

Her voice rang out over the din of the other customers: “I got $100! Yes!”

If you go

What: Aldi of Bluffton

Address: 1131 Fording Island Road, Bluffton, S.C. 29910

Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily

Website: https://stores.aldi.us/sc/bluffton