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Lindt Creates Gold Bunny Getaway, Holds Sweepstakes

In celebration of Easter, Lindt & Sprüngli (USA) Inc. has unveiled its first Gold Bunny-inspired property rental, coined the Lindt Gold Bunny Getaway.

A once-in-a-lifetime experience, Lindt is inviting chocolate fans to enter for a chance to stay at the getaway, a festively decked out seaside home in Carlsbad, California, curated with bunny-themed and gold decor; stocked with all the ear-resistibly delicious Lindt chocolate you need to celebrate the season.

The Lindt Gold Bunny was lovingly crafted more than 70 years ago on Easter when a little girl spotted a bunny in the grass during an Easter brunch before it hopped away. Heartbroken, her father, a Lindt master chocolatier, crafted a chocolate bunny to cheer her up – and from there, the tradition of searching for and finding a Lindt Gold Bunny on Easter was born.

Today, the Gold Bunny has become a true Easter icon, a tradition that’s passed down from generation to generation. It features Lindt’s finest chocolate wrapped in gold foil with a distinct red ribbon and represents the sweet memories of childhood.

New to the lineup this year are two new filled Gold Bunny varieties: Double Milk and Crispy Hazelnuts. Available in individually wrapped filled pieces in a bag, this playful new format is ideal for livening up your egg hunts as the pieces fit inside a plastic egg. With chocolate known for its irresistible taste, smoothness, and creamy texture, Lindt proves once again that there is no magical Easter without Gold Bunny.

“Easter is a moment for families and friends to not only share traditions, but create new memories centered around special moments,” said Ann Czaja, Lindt maître chocolatier. “Our chocolate Gold Bunny perfectly symbolizes that and with the Lindt Gold Bunny Getaway, we hope to make those memories and traditions even sweeter for one lucky family.”

The beachside rental will be open for one weekend only: Easter weekend, March 29-31. Sweepstakes entries for the exclusive experience will be accepted through March 12 at 11:59 p.m. ET, with the winner announced March 13. For full details on the prize package, including a $1,500 cash prize to go toward travel costs, hop on over to LindtGOLDBUNNYGetaway.com to learn more and enter for a chance to win today.

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ALDI to Add 800 Stores, Completes Acquisition of Southeastern Grocers

ALDI will add 800 stores nationwide by the end of 2028 through a combination of openings and store conversions. This five-year expansion plan will bring even more communities great products at the lowest possible prices during a time when consumers are more focused than ever on saving money. 

As a key part of its plans, ALDI also has completed its acquisition of Southeastern Grocers and its Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket banners, which will drive significant growth in the Southeast region over the next few years.

“Our growth is fueled by our customers, and they are asking for more ALDI stores in their neighborhoods nationwide,” said Jason Hart, CEO, ALDI. “With up to 40 percent savings on groceries, new customers are inspired to try us out, and existing customers keep coming back.

“While price is important, we earn their loyalty by stocking our shelves with only the best products and offering a quicker, easier, and more enjoyable shopping experience,” he said. 

“With this commitment to add 800 stores in the next five years, we’ll be where our shoppers need us while positively impacting the communities we serve.”

ALDI will invest more than $9 billion over the next five years on its national expansion, adding locations across the country. As part of its growth trajectory, ALDI will strengthen its already strong presence in the Northeast and Midwest, adding nearly 330 stores across both regions by the end of 2028.

ALDI will also grow its presence in the West by adding more stores in Southern California and Phoenix – and by entering new cities, such as Las Vegas.

“For more than a decade, ALDI has added hundreds of stores per year across the country,” Hart said. “This success would not be possible without our dedicated team members and supplier partners that bring our customers value and convenience every day. With our growth comes exciting opportunities for our teams and suppliers to grow with us.”

In the Southeast, the acquisition of Southeastern Grocers and its Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket banners support ALDI expansion in a key region. In addition to organic growth through store openings, a significant number of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets will convert to the ALDI format over the next several years. 

Starting mid-summer, ALDI will begin a phased approach to the store conversion process. ALDI anticipates that approximately 50 stores will begin the conversion process during the latter half of 2024, with the majority of these stores reopening as ALDI in 2025. 

As announced last August, ALDI intends for a meaningful amount of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets to continue to operate under their current banners. Both ALDI and Southeastern Grocers are committed to a seamless transition and continuing to deliver excellent value and customer service to their shoppers.

“With a long history of serving the Southeast, our steadfast commitment to helping our customers stretch their hard-earned dollars has remained a constant priority,” said Anthony Hucker, president and CEO, Southeastern Grocers. “As we begin this next chapter, we will continue to deliver the quality, service and value our customers have come to expect from us.”

“With the acquisition of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets, ALDI will serve even more communities in the Southeast, bringing us closer to our customers in a region where we’ve already experienced significant demand for affordable, quality groceries,” said Hart. “As we look ahead to this next chapter in our company history, both the ALDI and SEG teams will play a critical role in driving the business forward for our future collective success.”

As ALDI expands its footprint with new and converted store locations, customers can expect the same experience that keeps millions of customers shopping its aisles every month. With easy-to-shop stores that get customers in and out, shelves stocked only with the best products at even better prices, and seasonal ALDI Finds that take grocery shopping from errand to adventure, the company continues to earn the loyalty of new customers with every community it enters.

Throughout the expansion, ALDI remains committed to making a positive impact on communities and ensuring its environmental footprint doesn’t grow with it. As part of its growth, the company will build and remodel stores with sustainable features such as energy-efficient LED lighting, environmentally friendly refrigeration systems, rooftop solar systems and more.

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Bubbies Kosher Dill Pickle Popsicles Perk Up Summer

What’s a summer snack that will impress guests at a party, wow on social media, taste great and hydrate during the dog days of summer? Pickle popsicles.
Bubbies Fine Foods – the fermented and pickle queen – has developed a summer sun-sational two-ingredient popsicle recipe. The recipe can be zhuzhed up for adults with your favorite hot sauce, spices (we like turmeric and garlic powder,) and even spirits like tequila and vodka.
You’ll find this surprisingly tasty and a must-try for pickle lovers. Bubbies test kitchen chefs created this based on the fact that people swig cold, refreshing pickle brine juice straight from the jar – especially in summer and post-workout!

Bubbies Dill Pickle Popsicles

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced Bubbies Kosher Dill Pickles (approximately 4 medium sized pickles)
1 cup Bubbies Kosher Dill Pickle juice

Optional flavors:

1 tsp of your favorite hot sauce
Dash of black pepper
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of turmeric

Other fun additions:

Dried or fresh dill
Dried ground mustard
Honey or agave syrup, for a mild sweetness*
Spirits, such as vodka or tequila*

Instructions:

Slice the dill pickles and add them to a blender (or food processor). Add the dill pickle brine, hot sauce and spices.

Set your blender to liquefy, and blend until pickles are broken up, and the consistency of the mix is similar to a smoothie. Pour into your popsicle molds, and freeze for 6 hours or overnight. 

Pop those pops out, and enjoy!

* adding a small amount of alcohol or sugar will soften the popsicles if you find them too hard.

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