ALDI makes a millennial-friendly move

By Gina Acosta – 11/06/2017

ALDI is making a move for more millennial shoppers by teaming up with Venmo to donate 1 million meals to families in need this holiday season.

By using a custom-designed Friendsgiving emoji on Venmo this November, ALDI shoppers can instantly add a new tradition of giving to their holiday celebrations. With the help of Venmo, every time friends share the Turkey Hand Friendsgiving emoji in a Venmo payment note, ALDI will donate 10 meals to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

In a 2017 survey, LendEDU found that 68% of millennials said they use Venmo most often for payments.

“It feels good to give back, especially during the holidays,” said ALDI spokesperson Liz Ruggles. “Teaming up with Venmo makes it easy. By simply using the Turkey Hand emoji, people can help ALDI give meals while planning Friendsgiving meals of their own.”

The program marks the first time Venmo has created a custom emoji with a partner. The Turkey Hand, inspired by the popular childhood craft project, symbolizes the spirit of giving.

“Delicious food is key to Friendsgiving, but the centerpiece is the people,” said Venmo spokesperson Josh Criscoe. “By creating the first-ever Friendsgiving emoji and teaming up with ALDI, Venmo is happy to help feed hungry families in America while celebrating the season with friends and family.”

When Venmo users include the Turkey Hand emoji in transactions by selecting the icon from the emoji picker or typing ‘Friendsgiving’ to autocomplete, ALDI will donate up to 1 million meals to Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks. ALDI is a Leadership Partner of Feeding America and has supported its mission to help Americans facing hunger for several years, through contributions, employee volunteerism and food donations.

“As friends and family gather around the dinner table this November, they can also help provide nutritious food to people in need,” said Andy Wilson, Chief Development Officer at Feeding America. “We’re proud to work with ALDI and Venmo to raise awareness and engagement in hunger relief.”

ALDI operates nearly 1,700 U.S. stores in 35 states.