Aldi, short for Albrecht Discount, is a German discount supermarket chain founded by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946 when they took over their mother’s store in Essen. It is one of the world’s largest privately owned companies, with over 10,000 stores in 20 countries, and revenues of more than €50 billion.
Aldi’s German operations consist of Aldi Nord, headquartered in Essen, and Aldi Süd, headquartered in Mülheim. Both operate independently from each other and do not share any board members.
Aldi Nord owns Trader Joe’s in the United States, and Aldi Süd owns the UK-based chain Lidl.
The company has its origins in a grocery shop opened by Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946 in a suburb of Essen. The Albrecht brothers took over their mother’s business after she died in 1948.
Originally, they focused on selling only food items but eventually expanded into other areas such as electronics and clothing.
Aldi opened its first distribution center in 1968 and now has over 100 distribution centers worldwide. The company has been expanding rapidly in recent years, with plans to open 2,500 new stores by 2020.
Aldi currently has 100 distribution centers worldwide, with plans to open 2,500 new stores by 2020.
