Lidl and Aldi are two of the biggest discount grocery chains in Europe. Both are headquartered in Germany, and both have been expanding rapidly in recent years. But despite their many similarities, the two companies are actually not related.
Lidl is owned by Schwarz Group, a privately-held company that also owns the Kaufland chain of hypermarkets. Aldi, on the other hand, is owned by two holding companies that are controlled by the brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht. Theo Albrecht also founded the Aldi Nord chain, which operates in northern Europe and includes the Trader Joe’s chain in the United States.
So while Lidl and Aldi may be similar in many ways, they are ultimately two very different companies.
