What is the story behind Aldi and Trader Joe's?

Both companies would open stores in the United States, with Karl's Aldi Süd beginning American operations in 1976 and dropping the Süd, and Theo's Aldi Nord starting a few years later in 1979 as Trader Joe's, named after founder Joe Coulombe (it's still owned by a German family trust established by Theo Albrecht).

What is the connection between Trader Joe's and Aldi?

In fact, Aldi and Trader Joe's are both completely independently owned and operated. Aldi originated in the early 1900s as a solo standing German grocery store. Trader Joe's, on the other hand, was launched in the late 1970s in the United States.

Is Trader Joe's and Aldi owned by the same company?

That means Aldi does own Trader Joe's … but not the Aldi that Americans are familiar with. Aldi Nord owns Trader Joe's and Aldi Süd owns Aldi US.

Are the owners of Aldi and Trader Joe's brothers?

Nope! ALDI and Trader Joe's don't share the same parent company, have no joint ownership, and are independently operated. But, the two stores do share a common family heritage. The original ALDI (at the time, Albrecht Diskont) opened back in the early 1900s as a single German grocery store.

What does the Albrecht family own?

The family behind Aldi and Trader Joe's, the Albrechts, are well known as one of Europe's richest families. Aldi stores boasted global sales of over $30 billion in 2018 in Germany, while the U.K. has emerged as another massive market for Aldi at $12 billion in sales.

The Weird, But True Story Behind The Brothers Who Started Aldi

Who owns Aldi now?

Who Owns Aldi Süd Stores. Aldi Süd, known as Aldi in the United States, is formally owned by ALDI SÜD GmbH & Co. oHG. After Karl Albrecht passed away in 2014, ownership was passed to his two children, Beate Heister and Karl Albrecht Jr.

Why did the Aldi brothers split?

The brothers split the company in 1960, over a dispute about whether they should sell cigarettes. Karl believed they would attract shoplifters while his brother did not. At the time, they jointly owned 300 shops with a cash flow of DM90 million yearly.

What's the difference between Aldi and Trader Joe's?

Aldi is for customers looking for major savings and the absolute lowest grocery prices, and Trader Joe's is for customers willing to pay a premium for specialized products. Both chains use their private-label brands in pursuit of these distinct groups of shoppers.

Who is Trader Joe's brother?

Trader Joe's is a perfectly fine grocery store. But Aldi, its estranged brother, is great.

Is Aldi's meat horse meat?

Aldi said tests on random samples demonstrated that the withdrawn products contained between 30% and 100% horse meat. “This is completely unacceptable and like other affected companies, we feel angry and let down by our supplier. If the label says beef, our customers expect it to be beef.”

Does Walmart own Trader Joe's?

grocery chains aren't technically in cahoots. Aldi Nord owns Trader Joe's in the States, but the Aldi stores that you see in the States are run by Aldi Süd, which is separate from Trader Joe's. The chains are kind of like estranged cousins.

What does Aldi mean in German?

“Albrecht-Diskont,” meaning “Albrecht's Discount.” The name was eventually shortened to Aldi (Albrecht-Diskont) in 1962.

Why is Aldi closing?

Aldi cited both “repeated burglaries” and declining sales as its rationale for closing the store. “Out of concern for our employees and customers, keeping this store open was no longer a sustainable option,” the company said.

Is Aldi a German company?

ALDI History

In 1961, the Albrecht Family founded the world's first discount grocery store in Germany.

What grocery store is most like Trader Joe's?

Trader Joe's competitors include Whole Foods Market, Fairway Market, Walmart, Meijer and NatureBox.

Is Aldi produce cheaper than Trader Joe's?

"We test our products to meet or beat the national brands' quality," Kirkpatrick informed. While Trader Joe's also touts affordability, according to Business Insider, the majority of Trader Joe's products were found to be more expensive than ALDI.

Who makes Aldi's food?

You save $1.89! Rumor has it that ALDI's Millville brand is manufactured exclusively for the grocery chain by the big brand, General Mills.

Is Trader Joe's privately owned?

Trader Joe's is a privately held company.

How rich are the Aldi brothers?

What is known, however, is their net worth: $53.5 billion, according to Forbes. After World War II, brothers Theo and Karl Albrecht found their mother's corner grocery store in Germany still standing — so they ran with it, transforming Aldi into an international supermarket chain.

What makes Trader Joe's different?

The eclectic and retail-fan-favorite Trader Joe's is well-known to its loyalists for low prices on unique food items, ranging from cookie butter to salsas, cheeses and ready-to-eat packaged meals. The grocery store chain is also known for its quirky culture.

What is special about Aldi?

Aldi is known for its low prices and no-frills store design. One reason its prices are so low is that a majority of the groceries it carries are private-label. It also limits store sizes and hours, enforces a cart-rental system, and focuses on efficiency to lower labor costs.