Could Aldi’s supermarkets conquer America?
The European discount chain is the fastest-growing retailer across the Atlantic
Germans are famously stingy when shopping for food. No wonder that it was two German brothers, Theo and Karl Albrecht, who in the 1950s founded Aldi, the world’s first discount grocer. In 1961 they carved up the European market between Aldi Nord, led by Theo, and Aldi Süd, headed by Karl. But despite pioneering the business model, the two Aldis are having their lunch eaten in Europe by Lidl, a younger rival whose sales on the continent exceed their combined total.
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This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Coming to a strip mall near you”
Business March 23rd 2024
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