Aldi
, short for Albrecht Discount, is an international discount supermarket chain based in Germany.
History
In 1946, brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht took over a small store in a suburb of Essen, Germany, their mother had opened in 1913. Soon after they opened another retail outlet nearby and by 1950 owned 13 stores in the Ruhr Valley.
A priority for the Albrecht brothers was cost cutting: by the end of World War II, they had nearly perfected the philosophy of the “limited assortment” grocery store. The brothers did not advertise their business, did not sell fresh produce and kept their outlets small.
The brothers split the company in 1960s over a dispute about whether to sell cigarettes. By then, they had operated 300 shops and earned some DM 90 million per year. Two years after the split, which broke the chain into two legally and financially separate entities, they introduced the name Aldi. From then on, the Albrecht brothers’ business operated as Aldi Nord (Aldi North), which was known as Aldi Market, and Aldi Sud (Aldi South).
The companies continued to expand, Aldi Nord growing into 35 independent regional branches with about 2,500 stores, and Aldi Sud growing into 31 companies with 1,600 stores. In the 1970s and 80s, after the German reunification and the fall of Iron Curtain, Aldi expanded internationally, eventually operating some 8,210 individual stores worldwide. Both Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud operate markets mainly in Europe, but Aldi Sud also operates in the United States and Australia, among other locations.
In 1976, Aldi opened its first American store in Southeastern Iowa, continuing to use the Albrect philosophy: “When you buy a can of peas at Aldi, you’re paying almost entirely for the can of peas.” Aldi claims it saves customers money by leaving out the “army of stackers,” “piped-in music,” fancy display” and “gimmicks and games.”
In order to offer less expensive items, Aldi manufactures its products without the various factors — packaging, transportation, stocking, staff turnover and others — that tack pennies on to the final price consumers pay. To further reduce cost to the consumer, Aldi encourages customers to bring their own shopping bags, but also offers grocery bags for sale. To further reduce costs, Aldi’s shopping carts are available to rent for a quarter (deposit returned with the cart), thereby eliminating the need to pay an employee to recover carts. The store telephone numbers are unlisted to avoid needing an employee to answer the phone. Aldi’s labor costs are about 4 percent of store sales.
Aldi stores sell their own brand label foods, beverages and inexpensive household items, including electronics and appliances. It limits the number of outside brands it sells, usually to one or two per product, in order to increase sales and keep Aldi stores smaller than supermarkets that offer more diversity for a similar range of products. Aldi does not accept manufacturers’ coupons, although some stores in the U.S. experiment with a store coupon successfully.
Like some no frills, warehouse-style stores, Aldi does not decorate its aisles or fill all of its shelves. It offers pallets of its products, boxed in cardboard, which it places alongside aisles for customers to pick from.
The company maintained its policy of not advertising in Germany, with the exception of a weekly newsletter of special prices, because, it claims, the cost-saving measure can be passed down to consumers. In the U.S., Aldi advertises regularly through newspaper inserts and television commercials. Aldi is known to do its advertising in-house, so as not to spend money on an external advertising agency.
Although it had a reputation for being cheap and selling low-quality products, Aldi’s success hasn’t wavered. It continues to expand in Australia, England and the United States.
Stats
Headquarters: Batavia, Illinois
Number of Stores: 1,400 in the U.S., 8,500 worldwide
Number of Employees: 11,000
Annual Revenue: $68,700 million (U.S.)
Geography: Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States
(36 states from Kansas to the East Coast)
Demography: Bargain hunters and do-it-yourself shoppers
Subsidiaries: Combi, Hofer
Brands
Fit & Active
Grandessa Signature
Beaumont Coffees
Benner Tea Company
Summit Soft Drinks
Nature’s Nectar Juice
Lacura Skincare and Beauty Products
Tandil Laundry Detergent
Important Links
Corporate Home Page
Circular and Specials (U.S. only)
Jobs and Careers
Store Locations
Contact information
Online shopping – NA
where does your stone mill garlic come from
I have recently started shopping at Aldi’s to save money. Much to my surprise is the quality of your products! Off name brands doesn’t mean shortage of quality! Your marketing should be “Discover Aldi’s, You Will Be Pleasantly Surprised!”
P.S.
I work in marketing.
I am trying to find information about Beaumont decaf coffee, what is the process used for extracting caffeine, thanks
Me too!
I shopped at Aldi’s in Woodstock, GA before moving to Pensacola, FL. When will you open a store here?
I can’t seem to find anything online about where Aldi’s food is made? I’m beginning to get very suspicious. I don’t want anything that comes out of China. If it’s coming from anywhere overseas, that is a worry. It takes an average of 11 days for a cargo ship to sail from China to the United States and then it sits in Customs for an average of 4 days. Then it has to be distributed in the states which could take who knows how long. Which leads me to the question: How much preservative chemicals are they putting in their food to keep it fresh? Why can’t we find information as to where their food is made? All their packaging in the Illinois stores say “Distributed by Aldi’s, Batavia, IL”. I thought the law requires the manufacturing origin? What’s the big secret?
I bought a box of the little snack pack of peaches. I have used 2 out of the box, today I started to get out the 3rd one and looked on the package and it said a product of China. The third and fourth snack pack went into the trash.
I recently read where the country of origin is not shown on food if it is shipped to another area ie: country or state. I will more than likely have the place where final distribution is made.
Beverly, I don’t think that you ever shopped by Aldi, because al the fresh food is bought Localy, do you realy think that the eggs, the bread, vegetables and the meat etc. comes from China ????.
You want nothing out of China, not a tv , a mobile phone, the parts in your car, the parts in your fridge, in your dishwasser etc. this is realy laughable, very small minded, is america realy so good ??. lol
Aldi, follows the Europian standard and that is better then the American.the secret is they have contracts with local growers, but they don’t want to tell who they are, that is normal bussiness, ask your Kmarkt, walmarkt etc, who the makers are, they give you then name and address, so you can visite that company and check the products ??, ha ha lol , no brains.
Thank you Anton for your post
If you don’t like it people don’t buy it jeeeeez !!!
Anton, many people are aware of China’s low human rights standards. Is it possible they don’t want to support those standards? Not wanting to purchase products from China may not be all about quality, but, rather, child labor and sweatshops. Chech your own small minded ness!
Marty are you aware the low wages keeps a family alive in China. Why is it that people like you will never understandread human rights, child labor, sweat shop & those labels just roll out of your mouth. The family in China is benifiting from your purchase. Your actually helping a family survive. What you think is making your point & standing up for your belief obviously you never had to live in poverty… I’m not speaking of American’s version of the word with Govt makes it easier! The cheap labor, feeds a family & child labor, the kids know they have to help. I know this, lived this & I thought it was what everybody did. You’re not the voice of humanity, get over yourself
My husband took my granddaughter shopping for ice-cream at Aldi yesterday. In puchasing grocies( nolonger just Ice-cream) for the home that care for 2 grandchildren( full-time ) the $50 cash was spent more wisely than at any other grocier in the area. But when the package or two( which was the limit) of strawberries were brought out after being washed, they were delelicious!
Now we need to return today for 2 more( and it was yesterday the purshase was made), ok hopefully 4 since we are all going and can make 2 purshases!!
MY WIFE AND I SHOP WEEKLY AT ALDI STORE IN HURST TEXAS. WE LOVE THE SPECIALTY ITEMS SUCH AS GERMAN CANDY AND MAPLE LEAF COOKIES. I WISHED ALL STORES WOULD CHARGE FOR THEIR FOOD CARTS AS THE PARKING LOT LOOKS NEATER AND PEOPLE I FIND SOMETIMES SWAP THE QUARTER FOR THE CART AT ONES OWN CAR INSTEAD OF HAVING TO RETURN IT.
we buy canned goods at aldi every month but last month we bought whole green beans an they were so full oh stema that we gave them away we buy 2 cases every 2 months the freanc cut green beans are great but the whole cut cans are worthless you need to get another canner im not the only person who have had the same problum up seal on one can 041498120511 happy harvest best date by dec 2014
I shop at the Aldi Store in Watertown, Wis I love it, I see many people shoping there and saving money. The store does very well here. Since you keep expanding all the time here in the Mid West, might you consider putting a Warehouse Distribution center here in Watertown? Bill
We would like to put our Cafe 125 in Aldi stores in Illinois. We submitted a few samples. We are hoping for a "yes."