Owned by a German company called Albrecht Discounts, ALDI
is a discount grocery chain that started in Germany in 1948. Decidedly
no frills, the company stocks virtually all house-brand products, all
offered at very low prices thanks to exclusive deals with their
suppliers, many of which are big-name producers. ALDI has approximately
5,000 stores worldwide and the two Albrecht brothers, who own the
company, are some of the riches men in the world.
But getting back to ALDI's business strategy , does this sound like another store that we know of? The same strategy, although executed by the US staff and tailored to their customers' tastes, is the exact same one used by Trader Joe's.
Trader Joe's, although it may be based in Southern California, is actually owned by Albrecht Discounts. The company was purchased back in 1979, long before it hit the cultural mainstream. Since that time, it has been left to turn itself into a very trendy, upscale grocery store by following a similar business plan to ALDI. TJs has low prices and a lot of store-brand products, but a different image that appeals to a different group of consumers.