Aldi

Aldi (German pronunciation: [ˈaldiː] ^ⓘ, stylized in all caps) is the common company brand name of two German multinational family-owned discount supermarket chains operating over 13,500 stores in 18 countries. The chain was founded by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946, when they took over their mother's store in Essen. The business was split into two separate groups in 1960 that later became Aldi Nord (initially Northern West Germany), headquartered in Essen, and Aldi Süd (initially Southern West Germany), headquartered in neighbouring Mülheim.

In 1962, they introduced the name Aldi (a syllabic abbreviation for "Albrecht Diskont"). In Germany, Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd have been financially and legally separate since 1966, although both divisions' names may appear as if they were a single enterprise with certain store brands or when negotiating with contractor companies.

Aldi is the chief competitor of the German discount chain Lidl in several markets.