Could Aldi’s supermarkets conquer America?

Germans arejLL 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.Aldi Süd, in particular, thinks it can get its own back across the Atlantic. According to , a property consultancy, it has been opening around 100 shops a year in America, faster than any other retailer—including Lidl and Aldi Nord (which owns Trader Joe’s supermarkets but does not run Aldi shops there).