Aldi’s roots trace back to 1913, when the mother of Karl and Theo Albrecht opened a small store in Schonnebeck, a suburb of Essen, Germany . The brothers took over their mother’s business at the end of World War II and soon opened another retail outlet in the area. By 1950, the Albrecht brothers operated 13 stores in the Ruhr valley.
The Aldi brand name was introduced by the brothers in 1962; two years after the pair divided the company following a dispute over the sale of cigarettes. Both groups have been financially and legally separate since 1966, but describe their relationship as a “friendly relation”.
Aldi expanded internationally in the 1970s and 1980s, with new outlets opening across Europe on a frequent basis, especially after German reunification. The brothers retired as CEOs in 1993 and gave most of their wealth to foundations and charities. However, they still remain Germany ‘s richest men, earning an estimated 1.5 billion Euros per year from their supermarket business.