10 Strange Facts about Aldi

Throughout Europe, Australia, and the United States, Aldi stores are known for their low prices on everyday items. Walking in and out once a week to pick up some pasta sauce and bakery items, your mind might wander—How does Aldi keep its prices so low? And what makes Aldi different from other grocery stores?

There are a lot of reasons for both of those questions, so here are 10 strange facts about Aldi to ponder over on your next grocery run.

Related: 10 Things We Only Know About Because of Whistleblowers

10 Most Stores Have the Same Layout

When shoppers are looking for an item at Aldi, there’s a good chance they’ll know exactly where to go, even if they’re not at their regular store. That’s because most Aldis are set up with the same general layout, allowing customers to be in and out in the quickest way possible.

This is in direct opposition to most grocery stores, which actually reorganize their layouts frequently in order to force shoppers to spend a longer time in the store. While you walk around looking for the apples you came to buy, you might end up seeing some cookies and walk out of the store with something you wouldn’t have if you’d known right where to go.^[1]

9 The Founders Were Cheap

Theo and Karl Albrecht founded Aldi on values they deeply believed: Stuff should be cheaper.

It’s no secret that Aldi is able to keep its prices so low thanks to its “no frills” style, which includes keeping items in shipping containers and saving money on employees with the quarter cart system. What is surprising is that the billionaire brothers who owned the company didn’t change a thing after they could have raised prices significantly.

Theo, in particular, was noted for his shabby way of dressing, which included cheap suits that didn’t fit him. His family described him as being obsessed with frugality, to the point where he collected pencil stubs so he would never have to buy one, and he only ate plain, simple meals.

One of the most famous stories of Theo’s economic precariousness is when, upon being shown a new store design, he said that the design was good, but the paper the design was on was too thick. “If you use thinner paper, we will save money.”^[2]

8 . It Didn’t Originally Sell Produce

Nowadays, Aldi is known for their great deals on fresh fruits and vegetables. But when Karl and Theo Albrecht took over their parents’ small store in 1946, they had some weird ideas.

Rather than keeping the spirit of the small corner store the family used to operate, Theo and Karl rushed to maximize profits by not selling any produce at all since whatever went bad would not be able to be sold. By selling only non-perishable items and quickly getting rid of anything that wasn’t popular, the brothers were able to expand the business to comprise nearly 300 stores in Germany by 1960.^[3]

7 Employees Must Wear Steel-Toed Shoes

Most grocery stores and restaurants require employees to wear non-slip shoes to avoid workplace accidents.

At Aldi, they take it one step further. All employees must wear steel-toed shoes. Unlike other stores, no one works just one position at Aldi. If you’re a cashier one day, you could be moving boxes and or operating machinery the next. Because of these hazards, Aldi’s employee dress code includes steel-toed shoes for safety reasons.

So, next time you get mad at your Ald cashier, go ahead and give them a stomp on the foot. It won’t hurt them! But it might get you banned.^[4]

6 They Only Stock 1400 Items on Average

Most grocery stores keep thousands of items on hand. Customers like to be able to choose between brands of the same product—name brand, cheaper, organic, etc.

Aldi doesn’t submit to this. On average, each Aldi store only keeps around 1,400 items in stock. This might sound like a lot, but compare that with the typical 40,000 items at traditional grocery stores and 100,000 at Walmarts.

Fewer items mean shoppers can get through the store quicker and more efficiently. If you want milk, you only have one brand option. Aldi offers much cheaper rates than other stores, which attracts many of its customers.

On the other hand, Aldi is much more likely to run out of basic items than other stores. Once they run out of something, there’s no more “in the back,” and you’re out of luck until the next shipment.^[5]

5 The Pronunciation Might Not Be What You Think

If you’re from Europe or Australia, this probably comes as no surprise to you. But for Canadians and Americans, prepare to have your mind blown: You’ve been pronouncing “Aldi” all wrong.

The way North Americans say “Aldi” is similar to “all-Dee,” like “All discounts.” Europeans and others say it was with a hard “a” sound, similar to the name “Albert.”

So which way is correct? Considering Aldi is a German company, it makes sense the Europeans have it right. Aldi is named after Karl and Theo Albrecht, the two brothers who founded the company. Because their last name is pronounced with the hard “a” sound, the shortened version of “Albrecht Discounts” should be said the same way.^[6]

4 Aldi Owns Trader Joe’s

Iconic tiki-themed grocery store Trader Joe’s is a staple of many Americans’ diets. With specialized products like Everything But the Bagel seasoning and Hold the Cone! Ice Cream, you can include one ingredient from the store in nearly every meal.

Though they are aesthetically very different, Aldi actually owns Trader Joe’s. Kind of. Aldi Nord, which does not operate in the United States, purchased Trader Joe’s from Joe Coulombe himself in 1979. So, while one branch of Aldi owns Trader Joe’s, it technically has nothing to do with the Aldi Americans know since they are two entirely separate companies.

Confusing? I know. But when you think about both chains, they do have a lot of similarities. Both boast low prices, fewer options, and healthy workplace environments.^[7]

3 The Stores Are Split Because of Cigarettes

Many people are aware that the entity known as Aldi is actually two separate companies, Aldi Sud and Aldi Nord (south and north in German). And if you didn’t know, well, now you do!

When Karl and Theo Albrecht took over their family’s grocery store in 1946, everything was great. But in 1960, the brothers had a fight over whether the store should sell cigarettes. Theo was for it, thinking that smokers would be influenced to buy all their food at Aldi if they could get cigarettes, too. Karl disagreed and thought that cigarettes would attract shoplifters and tarnish the reputation of the stores.

The only logical explanation was to divide up Germany, with Karl taking Aldi Nord in the north and Theo getting Aldi Sud in the south. As the stores became more popular, they expanded outside of their home country but kept the two separate companies.

Today, Aldi Sud and Nord still operate totally separately but are nearly identical, except for different logos. In case you’re wondering which one is in your hometown, Aldi Sud is in the U.S. and most of southern Europe, while Aldi Nord is in France, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.^[8]

2 They Have an “Aisle of Shame”

Aldi is generally known as a discount grocery store, but sometimes it can pack a few surprises.

These can be found in the stores’ “aisle of shame.” No, this isn’t the aisle where you can buy yourself an entire pint of ice cream to eat in one go. Found in the center of most Aldis, the aisle of shame (officiated the “Aldi Finds Aisle) features random items like houseware and bedding you wouldn’t go in to buy. You might be persuaded, though, based on the slashed prices or the convenience of only needing to visit one store for all your needs.

The aisle is ever-changing, and there’s no way to tell what’s coming next, what will sell out, or even what’s available at every store. A Facebook group has even been started for fans of Aldi to show off what their local store has. It’s gained a sort of cult following, with many saying that splurging on a special treat in this aisle keeps them looking forward to grocery shopping.

Because the rest of Aldi’s products are so cheap, the aisle of shame is actually quite lucrative, making up almost 20% of annual sales.^[9]

1 One of the Owners Got a Discount on His Own Ransom

Theo Albrecht was known for his frugality. Despite the extreme wealth afforded to him because of his family’s company, Theo was known to dress shabbily and spend money rarely. He dressed so badly, in fact, that when he was kidnapped for ransom in 1971, his kidnapper needed to check his ID to confirm he was truly the multimillionaire they wanted. Looking at his ill-fitting suit, you couldn’t tell.

When the ransom of seven million German marks was paid, and Theo was finally returned home, he revealed that the original ransom had actually been for much more. He convinced the criminals that his family would never pay that much, and he negotiated the price down to seven million.

Not only did he get a discount on his own ransom, but later that year, he claimed the money on his taxes. Now, there’s a true businessman.^[10]

fact checked by
Darci Heikkinen