where did aldi originate

Aldi originated in Essen, Germany, where the Albrecht family opened a small grocery store in 1913. The business was founded by Karl and Theo Albrecht, who took over their mother's store after World War II in 1946 and expanded it into the Aldi discount supermarket chain. The name Aldi is a short form of "Albrecht Discount." The brothers split the business into Aldi Nord (North) and Aldi Süd (South) in 1960. Aldi started as a no-frills store model focused on low prices and affordability, growing from a single shop into a major international discount supermarket chain.