Did you know there are two Aldi’s?

[BeardySchnauzer]

Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud

originally started by brothers who fell out over selling tobacco. Rather than following the puma/adidas nuclear route they split the company and still share branding/own products etc.

I believe the UK Aldi is Sud and the French Aldi is Nord as they agreed not to compete in international markets

a lesson to all siblings who fall out I suppose!

Yes.

Where I am, the Lidl is superior except for beer. However Lidl is superior on wine and spirits.

Yes I knew, my best friend is married to a German who hails from the same neck of the woods as the brothers.

Yes. I live in Germany though.

That explains the separate logos!!

Come to Ireland so @likelysuspectas everywhere there’s an Aldi there seems to be a Lidl in very very close proximity 😀

When the German discounters first came here I was told that 2 brothers fell out and one owned Aldi and the other Lidl.
Obviously incorrect information but with a wee bit of truth in it.

it sounds like a very gentle fallout - I expect they still send Christmas cards! And also nice that the business originated as their mums grocery store

unlike the puma/adidas brothers who seemed to truly loathe each other - not sure who’s side I’m on there!

Oh, wow, I thought it was Aldi v Lidl for the two brothers. And I've noticed the other logo but just assumed it was out of date or just what some countries had.

Yes!

I knew this because of a youtuber (perhaps 'Company Man'?) covering Aldi in one episode. The best feuds are the ones with a story like this!

Isn't there an infamous brotherly falling-out that resulted in one brother building a very narrow structure in front of the other brother's house, in order to spoil the view?

We've got one in our family. One of my relatives is a wealthy man who is in charge of things such as electricity pylons. He fell out with another family member and engineered it so that a pylon was installed directly into his favourite angling spot.

Is that the adults-only branch in Soho?

I’ve lived in Berlin (Nord) and Frankfurt (Sud) and can say with authority Sud is far superior

Is Edeka more competitive with the north?

maybe Karl had a point with the tobacco!!

Where I am there are a surplus of Lidls that I can get to with ease but no Aldis at all.

@BeardySchnauzer Edeka isn’t a discounter, it’s more upmarket. The other discount competitors are Netto and Penny

Oh yes - edeka is more waitrose?

mil shops in netto

Yes, I've been to the other Aldi in Lanzarote.

I didn't know about Adidas vs Puma though but I'm not interested in trainers.

They do in europe.

Slightly more upmarket, but it’s no Waitrose.

Aldi sud or Aldi nord?

I’m not really interested in trainers either but it’s a really interesting drama and worth a read!

Anywhere we go in the world we always visit a couple of supermarkets as it’s fascinating how different cultures prioritise different things

Agree. Love an overseas supermarket!

I thought it was that Aldi and Lidl’s founders were brothers!

I am German and the story is well known there.

I also lived near Herzogenaurach, the town of the Dassler-brothers (Adidas and Puma). Adidas is the name of the founder - Adi Dassler. And yes, the rivalry is big.

Edeka - is a cooperative set-up, while they all look the same, they are more or less independent and belong to a holding group. Again, the name is part of a longer one. You have them everywhere and the goods are also the same, if you shop in one in Hamburg you know you find the same things in Munich plus/minus local items.

I would count them more like a Sainsbury, definitely not a discount. Rewe is a similar one, also started as a cooperative one, it's now a limited company though.