In Germany, Aldi is split into two separate, independent companies: Aldi Nord (North) and Aldi Süd (South), which operate in different regions of the country and have different international territories, both sharing the same "Albrecht Discount" name origin.
What is the difference between Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd? From a customer's perspective, Aldi Süd offers a broader product range of slightly higher quality, and tidier, better-organised stores. Aldi Nord has a more basic product range, and the shop layout is more utilitarian.
Originally founded as a single family business in Germany, Aldi split in 1960 into two separate companies after the Albrecht brothers disagreed—reportedly because Theo Albrecht (Aldi Nord) wanted to sell cigarettes, while Karl Albrecht (Aldi Süd) opposed it.
It's called the "Aisle of Shame" (or "Aldi Finds") because shoppers often abandon their grocery lists and budgets to impulse buy delightful but unnecessary items like home goods, apparel, and seasonal gadgets found in the middle aisle, leading to a "shameful" amount of extras they didn't plan for, but it's an affectionate term for the store's addictive treasure hunt.
ALDI: The German Grocery Store Taking the US by Storm
Is Aldi cheap in Germany?
Aldi, Lidl, Netto and Penny are highly regarded as the best discount stores in Germany, catering to budget-conscious shoppers. Whether you're looking for groceries, household items, or personal care products, these discount supermarkets offer a diverse range of items at wallet-friendly prices.
Edeka remains Germany's grocery behemoth, with thousands of stores from neighborhood markets to large hypermarkets. The group continues investing in pricing and expansion to retain its market-leading position.
Some say it's how "old crows" who have long shopped at the store find each other. Others believe it refers to the sound a crow makes when it spies something shiny and interesting. Either way, the caw caw call is a method AOS shoppers -- kindred spirits, if you will -- use to find one another in the store.
Aldi's "5-day policy" is an unofficial shopper-driven strategy where you can ask for discounts (often 30-75% off) on perishable items (like meat, bread) expiring within five days, though it depends on store discretion and cashier policy, as there's no official company-wide rule, with some stores automatically stickering items and others requiring you to ask at checkout for potential savings on products nearing their sell-by dates.
For one thing, cashiers are seated at the register during the checkout process and the reason behind it is actually data-proven: It allows them to ring up and execute each transaction faster.
Customers do not need to bring their own bags to shop at ALDI. However, we ask people to bring their own reusable grocery bags or buy a few of ours at checkout. This saves money by avoiding the cost of the bag and it cuts down on waste to help the environment.
The Aldi 2p rule is a policy at the supermarket, which is designed to keep it ahead of the retail pay curve. This was seen at the beginning of September 2025, when the pay for UK store assistants went up to £13.02 an hour, when it was originally expected to be £13.
