Aldi is Secretly Two Different Companies...

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Our Review of Aldi Nord vs Aldi Sud: nebula.tv/videos/tldrbusiness...
You might not already know this, but Aldi isn't just one supermarket, it's two totally separate countries. So in this video we head to the Mulheim Essen border in Germany to uncover what's actually happening and why there are secretly two Aldis.
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[@lucbloom]

“We’re NOT selling cigarettes!!” - Oh that’s surprisingly wholesome… “Because of ze FILTHY shoplifters!”

[@willowtdog6449]

I just watched that part and burst out laughing. I'm glad other people thought that was funny too. :)

[@jantschierschky3461]

Shoplifting was one concern, anti smoking was another motive. Btw would be "die ladendiebe"

[@Bogster13]

I mean here in Sweden we solved that by cigarettes and tobacco either being behind the register so you have to ask for them, or more recently you prepay for them at the register then you scan your receipt at a machine that dispenses them.

[@LibertyMonk]

Cigarettes weren't cancer sticks back then, they were coffee you breathed.

[@jantschierschky3461]

@OceanFlex cigarettes were known to cause cancer back in the 30s, there was already anti smoking campaign in Germany in 36

[@thedayb4tomorrow]

The huge barcodes are actually a fairly recent (~20 years) change. Before that, every checkout employee basically learned by heart a ~4 digit code for every product they stocked, because typing that in was much faster than trying to scan a little barcode nestled somewhere in the packaging. Even then, Aldi checkout employees where (in)famous for their blazing checkout speed 🙂

[@maskedavenger2578]

I make the Aldi checkouts slow down ,If I wanted a fast workout I would go to the gym . If they don’t pack your stuff in carrier bags for you ,the least they can do is give you plenty of time to pack & be prepared to wait.

[@realhawaii5o]

@@maskedavenger2578 Why would they pack for us?

[@willowtdog6449]

@@maskedavenger2578 I thought he said there was a separate place to bag stuff? Is there not always or something? I haven't actually been to one.

[@jantschierschky3461]

​@@willowtdog6449 always, also you get pushback from other customers

[@houseplant1016]

​@@maskedavenger2578Tell me you're American without telling me you're American

[@affechristoph]

Aldis shopping experience is very typical for German grocery stores, especially the shopping cart thing, the low employee count and the fast checkout (which even for me as a German, who gets his food primarily from Lidl, REWE and sometimes Aldi Süd, are really stressful sometimes). But I think it's funny that a German chain is way more successful in America than Walmart in Germany

[@johaquila]

The two bits of information are related, so it's not actually all that funny. The German supermarket landscape is as it is because Aldi's competitors had to become more like Aldi in order to survive. Lidl in particular was started as a competitor to Aldi that is equivalent in almost every way. (Lidl is no more different from Aldi Nord or Aldi Süd than these two are from each other. Personally I alternate shopping between Aldi and Lidl. The two are actually complementary: There are products that are only worth selling for Aldi because Lidl doesn't, and vice versa. For products that both sell, sometimes one has the better quality, and sometimes the other. The prices are usually identical. The greatest difference between them, in Germany, is probably that Lidl has a substantial online shop for non-food items.) The 'normal' supermarket chains are forced to sell a lot of white label products at Aldi/Lidl prices. The invention of Aldi was a worldwide unique event. Aldi Nord, Aldi Süd and Lidl are now spreading globally and transforming other markets worldwide. Walmart became a global player by following somewhat similar principles, but they are not radical enough and work only where you can employ people at will at essentially below living wages. With the typical American mixture of arrogance and optimism, Walmart leadership totally underestimated how competitive the German market is. They bought Real, a German chain of stores that were already failing because they were too similar to Walmart, and made them even more similar to Walmart. And without first checking for local laws, regulations and attitudes, they treated German workers like their American workers, even going so far as trying to forbid sexual relations between them outside work hours and imposing ridiculous daily 'team-building' drills on them. The resulting backlash of public opinion made the experiment so costly that they left completely. Walmart's brand name is now tarnished in Germany as that of a company that manages to be both expensive and inhuman to their employees, without any redeeming qualities.

[@MegaBanane9]

@@johaquila And don't forget their other american practices, like selling products at a loss to drive competition into bankruptcy... which is of course illegal in Europe. Also trying to force their fake friendliness policies onto people, which made the atmosphere in their shops really awkward for Germans. And of course, trying to bully suppliers into exclusive and onesided contracts like they do in the US, to which they basically got told to kindly fuck off. This of course led to them having worse quality products at higher prices in terrible locations (trying to do it the american way of having a huge store outside of town) and weird american import products that no one wanted... so people barely went there.

[@Dularr]

Aldi figured out opening their stores near Walmarts. Works like a charm in the US.

[@MegaBanane9]

@@Dularr "Konkurrenz belebt das Geschäft" - "Competition increases business" People are more likely to go somewhere, where there's different options

[@talzman]

@@johaquila that is the longest parenthesis i’ve ever seen

[@webfreezy]

As a German I moved a couple of years ago only 30 kilometers - however, that meant moving from ALDI Nord land to ALDI Süd land 😁

[@EllieD.Violet]

Congrats - you're on the proper side of the Aldi equator now. Greetings from Chiemsee

[@hhgttg69]

do you prefer one over the other or not really?

[@lucbloom]

I also want a local’s opinion on the matter.

[@jantschierschky3461]

​@@hhgttg69 well for those who live on the equator, who has the better deal in that week

[@alias8945]

@@hhgttg69 Aldi Süd is way better imo but gradually nord is improving as the years go by.

[@jensschroder8214]

Aldi doesn't need advertising. Every recession brings new buyers.

[@webfreezy]

Thanks! The only thing you messed up is the map of Germany which at that time did NOT include the east - remember the German reunification happened in 1990? 😉

[@EllieD.Violet]

Messing up flags and borders is 1) their secret hobby horse or 2) their means of checking if the viewers DO pay attention.

[@Trekki200]

​@@EllieD.Violetand at least some creators intentionally put in small errors so people comment their corrections (more comments= happier algorithm)😂

[@DeeFourCee]

It’s easier just to split the map of modern Germany because they can reuse the graphics rather than make ones for different times in germany’s history they covered

[@Amipotsophspond]

It's just commies trying to change history that makes them look bad, they do this a lot. maps disappear, language changes, numbers change. As history is harder to research, the truth gets forgotten, and history is repeated.

[@Zyo117]

Even dictionaries make intentional mistakes or put in words that don't exist to catch anyone that might be plagiarising their work. It might be the se in this case. If anyone else uses that map, then TLDR knows it's theirs because of the intentional mistake.

[@alexandernico8930]

I like watching some chill news and not just having stressful news

[@Aaradorn]

It's not stressful unless you live in or around Germany, Aldi SüD is king and I will fight anyone who disagrees.

[@alexandernico8930]

@@Aaradorn I’ve only seen the Aldi sud version as I live in Ireland

[@dux_bellorum]

​@@alexandernico8930this is the way

[@dux_bellorum]

​@@Aaradornas an American who was stationed in Germany my love for Aldi is all SüD, those are the same we have here in the U.S. now.

[@tommlvanbomml]

Should be important to Note that Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd are cooperating now since they started to prepare talks to unite again, their on it since 2021

[@PetiHuber]

Never knew it was actually two different chains. When I moved from Hungary to the Netherlands I realized the logos were different, but thought it was just a regional distinction. Pretty interesting

[@pdw8635]

I also love the fact that people think Trader Joe’s is some fancy, high brow place and people who shop there consider aldi shoppers poor or low class.

[@saahiliyer11]

Now having shopped at Aldi süd, I can see why. Aldi feels very sterile, like i’m in a smaller version of Wal Mart. Trader Joe’s avoidance of the normal trappings of discount stores makes it feel more…local?

[@Zabzim]

It is a fancy high brow place when compared with other Aldi’s they are like the Tesco’s of America.

[@Killerkraft975]

@@saahiliyer11 The aldi experience is very unique. I can see why some people don't like it because it feels too industrial or very efficient but some could care less because of the price you save.

[@johaquila]

It's not wrong. Trader Joe's is owned by Aldi, it's not following the Aldi strategy. Related fun fact: Aldi Nord is reserving the trademark "Trader Joe's" in Germany by using it as its own brand for certain products such as nuts and raisins. Presumably they actually buy these goods together with those for Trader Joe's in the US, for economy of scale and greater negotiating power.

[@drdewott9154]

@@saahiliyer11 fancy feeling discount stores aren't exactly uncommon though. In Denmark where I'm from, discount supermarkets dominate the retail scene here (mostly because people here are a bunch of cheapskates) but many have updated and rebranded to be nicer. The nicest and most fancy one is probably Netto. Right below that would probably be Rema1000 which is middle of the pack and very consistent and well liked by the Danish public. Some of the only ones that really have an Aldi feel to them are probably 365discount and to some extent Lidl, and of course Aldi Nord. But Aldi Nord is actually pulling out of here now.

[@Zabzim]

The real fun bit is that Aldi Süd or Aldi South is predominantly located north of Germany and Aldi Nord likewise is located in southern countries like France and Spain. This is why Aldi Süd actually dropped the Süd bit of its name in the 90s and is mostly known simply as Aldi. Aldi Nord on the other hand use its original name everywhere except America where it instead goes by the name trader joes.

[@westrim]

That's overstating it. Trader Joes has some pretty strong differences that weren't mentioned. A big one is staffing levels - Trader Joes deliberately overstaffs so every single register can be in service at once even on a Thursday, and customers can always find someone to answer a question, giving it a more high end experience, and hiring prioritizes friendliness. It's a big part of why people talk about the store by name and it has international cachet. And it doesn't have the Aldi Modern aesthetic, trying to give off more of a 'farm stand in a barn' vibe - lots of wood and wood paneling, and bushel baskets for highlighted items. Items are unpacked for stocking, and it's smaller.

[@Zabzim]

@@westrim Trader Joe’s is basically the Tesco’s of the United States. Which isn’t really that surprising because Aldi in Britain has adopted Tesco’s (and not Lidl) as it’s market competition. Which is why it’s not uncommon to see Aldi’s and Lidl’s back to back or across the streets from one another. I think Lidl market competition is with Iceland/Farm Foods because you never see them although you will often see Lidl and Waitrose in tandem.

[@crytocc]

In the Netherlands, Aldi Nord is known simply as "Aldi".

[@manolosocal]

I’m sorry but that’s not exactly the case. Ppl in Germany typically only call it “Aldi” regardless whether it’s Nord or Süd. Unless you live close to the Aldi equator where you could do your normal weekly shop at either. However, Aldi Süd is the only one that has the Süd incorporated into its logo (in Germany). Outside of Germany they also only operate as Aldi. They can do that bc both companies have not only divided up Germany but also the rest of the world, basically lol. So they do not compete with each other & can both simply go by Aldi. Nord has rights to more markets in Europe like, e.g., Poland or France, whereas Süd operates in less European countries but instead also has stores in other parts of the world, e.g., Oz or China. Yet, the only other country, besides Germany, where both are active is the US. Here Süd has rights to operate as Aldi since it’s such a huge market Nord wanted to get into the game as well & bought Trader Joe’s. So if you go into an US Aldi it’s Süd, whereas Trader Joe‘s is technically a Nord but they kept the original concept so it’s quite different from an Aldi Nord store anywhere else…

[@valicourt]

I’m sure a saw a Aldi a few years ago in florida. And in the 2000s in Iowa. So are those still there or has the brand name now disappeared? Just wondering

[@jplabs456]

The fact that these two stores became completely separate, yet remained so similar that they could run a joint advert decades later is remarkable. Wonder if Süd still doesn’t sell cigarettes….

[@johaquila]

Aldi Süd started selling cigarettes quite a long time ago. The differences between Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd are actually decreasing, and at this point they are similar to the differences between two regional distribution centres of either Aldi Nord or Aldi Süd. Their main competitor is Lidl, which runs exactly the same strategy. Competition is so fierce that they can't afford to waste too many opportunities for even better economy of scale, or even competing to buy the same goods. It seems they are even beginning to unify some of their own brands, such as "Cucina nobile", which is now the cheap pasta brand used by both.

[@mattbosley3531]

The ones in the U.S. don't sell cigarettes. But even regular grocery chains in the U.S. are very careful about selling cigarettes these days. They keep them locked up in a special area and a cashier has to go get them for you after checking that you are old enough to buy them.

[@bucktooth002]

​@@johaquilatrader Joe's doesn't sale cigarettes.😂😂😂😂

[@johaquila]

@@bucktooth002 Of course statements about the relations between Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd in Germany don't carry over to the US, where Aldi Nord is trying out a completely different strategy with Trader Joe's and only Aldi Süd has implemented the German concept.

[@AlphineWolf]

@@johaquila I would think they are hedging their bets so they get both the wannabes that go to Target and the demographics that go to Walmart. In the front, it looks different, in the backend, who the hell cares. What they the customers don't know won't hurt them. 🤷

[@DJKLProductions]

Having to pack your own shopping bags is common in Germany and all other countries in Europe. It is more American that the cashier does it for you. This is a common culture shock that American (and Canadian?) tourists experience in Germany/Europe. If you are not used to this system, then you can definitely start sweating. However, if you are a trained European shopper, you put your goods on the conveyor belt so deftly that you can nimbly put them in your shopping bags without breaking a sweat or damaging them.

[@AlphineWolf]

Or a Canadian shopper who shops the Loblaws banners. It's just like home.

[@ruinerblodsinn6648]

You just have to be a bit strategic when you put it on the conveyor bet. Heavy things first (because these will be at the bottom of your bag) and breakable things last. Oh, you can also put some veggies or bread that don't have barcodes in the middle to get a little break while the cashier is typing in the numbers or using the scale.

[@jantschierschky3461]

Even though the Aldi's are separated, they cooperate in production and other aspects in Germany. Even with foreign assets, there is cooperation. So we don't have an Adidas and puma situation.

[@wclifton968gameplaystutorials]

I like how a lot of the stock footage used is actually of a Lidl supermarket and not Aldi (I could tell by the price-tag font and the store colour scheme both of which is a corporate in-house design)

[@Ferriswheeler]

All the footage used was of Aldi's. I know that Lidl uses the yellow price signs with a different font, but the ones in this video were all from U.S. Aldi süd stores.

[@VitorMadeira]

@@Ferriswheeler look at 0:26 where you and clearly see PARKSIDE powertools boxes that belong to LIDL (not to ALDI).

[@breaderikthegreat3224]

If I had a nickel for every time German brothers split a company I had two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice

[@fusssel7178]

might have happened more often but the Aldi divide and the Adidas/Puma divide are the most famous.

[@fgerstm2069]

Hiking boot brands Lowa and Hanwag are the same, also two brothers splitting up their fathers' company.

[@philipbranco9568]

Wunderbar! However, you keep showing the Aldi-Äquator through an united Germany which didn't exist until 1990. Aldi-Nord didn't arrive in the German Democratic Republic until 1990 when it started opening stores in Brandenburg. Previously, the only two major chains were Kaufhalle, owned by the trading company HO and Konsum chain of co-operative food stores. Trivia there is only one Aldi-Süd in the old GDR, and that is in Sonneberg, Thuringia.

[@mremumerm]

thank you. Watching i wondered about that as i doubted the expansion would have been in GDR as implied by TLDR.

[@Eurobazz]

Well done. You tell the Brexitanians.

[@derunfassbarebielecki]

Fun fact about Aldi Nord: They sell products under the Trader Joes name here in Germany.

[@erik_griswold]

Because the part of the Albrecht family that owns Aldi Nord also owns Trader Joe’s but separately from Aldi Nord.

[@richardbrown7153]

I had heard of the "two Aldi" thing, and the reason behind it. Here in the UK we only have Aldi Sud which is a bit strange since we're North of Germany!

[@lukasvogler4486]

Here in Austria we have „Hofer“ but in fact its an Aldi Süd, even the logo is the same as Aldi Süd, only instead of Aldi, its called Hofer

[@bhgtree]

Ireland is full of Aldi (Sud) stores and their rival Lidl. It has been a great success, as especially since the Celtic Tiger died in 2008 and since then many people have been more careful with spending. And of course, Covid and now the economic problems have led to people going more to Aldi etc.

[@matthewvanvught]

In belgium where i live at least it is aldi north even though it is below the north line.

[@philipbranco9568]

Same in the UK. Aldi's popularity grew massively after the Financial Crisis when household incomes started to squeeze and the discounters started to polish up their image. Interestingly despite having a presence in Ireland, they don't have any stores in the North.

[@Kim-rc8ym]

Or was that the plan?

[@Ametisti]

I know I'm a fan of the packing shelf thing. It lets you pack more slowly without stressing about holding up the checkout. Lidl's also about the same experience.

[@cyrilio]

Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud joining forces in a marketing campaign is an amazing love story.

[@youngarkas4994]

They are also integrating more in recent years to answer market pressures and the old men are dead anyway and their families don't have interest in a 60 year old squabble over cigarettes.

[@LaSnob711]

It's HOFER, not Hofler. That company has expanded even further to neighbouring countries.

[@alengrm7488]

Yes tho I’m pretty sure Hofer can only be found in Austria and Slovenia and the advertisement is virtually the same (Hofer preis/cena)

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

Hofer is just Aldi under a different name. Aldi couldn't operate with its name in Austria because there was already a company called Aldi there. So they named their stores in Austria and Slovenia "Hofer" even though the emblem of Hofer is an A for Aldi.

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

Its like the Situation with Burger King. The Burger kings in Australia are because of legal reasons called "Hungry Jacks"

[@uranusneptun5239]

The thing is that in Germany the two stores were very very differnt just a couple of years ago. Since the second brother died a couple of years ago they started to merge more and more. You wouldn't see the difference today, you saw 10 years ago.

[@VitorMadeira]

0:26 That is footage from a competitor supermarket (LIDL). You can tell by looking at the powertools boxes that show their own brand (PARKSIDE) that belong to LIDL (not ALDI).

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

Just a note on Trader Joe’s vs Aldi in the US. Their operation is very similar in that it’s a small store, limited skus, mostly store brands, and efficient but that’s where the similarities end. The target customer are very different. Aldi tends to be lower income and middle income customer due to the lowest prices on goods that are not premium and often competitors to low end goods in most stores. Trader Joe’s is more premium with high quality goods with and often interesting options that aren’t found anywhere else. Trader Joe’s targets usually middle income and above but also younger people who like to try different and exciting new things. For what they offer, both are very well priced it’s just trade joes is competing against higher end foods and Aldi vs lower end. Like comparing a Honda Civic to a Mercedes.

[@GalaxyFur]

Aldi Sud started in the United States back in 1976. As of March 2022, there were 2,150 stores in the United States. And today there are 560 Trader Joe's in the United States. (Aldi Nord) However, Kroger is still bigger in the U.S. with 2,720 grocery retail stores under its various banners and divisions in 35 states and the District of Columbia. However, Kroger is a traditional grocery store and carries far more products than Aldi Sud or Nord. The largest grocery store chain in the U.S. however is still Walmart. While Walmart does sell things besides groceries, the grocery side of the company when accounted for just by itself still has the highest sales by revenue and by location count. Another advantage of stores like Kroger and Walmart is that they allow for online shopping. Aldi stores in the U.S. while competing against typical grocery stores are not exactly true 1 to 1 competitors since they sell such a limited product range and don't offer extra amenities like buying stamps for postal service and home delivery services.

[@LaPingvino]

That's true in most countries. What you can see e.g. in the UK though is that while the economy gets worse for many people, the appeal of the stores grows significantly.

[@erik_griswold]

Trader Joe’s is not Aldi Nord.

[@GalaxyFur]

@Erik Griswold Yes it is.

[@erik_griswold]

@@GalaxyFur It is owned by the Theo Albrecht family trust and is not owned by Aldi Nord.

[@GalaxyFur]

@@erik_griswold The trust is Aldi Nord! It's literally one and the same. A simple Google search shows this. 🙄 Aldi Nord bought all the U.S. Trader Joe’s stores from founder Joe Coulombe in 1979.

[@zyoninkiro]

I am an American living in a Italian city which has all three of the major German discount chains, Aldi (Sud), Lidl, and Penny. Which one do I shop at? Depends on what is on sale or which I am close to at any given time. All three have been busy opening new stores in Northern Italy although Penny has been the most aggressive recently. Lidl has been here the longest and some of their stores are pretty old. Their new stores are very nice however. Aldi is a pretty recent entrant to the Italian market and all their stores are on the new Aldi Sud model/layout.

[@Killerkraft975]

Right at the beginning when you mentioned 'two brothers' I thought the answer was pretty obvious from that point forward. They both owned the company, they disagreed on a decision so they split.

[@user-ol7bt4wp1j]

Basically the same as Puma and Adidas

[@OleJanssen]

One thing I want to add to this story is that both ALDI Nord and Süd do sell cigarettes now.

[@Luke_Go]

You could have also mentioned that Aldi South has more than twice the revenue than Aldi North

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

I think that's implied given aldi Sud is bigger

[@derunfassbarebielecki]

That has more to do with demographics, people in Northern Germany are considerably poorer than their Southern counterparts. I mean Eastern Germany is dirt poor and even Berlin which is on paper "above average, its just a distortion because of all these millionaires living in the city, but loans for normal honest work are even worse than other east German states. So if a Berliner can only afford half as much as someone from Bavaria its obvious why Aldi Nord has so much lower revenue.

[@Luke_Go]

​@@derunfassbarebielecki Nope. Germany has little to do with this difference. The reason is international. For example: Aldi South has about 200 more stores in the US than it has in Germany.

[@derunfassbarebielecki]

@@Luke_Go Yeah and overall just 2000 stores more. Thats not really the reason why it has twice as much revenue.

[@Luke_Go]

​@@derunfassbarebielecki Aldi South revenue in Germany is 16.8 billion euros and Aldi North is 18.3 billion euros from German. So, you are arguing that the global revenue difference is because Aldi South earns more in Germany than Aldi North? The poor people in northern Germany spend 1.5 billion euros more because they don't have as much money as the rich people in the South?

[@Davixxa]

Aldi Nord is actually closing down in Denmark! It's selling its stores to local competitors (mostly Rema, although a few stores are also going to Salling Group and Dagrofa). I wonder if Aldi Süd is gonna try their hand next? lmao

[@TheRealGameTime007]

On the nebula exclusive podcast video they talked about a "super fancy Edeka" they went to. Would love for a similar video on how Edeka was formed as it has also rapdily expanded throughout Germany as a now somewhat "luxury" supermarket

[@Lenniitsch]

I don't know how the rest in the world names it, but in Germany we distinguish between "Discounter" (eg. Aldi or Netto) and "Supermarkt" (eg Edeka or Rewe). Just as a little fact. "Palettenware" is another word to describe the aldi business as it used to be. Nowadays they mean into the "Supermarkt" way by how they design their interiors

[@mdkooter]

Love how Aldi became pronounced as the german Audi consistently throughout this video (confusing my brain a lot haha)

[@PiePiePie07]

Same! I'm like when did we switch to talking about Cars? Lol.

[@James-xe8dq]

This seems like another version of left twix vs right twix

[@sushifornico]

as a Berliner growing up - they didn't have scans in the 80/90s. every product had a 3 digit number so the cashier had to learn the numbers on top off their head to ensure a speedy check outs -)

[@fromdarknesscomeslight6894]

By the way, in the North vs South comparison video, those "picker-uppy things" are called pallet jacks (at least in America). It's a jack, like what you lift your car with when changing a tire, but designed for pallets.

[@mezmerya5130]

can't wait when tl'dr tries to comprehed raiffeisen corporate structure, and who actually governs whole thing.

[@Peter-sn3bq]

As an Aldi worker I must say this is as accurate as when new starters join Aldi and learn about the history of Aldi during our training that’s mad

[@MenwithHill]

I hope it's propaganda style videos that decry the evils of the other Aldi

[@BlueCardGanks592]

@@MenwithHillWith Trader Joe’s employees it’s on sight 🥊👊

[@odril]

You guys are aware that the Aldi Equator is pretty much the "Limes", the north-eastern frontier of the Roman Empire(!)?

[@Olli399]

Just a bit of a correction, most shops will sell things in their original cardboard, the difference is that bulk items are typically left on the pallets rather than decanted. Staff are also cross trained at most jobs.

[@illdeletethismusic]

Billa has almost no packaged goods in their transport containers, which while looking more pleasant is really inconvenient when trying to buy large quantities of drinks (beer and water are exceptions to that, so you can bulk buy those easily)

[@gilgabro420]

A am very close to the north south devide. I do as a matter of fact life in a city that has aldi north and study in one with aldi south and I'm always comparing prices between them just for fun. :,D I always struggle with the fact that eighter sometimes don't have lays salt and vinegar ships. I alone should be enough to make it profitable to always have them in stock. :,D

[@DensonMalaran]

We have "DALI" here in the Philippines. Very identical with the business model discussed in the video. Just not sure if it is a copy version of Aldi or already an attempt of the company to enter South East Asian Market.

[@Broodplank86]

Aldi is not in the Philippines, so 'DALI' must be something local :D If that is a copy I'll leave for others to decide haha Copying is the best form of flattery, right? 🙂

[@PeterAuto1]

Looks like they aren't part of Aldi, but maybe inspired by them. What I found in their website: DALI Stores is a supermarket type invented in Germany. We call this supermarket type Hard Discount:

[@StuTubed]

Are you sure it's not actually Aldi but some pranksters swapped the letters on all the signs?

[@faultier1158]

Yeah, there are some other countries where the discounter model became the norm. That also makes it harder for foreign companies to enter the market, because they don't have as much of a price advantage in a country with established discounter chains. That might be a reason why there's no Aldi in the Philippines.

[@johaquila]

Clearly they just copied the Aldi concept in the same way that Lidl did. The expansion of Aldi and Lidl happens with a relatively conservative speed. They enter new, unfamiliar markets one by one, learning from each. They haven't reached South-East Asia yet. They refer to themselves as a "hard discounter", which is just another word for Aldi clone, and just jumbling the letters of Aldi also speaks a clear language. Presumably they can get away with the last point precisely because there is no Aldi in the region yet. The official company seat seems to be in Switzerland, for some reason, which is not what I would expect if Aldi were behind them.

[@parmentier7457]

Aldi was the most popular discounter in the Netherlands until the German Lidl came to the Netherlands. Aldi is no longer the cheapest supermarket in the Netherlands, it is sometimes more expensive than the Dutch full-service supermarkets.

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

Wanted to make a note on nebula episode where someone from the team said they visited the American Aldi they went to was better than both Aldi versions in Germany but wasn’t sure if that Aldi was representative or aldis in the US. Well, it is representative of the aldis built in the past decade or so. Aldi has been transitioning from just a “poor person” store to one that also appeals to middle class. Tho newer ones or remodeled one look more modern, more lights, cleaner, and much more produce. I can only say from my experience that maybe 2/3 of the aldis I’ve stepped into in recent years were the newer aldis. I think if I went to the poorer neighborhoods it might be the other way around.

[@Heyu7her3]

They also could've gone to Trader Joe's, which is Aldi

[@rudyrudelaemmerhirt]

Trader Joe’s reusable bags have become a trendy “I have friends in the USA” item abroad. Especially the ones with local store iconography.

[@theon9575]

? Really In which country is it trendy to have friends in the USA? I had no idea my American friends make me trendy. Wow! 🤩👍🏻 🇺🇸....lol.

[@rudyrudelaemmerhirt]

Well, I doubt your claim of having friends but this trends commonly spotted in countries with megacities.

[@theon9575]

@@rudyrudelaemmerhirt Really? Why do you doubt my claim? I don't think I follow what you're saying. I lived over 12 months in St Louis, MO, on joint research project at Washington U and have 2 good friends\colleagues and numerous acquaintances there, obviously. And I've lived 2 years in Montreal (McGill U) with frequent fun weekends over the border in NY lodging with an old school chum and his wife. That's not unusual. I now live in central Amsterdam and it's also not unusual here at all to have American friends or family there. And plenty of Americans live here in central Amsterdam, too. Dutch people like Americans. But it's not trend in this city, it's just normal. True, Amsterdam is not a megacity 😬

[@rudyrudelaemmerhirt]

@@theon9575 only bustin ya balls haha. You can usually spot some reusuable TJ bags in the trendier neighborhoods of megacities. Amsterdam is too cool to be a megacity.

[@theon9575]

@@rudyrudelaemmerhirt I C! 😂🤣 But Amsterdam isn't as cool as where you are .. not yet, anyway. 😎🌷 We don't tell people we think maybe they're lying just as a fun way of busting their balls. LOL. Nice. But I don't think it's gonna catch on here, dude. 🥲👍🏻 Also, we don't get any bags at all from the store here, unless the customer pays for it - shoppers must bring their own bags. Complimentary single-use paper or plastic bags are now outlawed for environmental reasons.

[@derekperalta3512]

Man glad to see this channel back! Miss it!

[@josephturner7569]

In my local Aldi, there is no bagging area. Sometimes the till just gets swamped with shopping. Which causes more hold ups than if they had regular tills like Carrefour.

[@gcooper642]

You're meant to just wheech everything into your trolly and take itto the side to bag it. I always forget and use a basket and end up being the annoying person quickly trying to bag my goods at the end. Lidl is better, they have proper checkouts.

[@josephturner7569]

@@gcooper642 where the bagging area is supposed to be is piles of stored stock. I think people are expected to go straight to their car. I have a bike. So only one bag.

[@mindyourtruth]

Hahaha Aldi used to always be a game of speed, with the cashier giving you the eye if you didn't load up your cart faster than she could scan.. Good old times.

[@matthewvanvught]

Best supermarkets i know: Albert hejin, Jumbo, Delhaise, Carrefour, lidl and Aldi.

[@pieterbenjaminnijs2925]

As low as 5 people? 😂😂 in our store in the Netherlands (100k per week) we oftentimes stand with 3 people and in the early morning and evenings always 2 people. One (assistant) manager and one employee. We only stand with 5 people around holiday times.

[@kurt4320]

The company was split before German unification but the map showed a united Germany

[@JimmyDSausDE]

Meanwhile, both Aldis, Lidl, Penny, Real and Kaufland are closing stores everywhere because of grocery delivery companies (Edeka/REWE/Amazon). ESPECIALLY in Essen! Adapt to the times or disappear, I guess.

[@RomanBelisarius]

Penny is a daughter company / subsidiary of REWE though?

[@JimmyDSausDE]

@@RomanBelisarius My bad, I didn't know. I see fewer and fewer of them around nowadays though, maybe it's just me?

[@derunfassbarebielecki]

This trend will dissapear fast when people realise that this consumerism about delivering anything is both unhealthy and also polluting unneccessarly our environment.

[@bootmii98]

Amazon shut down Amazon Fresh in the US, Whole Foods probably still delivers though

[@hellmalm]

Would like it if they came to Sweden we got Lidl but these guys would be real good to keep inflation down.

[@mrstraiban]

Next I'd like to see a video on the world-wide competition between Lidl and Aldi.

[@philipbranco9568]

Another would be the interesting business study of Lidl's failure in Norway, and why despite years of evaluation, Lidl they decided not to enter Australia.

[@EllieD.Violet]

'Secretly' 😂 Has been like this since the beginning and every German who happens to know ALDI knows about A Nord and A Sued. Greetings from Bavaria

[@DanDroidz]

Not everyone is German

[@lucbloom]

Not the Dutch, generally speaking. I thought it was a subsidiary or something or a sub-title for 2 stores like a city’s train station in the south.

[@scifino1]

Well, it is kind of secret in the USA, because Aldi Nord is competing there with its Trader Joe's brand.

[@Trekki200]

​@@scifino1hasn't trader Joe's been around longer than Aldi in the US?

[@scifino1]

@@Trekki200 As mentioned in the video, Aldi Nord has at some point bought Trader Joe's.

[@senoner90]

It's not secretly so, it's a pretty official thing

[@ToyTiger666]

Nice video. Yes, we want the Aldi Nord/Süd comparison, please.

[@jantschierschky3461]

Very much the same, exception was cigarettes

[@Squeeonline]

Not a secret to anyone living in DACH

[@PhilbertDeZwart]

I came here to say that I liked the silly follow up on Nebula (because I can't say it there) I will ask my South German brother in law who now lives in the Netherlands (with my sister) which he prefers. It kind of surprised me that you didn't mention those other giant German companies, resulting from quarreling brothers: Adidas and Puma

[@leopolaris112]

Being from the UK and having lived in Southern Germany for a year, I’m used to Aldi Süd. When I spent 6 months in Brussels there was a local Aldi, and not knowing there was any difference at the time, I was shocked by it. I dunno if it was just Brussels or just Belgian Aldi, but whenever I went in there it was like the apocalypse - the products were thrown across the shop and they never had anything in stock, and everything tasted bad. Because of that experience, Aldi Süd has always been better in my mind since I found out there was a difference. But it’d be interesting to know if they’re actually any different in Germany. I don’t remember visiting an Aldi Nord there.

[@larsmenken2679]

Coming from an Aldi Nord town and now living in the Aldi Sued UK I started to shop at Lidl instead ;-) Largely because the local Aldi has a dodgy looking car park I wouldn't feel save in.

[@jasonlitchfield6311]

There is a similar situation in Texas with the stores Brookshires and Brookshire Brothers, but there were like 6 or 7 brothers who each had a store, and one of them decided to take his store and do his own thing.

[@hurtspublishing3906]

Im from Texas and the story is legendary

[@Maria-from-Denmark]

Aldi has withdrawn from Denmark after 45 years on the Danish market. They will close all 188 stores this year. I will miss Aldi 😪

[@nkululekomolokomme5132]

Why?

[@zimsuk]

The official reason is that they haven't been able to make a profit in Denmark and will focus on more profitabel markets.

[@johaquila]

I guess it's because the Danish market started reacting to Aldi rather early. There are two chains called "Netto" in Germany today. One (Netto Markendiscount with yellow-red branding) belongs to Edeka, but the other (yellow-black branding with a dog) is Danish and was founded in 1981 as a reaction to Aldi, although it follows a different (cheap) concept. The Norwegian chain Rema 1000, founded in 1979 apparently based on the Aldi concept, like Netto has a substantially stronger presence in Denmark, which gives them an advantage. They are now taking over the Aldi branches. Aldi was unlikely to become one of the market leaders in Denmark, so it makes sense for them to free money for getting into other markets that they can still disrupt with their strategy.

[@berkant_k]

F

[@zacstarkey1369]

This is great journalism from you guys good change up

[@yellowladplays4740]

Very interesting video. Keep it up !

[@hgk45874]

Aldi (Sued) here in the US usually has their stores in the suburbs, not the most affluent, but middle to lower middle class. Trader Joes is more upscale. For instance, I live just north of Houston. I have 3 to 4 Aldis within 10 miles of my ghetto ;-) , but I need to drive 30 miles to a Trader J. I was hoping for Lidl to open here. There were talks some years ago, but I guess Lidl missed the train in Texas by letting Aldi get too big too fast. It's a shame, some heavy competition between those two, just like in Germany, would have helped to douse the insane price increases we have seen at Aldi over the last 12 to 18 months. Many items are now more expensive at Aldi than at Kroger or Walmart. They have to watch out. But I still love my Aldi especially for the German products I cannot get anywhere else at their prices.

[@markballard9942]

I live in the US and and relatively near to an Aldi's (Aldi's sud) as well as a Trader Joe's (Aldi's nord). I personally prefer the Trader Joe's. It has very good prices, but the merchandise is a bit more 'upscale'. It also has the individual items on shelves instead of stacking the original cartons.

[@ironbooze2937]

Knowing the German version I never thought Aldi Nord could be so, uh, posh

[@djm5k]

It’s no secret there are two separate chains. Everybody knows. In the US, Aldi Nord runs Trader Joe’s. I worked for the original Trader Joe’s in Southern California when they just had over a dozen stores. The acquisition took place while I was working there.

[@wildsurfer12]

Yes I remember seeing Aldi Sud when I was in Cologne, and the tobacco stand on the checkout! The irony of this being that Aldi South is Aldi UK but doesn’t sell tobacco.

[@realhawaii5o]

This is true. It's the greatest divide in Germany. In some places, however, Aldi of different companies along the division line are under 10 Km from one another.

[@rivenoak]

both Aldi operate in US, but Walmart failed to set up shop in germany after failed attempt. :p

[@martinstock]

Very large supermarkets (hyper markets) were already in trouble in Germany when Walmart tried to enter this market. And their decline still continues.

[@pepperswan]

Wowwww I feel like I've been waiting for this video for so long. Well worth the wait!

[@adeemuff]

I am surprised that you didn't cover the times when Germany was divided, too. How did ALDI fare back then?

[@dragongirl1570]

Wenn you live near the Aldi Equator and know most of the Stores 😂

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

I'm German so there is absolutely nothing secret about this for me and I always enjoy explaining this to foreigners and which Aldi they have in their country. Aldi really is splitting the world up between them a bit. I live in the Aldi North part of Germany and have been to Aldi Süd a couple times and unlike many others have no preference between them. They are actually getting more similar these days I think.

[@bucktooth002]

In Phoenix Aldi's are next to Freeways & on the outskirts while Trader Joes is in the fancy side of towns away from freeways.

[@AlphineWolf]

I guess they are finally ending this feud. About time.

[@khalidalali186]

I’ve only been to Aldi in Melbourne, Australia. Back in 2006-2009.

[@iamlinda100]

here in Australia we have Aldi sud and it's very successful here, it currently has 576 stores in Australia and is the fastest growing supermarket chain here. Aldi only expanded to Australia in 2001 so it's been here for over 20 years and it's currently the 3rd largest Supermarket chain in Australia behind Woolworths and Coles, but it's the largest foreign-owned supermarket chain here, while Woolworths and Coles are both Aussie companies. I love Aldi I always shop there, I love their low prices and products.

[@Jezfx]

always just assumed they were stores with old branding 😅 - thanks for the vid! 🙏

[@thetruth4539]

Imagine two companies with two very distinct logos and separate names being called “secretly” different for clickbait…

[@MyLittleMagneton]

Would love a follow-up video on Lidl.

[@sn350channel]

Germany has the BEST grocery stores. I know bc I lived there for 3 years and it is Top-Notch. Puts Walmart and other big "Hyper Marts" to shame. Who wants to go grocery shopping where you need to walk around the store for an hour or two... I know I didn't. In Germany you buy grocery for the day or two and re-visit. You'll never see people with HUGE shopping carts full of junk food like in the States.

[@onurturhal6814]

I really libe thks channel, i hope grows even more

[@jlpack62]

A welcomed change to my local Aldi in the USA is the addition of more than a dozen self check-out stations. I love Aldi!!!!

[@lauritzneu6641]

I was wondering about Trader Joes. Because you can get Trader Joes products in german Aldi North markets. Always thought it's an inhouse brand rather then a different supermarket chain :D interesting

[@that1niceguy246]

Can we have a census on how many people did not know that there are two?

[@deutschthomas2751]

I hope you can talk about Sparkasse system when you travel to DE for the next time, this is quite interesting as they share a lot(logo, app, free cash withdrwal with a Sparkasse card on ATMs of other Sparkasses) but in operation they have almost no similarity(you can't even deposit the cash on a deposit machine of a Sparkasse into a card of another Sparkasse)

[@maxkirk944]

Do more of these sort of videos

[@freezombie]

You really should have used maps of West Germany, not reunified Germany, for pre-1990 geography

[@MichaelWarman]

You went all the way to Germany for B roll of wandering around some Aldi shops...? This sounds like a holiday barely disguised as a business expense.

[@silverhawkflash]

This divide was FAR more everlasting than even the East/West split.

[@mohamedshalaby1067]

Renault too. In south of France Renault is red and in the north its yellow

[@doncarlodivargas5497]

And!?!?! The cigarettes!?!?!? What about the cigarettes!?!?

[@happyundertaker6255]

Missed the most important bit.

[@philipbranco9568]

Aldi-Nord sold the cigarettes, while Aldi-Süd didn't. Ironically Aldi-Süd does today, for 5,20€ per pack of 20.

[@doncarlodivargas5497]

@@philipbranco9568 - OK, good, but did you Germans steal those cigarettes? Since the amount of shops was approximately 50/50 I assume not? And that cigarettes was not so important either perhaps?

[@TheGeckLp]

I was confused for a while because I thought you said "audi" and even the undertitles say "audi" instead of aldi. 😅

[@dezharris]

"Secretly"??? There's nothing secret about it, it's common knowledge! Is the next video going to be about the Adidas and Puma brothers tiff then?

[@marcusthelegend]

Well... RIP Aldi... When I drove from Denmark to Italy, I noticed the difference in logo and style. But now as Aldi is backing out of Denmark along with Irma, there aren't many good options anymore...

[@johaquila]

Oh, as a German with no connections to Denmark I missed that story. Some quick research told me that there are some big discount chains in Denmark. Rema 1000, which will take over, looks as if it has pretty much the same concept. Isn't that the case? At least in Germany, Netto (for Germans: I am talking about the the yellow-black Netto with the dog in its logo, not the unrelated one using yellow-red branding and no dog, which belongs to Edeka) follows a different concept that feels even cheaper than Aldi despite offering more products. If it's the same in Denmark, I can see why that is not a good substitute. But you will still have Lidl, won't you?

[@marcusthelegend]

@@johaquila Yeah... Also, 365 Discount definitely doesn't roll off the tongue as well... God damnit COOP! You ruined Kvickly and destroyed Irma, and then just made it worse...

[@AlphineWolf]

The Canadian version of Aldi is No Frills. Originally Canadian No Frills did not stock frozen products because the coolers were expensive

[@striderwhiston9897]

Never seen that Aldi Nord logo you said "will look more familiar to you" in my life, live in the UK.

[@attilaabonyi8879]

"The civil war between north and south rages on,with Both sides of the front seemingly never letting up on the bloodshed.Countless men and women have died for each side....for nothing,General Karl does not intend to give away an inch of Aldi süd territory, the same goes for the emperor of Aldi north,this battle has been raging on since the begining of this war,in 1960's Germany"

[@horserous]

I go to Edeka, it eases the confusion. Besides it's the nearest joint to me and they have a bakery