Aldi 100th Anniversary Nears

RUESSELSHEIM, GERMANY - APRIL 8: A sign stands near an Aldi store on April 8, 2013 in Ruesselsheim near Frankfurt, Germany. Aldi, which today is among the world’s most successful discount grocery store chains, will soon mark its 100th anniversary and traces its history back to Karl Albrecht, who began selling baked goods in Essen on April 10, 1913 and founded the Aldi name by shortening the phrase Albrecht Discount. His sons Karl Jr. and Theo expanded the chain dramatically, creating 300 stores by 1960 divided between northern and southern Germany, with Aldi Nord and Aldi Sued, respectively. Today the two chains have approximately 4,300 stores nationwide and have also expanded into other countries across Europe and the USA. Aldi Nord operates in the USA under the name Trader Joe’s. (Photo by Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images)