The Connection Between Aldi And Trader Joe's You Never Knew

Out of a strong lineup of grocery stores, there are a few places some shoppers feel stand out among the best. Some love scouring these shelves so much that the markets themselves have ascended into more than just a place for groceries — and there are no better examples of this than Aldi and Trader Joe's. These chains have become places people genuinely love to go to, more of an amusement park than a supermarket, a place to gawk at for its affordability, convenience, or otherwise.

From the burgeoning TikTok fame of Trader Joe's for its unique finds under $5 to the affordability and no-frills simplicity of Aldi and its extremely cheap meat, these are two places shoppers can rave about for hours. They both have appeared on lists of the best grocery stores more than a few times, including by USA Today in its report on the best supermarkets of 2021. While many people love to shop at both Aldi and Trader Joe's, most don't know that there's an unexpected connection between the two stores.

The connection between Aldi and Trader Joe's goes all the way back to the two stores' beginnings. The birth of the Aldi brand occurred in 1913, when Anna Albrecht opened a family-owned grocery store in Essen, Germany, which quickly became known for its low-priced, high-quality items. After spending a few years making a name for themselves across Europe, the Albrecht family's first American location opened in 1976 in Iowa. 

This is when it became "Aldi," short for "Albrecht Discount." The store has been providing low-cost and exclusive products ever since, successfully turning a small local shop into a prosperous worldwide endeavor. Due to a dispute between Theo Albrecht and his brother Karl about whether or not the store should sell cigarettes, Aldi split into two financially distinct companies in the early 1960s: Theo's Aldi Nord (North) and Karl's Aldi Süd (South).

Trader Joe's, meanwhile, got its start thanks to one man aptly named Joe. Businessman Joe Coulombe opened his very first store in Pasadena, California, in 1967, after acquiring a slew of empty convenience shops shut down by a pharmacy company. Seeing the potential for success, Coulombe decided to rebrand the empty stores, adopting a Hawaiian theme, which was a popular style at the time. After the new Trader Joe's had an accidental deal involving extra-large eggs, the modern chain and its exclusive (and inexpensive) products were born.

While it's obvious that both Trader Joe's and Aldi have both prided themselves on value since the beginning, the similarities between the two stores extend much deeper than that. They both provide shoppers with exclusive products, sure, but that's probably not so unexpected to those who shop there. Apart from the unique products on the shelves, the two stores also share another quality: They're both owned by the same people.

Trader Joe's founder Joe Coulombe sold his business to Theo Albrecht in 1979, officially making the Albrecht family the proud owners of both prosperous markets — specifically, the Aldi Nord branch, since the company is split into two. The Albrecht family was initially drawn to the Trader Joe's brand because it seemed like a good investment opportunity, with its fanbase already growing immensely back in the '70s. 

They have generally stayed out of the business side of things since, so Trader Joe's has continued to operate independently. While Coulombe still served as TJ's chief executive for over a decade, he eventually retired. Today, the elusive Albrecht family still owns both of the successful chains. The version you know as Aldi in America is actually Aldi Süd, while Trader Joe's operates under the auspices of Aldi Nord — and the U.S. is the only place outside of Germany where you'll find both.