FOOD NEWS
The Connection Between Aldi And Trader Joe's You Never Knew
By Camryn Teder
Aldi and Trader Joe's have both appeared on lists of the best grocery stores more than a few times, including in a report on the best supermarkets of 2021. While many people love to shop at both of these stores, most don't know that there's an unexpected connection between the two.
While it's obvious that both Trader Joe's and Aldi pride themselves on value, their similarities extend to a much deeper place than that. 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.
Since then, the Albrecht family has generally kept out of the business side of things, so Trader Joe's has continued to operate independently. While Coulombe still served as his store's chief executive for over a decade, he eventually retired and the elusive Albrecht family still owns both of the successful chains.