The historic divide: map of all 4,259 ALDI stores in Germany and the Nord vs. Sรผd split since 1961.
The "Aldi Equator" splits Germany into two distinct retail territories: Aldi Nord in the north and Aldi Sรผd in the south. This historic boundary is the result of a 1961 dispute between brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht.
Today, the two legally and financially separate companies divide Germany's approximately 4,259 store locations.
After taking over their motherโs corner store in Essen in 1946, brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht expanded aggressively across West Germany.
By 1961, they disagreed on whether to sell cigarettes. Karl argued cigarettes would attract shoplifters, while Theo disagreed. To avoid conflict, they divided the country roughly in half along the Ruhr River (now known as the "Aldi-รquator" or Aldi Equator).