Is the Aldi merger coming? And why do we actually have Aldi North and Aldi South?

Will there soon be just one “Aldi” for everyone?

The German discount pioneer, which has dominated the market for over 60 years in two separate halves – Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd – is apparently facing potential upheaval. With over 4,000 stores in Germany alone and an international presence in numerous countries, the two companies are among the largest players in the retail industry.

According to Wirtschaftswoche, there are "secret merger talks" that have been ongoing for weeks. According to the report, the owner families are discussing concrete merger scenarios, such as a joint holding company under which both parts of the company will operate in the future.

A complete merger by the end of 2025 was initially considered the goal, but is now considered ambitious. A realistic first step could be the alignment of IT systems and software solutions to lay the foundation for a possible full integration.

The oft-quoted story that the Aldi brothers Theo and Karl Albrecht split up over a dispute over cigarette sales has persisted for decades, although there is no definitive evidence for it. The story goes that the question of whether to include cigarettes in the product range led to the falling out: Theo was for it, Karl was against it. This disagreement was said to be so fundamental that it ultimately led to the split of the company.

The geographical division of Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd is clearly defined, both within Germany and internationally. Although both companies operate legally and organizationally independently of each other, there is a clear territorial separation that largely remains in place today.

The border—the so-called "Aldi Equator"—runs roughly along the Main River, with minor deviations. Cities like Gießen and Siegen, for example, are located in the border region. The exact dividing line was drawn in 1961, when Theo and Karl Albrecht split the company into Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd.

Since then, every Aldi branch has belonged to either one half or the other – there are no overlaps.

Internationally, Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd also operate clearly separately, with each company serving its own countries and markets.

• Aldi Nord is primarily present in Western Europe, with stores in countries such as France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, and Luxembourg. Aldi Nord also owns the independent subsidiary Trader Joe's in the USA, which operates independently of the regular Aldi store.
• Aldi Süd, on the other hand, has expanded its presence not only in Germany but also in Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, and since 2019, with test stores in China. While Aldi Nord focuses heavily on continental European countries, Aldi Süd also focuses on English-speaking markets and more distant international regions.