Aldi may appear as if they were a single enterprise with certain store brands or when negotiating with contractor companies. The individual groups were originally owned and managed jointly by the brothers. Karl Albrecht, who died in 2014, retained ownership of Aldi Süd with a personal wealth of €17.2 billion that made him the richest man in Germany. The co-owners of Aldi Nord, Berthold and Theo Albrecht Jr. came close behind at €16 billion. Dieter Schwarz, owner of Lidl and Kaufland came in third, with a fortune of €11.5 billion. Aldi started to expand internationally in 1967, when Aldi Süd acquired
The Original Factory Shop fashion, homewares, toys and personal care products. The products can be from the chain's own lines, branded products or cut label products from a high street chain or supermarket. During 2010 to 2011, the chain expanded its warehouse and offices in Burnley by to provide for the future needs of the business. In the middle of 2010, The Original Factory Shop opened its online store, at first selling a limited range of instore products. In the middle of 2011, the online store was redeveloped several times and many new products were added, including more items from instore and also exclusive