Karl Albrecht of , a suburb of Essen. Theo completed an apprenticeship in his mother's store, while Karl worked in a delicatessen shop. Karl served in the Wehrmacht during World War II and was wounded on the Eastern Front. After the war, the brothers jointly took over their mother's business and founded Albrecht KG. They separated that company in 1961 into Aldi Nord, covering the part of Germany north of the Ruhr under Theo Albrecht, and Aldi Süd under Karl. The first Aldi (short for Albrecht Discount) was opened in 1962. In 1994, Karl Albrecht removed himself from the daily operations of
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