Here's Where You Can Find The World's Biggest Aldi

An international food retailer heralded for its low prices, Aldi — which is even cheaper than Walmart — has deep roots in Germany, beginning with the grocery store opened in 1913 by Anna Albrecht in Essen. Her sons, Theo and Karl Albrecht, continued to focus on their home country as they built the chain, then known as Albrecht Diskont, before finally expanding internationally in 1967. So it's no surprise that after growing the business to more than 12,000 stores across the globe, the brand returned to its roots to open its largest store. The location, which boasts around 21,500 square feet of sales space, is in Mülheim, Germany — just six miles from Essen.

The store, which opened in October 2020, is actually an expansion of an existing branch that had been in the area since 1993. After merging with an adjoining property, the store added more than 3,200 square feet of sales space. The additional space is devoted largely to its fresh produce and a baked goods section. The store also features a fresh herb garden where several different herbs are grown and sold onsite. It's unclear whether the German store includes a deli or seafood department — two sections you'll never find at a typical Aldi in the United States.

How the size of Aldi's largest store compares to other locations, and to supermarkets in general, is difficult to pinpoint. Still, there's no doubt that Aldi stores, even the largest one, are significantly more streamlined compared to other retailers. Estimates vary, but Aldi stores typically stock between 1,400 and 2,000 items per store, while other supermarkets carry 31,000 to 40,000. The smaller formats and limited product range help explain how Aldi keeps its grocery prices so low. This approach allows it to minimize rent, energy costs, and staffing, while also negotiating lower prices from suppliers.

That strategy has clearly been successful. Aldi, the fastest-growing grocer in the U.S., has committed to an aggressive expansion, with plans to open more than 225 new store locations in 2025 as part of a five-year national growth strategy. This is the most stores the company has opened in a single year in its nearly 50-year U.S. history.