Aldi, styled as ALDI, is the common company brand name of two German multinational family-owned discount supermarket chains operating over 13,400 stores in 18 countries. The chain was founded by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946, when they took over their mother's store in Essen. The name is a combination of "Albrecht" and "discount". It operates as a no-frills store with a focus on private-label products, which helps keep costs down. In 1961, the company split into two separate groups, Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, which operate in different countries.