Aldi is popping up left and right, paving its own way in the grocery store world.
Naturally, people are wondering about buying Aldi stock and shares. So with the apparent increase of interest in Aldi, it seems like stock options would be a slam dunk.
Read on to know whether or not you can buy Aldi stock and if they will have an IPO!
Key Takeaways
Can You Buy Aldi Stock In 2022?
Unfortunately, no one can buy stocks in either Aldi Süd or Aldi Nord in any country or stock exchange as of 2022. This is because Aldi is a privately owned company by the Albrecht family, who have raised their own capital. There are also no plans of taking Aldi public or offering an IPO anytime soon.
If you’re a self-proclaimed Aldi nerd, or you’re just on the hunt for the perfect opportunity to snatch up shares in one of the fastest-growing companies in the world, stick around.
Up next, we’ll go over everything you need to know about Aldi stock!
Understanding Aldi’s Company Structure
Since Aldi is a privately owned business, there are no stock options available. The parent company that owns Aldi, ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. OHG, is content with their profits at this time and enjoying the fruits of their family-brand labor.
But how did Aldi come to be the global supermarket phenomenon that’s perfectly content raking in the profits without offering shares?
While Aldi is quickly growing as a brand, its beginnings were quite humble. Back in 1946, two brothers in Germany took over as owners of their mother’s supermarket. The single store in Essen, Germany, quickly grew to 300 stores in just about 15 years.
There was a small speedbump in the success of Aldi when the brothers had a family feud over cigarettes. The falling out eventually ended in the brothers going their separate ways, kind of. They continued to run their Aldi stores as two companies, Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud.
Both brothers passed away in recent years, but they left their company in the hands of their families. And that’s where Aldi is today: Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud are both individually run, private businesses with their own operations. They’re still keeping the entire workings together as a family.
Fun fact: Did you know ALDI is a combination of the brother’s last name and “discount?” That’s right. The “AL” comes from Albrecht and the “DI” from discount.
How Does Trader Joe’s Fit into the Mix?
You might have heard that Trader Joe’s is owned by Aldi. This isn’t entirely true, but it’s also not really false, either. Confusing, right?
In short, Aldi and Trader Joe’s are owned by two separate companies, don’t share any ownership, and are both independently operated. However, Trader Joe’s is owned by the Albrecht family, so it does fall under their umbrella of brands.
What about Trader Joe’s? Can you buy stock in their company? Unfortunately, no. As Trader Joe’s is a subsidiary of Aldi Nord, it is privately owned, with no plans of splitting or listing publicly on the stock market.
Ok, So Why Isn’t Aldi On the Stock Market?
Let’s cut to the chase; Aldi isn’t on the stock market because Aldi doesn’t have to be on the stock market. Aldi is doing just fine as a private business without muddying up the waters with investors. That old saying, “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” definitely applies here.
Each of the respective Aldi companies, both Nord and Sud, are incredibly successful on their own as private businesses. At this point, there’s no need to open themselves up to outside shareholders.
Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud, operating under their parent company, are set in their systems and values. It’s pretty clear that they have their inner workings down to a science, so inviting in outside opinions and investors just isn’t necessary.
By continuing to operate as a private business, Aldi can stick to these values without compromising.
There’s a sense of freedom for the company to continue as they are, without having to adapt because of outside influence from shareholders or investors. It’s a classic “keep it simple” scenario, and sticking to what works is always best.
Will Aldi Have An IPO Or Go Public In 2022?
There’s much mystery behind Aldi stores, beyond the renting-a-cart-for-a-quarter situation and uber-fast checkout lines. (FYI, don’t forget to bring your own grocery sacks and allow time for DIY bagging) People all over the world are wondering: Will Aldi Have an IPO? If so, WHEN?!
Fans and investors alike are on the edge of their seats, waiting to jump on the Aldi IPO bandwagon the second it becomes available. But anyone in that boat will be waiting for a while. In fact, Aldi might never have an IPO.
If discount grocery stores are your thing, and you’re itching to invest in a company that’s similar to Aldi, try one of these:
Grocery Outlet: Bargain Market
This West Coast supermarket chain is close to Aldi in that it serves those with bargains on their mind. But the Grocery Outlet store model is quite different than Aldi’s.
When shoppers hit up the aisles of Grocery Outlet, they never know what’s in store (pun intended).
Shopping at Grocery Outlet is almost like venturing into a TJ Maxx or Marshalls, where you don’t quite know what you’re going to find, but you do know it’s going to be affordable. You can buy Grocery Outlet IPOs, but be aware, they’re not cheap.
Instacart
If you’re not quite willing to let go of the invest-in-Aldi idea, you can kind of invest in Aldi, secondhand, through buying Instacart shares. It’s not available right now, but its IPOs should be available soon.
Instacart is the company responsible for the app that makes pickup and delivery a literal piece of cake.
And, with the lovely pandemic keeping many of us inside, grocery delivery is at an all-time high.
You can actually order groceries from Aldi and have them delivered to your doorstep. While some of the prices are higher on Instacart than you’d see in-store, if you’re online-Aldi shopping, they’re still more affordable than any other store.
For some, the convenience of shopping for groceries online and either having them brought to you or arriving at your car while you wait for the curbside is a luxury that we hope sticks around forever. Keep an eye out for Instacart shares.
To learn more about Aldi, you can see our other related posts on why Aldi is so cheap, Aldi vs Lidl, if Aldi owns Trader Joe’s, and whether or not Aldi is a franchise.
Final Thoughts
So, can you buy Aldi stocks? No, you cannot. Aldi has no interest in working with investors or allowing anyone to profit from their company.
It also appears like Aldi has little to no interest in making IPOs available to anyone in the near future, if ever.
But that’s the way Aldi is; their sole focus is on delivering great products and service, not make as much money as possible. Other stores are responsible for that.
Sorry Aldi-lovers, for now, you’ll just have to be happy with the magical Aldi shopping experience and the continuous saving available.
But you never know, times change faster than the products in the Aisle of Shame, so you never know it, could happen.