Bare Essentials

A former company executive explains the guiding philosophies of the global retail giant ALDI, whose 50-year history and successful spinoff Trader Joe's has made it a corporate leader on the scale of Wal-Mart and General Electric. Simplicity, not discount, is discussed as the answer to the company's driving question "Why should customers visit your store? The corporate culture, philosophy, working principles, and organizational methods of ALDI are explained as the major factors for the company's extraordinary growth and success. This insider's perspective on the company offers lessons on consumer retailing and management that will be useful to aspiring business professionals.