Konsequent einfach

von Dieter Brandes

For decades now Aldi has been the most widely known and successful German discount food outlet. From its beginnings as a no-frills bargain shop, the chain has since attracted a cult following and been the subject of a long list of books. But details about the company and its owner rarely emerge, the reports in the business and finance pages reveal very little, and scandals are unheard of.

Theo and Karl Albrecht's idea is admired and envied by many but, even among industry experts today, the real reasons for Aldi's success remain largely unknown.

Dieter Brandes, who was the business director and former member of the board of governors at Aldi for many years, is the first insider to give both experts and non-experts alike a glimpse behind the scenes in his book Management by Simplicity [Konsequent einfach]. The Aldi Success Story. He sheds light on the company's enormously successful and extremely simple business principles. Heightened cost awareness, continuous quality improvement, fairness towards customers and suppliers and an highly customer-oriented approach have been the guiding principles from Aldi's very beginning.

In addition, corporate management and organization also contributed to the Aldi corporate culture, which can be said to consist of asceticism, obsession with details and facing consequences. Dieter Brandes also describes these success factors in great detail, based on his own experience. Management by Simplicity [Konsequent einfach] is an insider report about an ingenious idea. The book shows how the Albrecht brothers succeeded in restructuring the retail market in Germany, and in turning Aldi into an indispensable part of many shoppers' daily lives.