Aldidl. How do you tell the difference?

Aldi, Lidl. As Harry Hill says, "you've gotta have a system".

But which is which? I visit both. They have spread like a rash throughout Britain, and on my travels I know where a few of them are; I often go to the one in Marton in Middlesbro, another on a road in Gateshead, the one on the road into Dumfries. There's two of them in Bishop Auckland now (but, that's probably one of each type!)

So which came first? Was the first one so successful that the second is a copycat? Did they simultaneously dream up similar names and logos?

Yeah I buy stuff there. I like the cheap chewing gum, the jars of salsa, the chocolate shampoos, the biscuits... it's different to things you'd find in other supermarkets but that doesn't mean it's rubbish. I'm certainly not a snob when it comes to getting a bargain! But don't buy the veg, it's shit.

If someone asks me where I got it from, I have no idea which one, so I will say Aldidl.

Surely it's in their interests to try and be different? But maybe not, if you are used to one and you visit the other, they look identical inside, and the goods are sometimes even the same but with different labels. So it's a ruse!

Anyway I've done some in depth research (ie consulted wiki). Aldi is German, so is Lidl, so that's no help. Apparently Lidl copied Aldi! Aha... and Lidl is actually a real name, whereas Aldi is from the name Albrecht (presumably).

Will this help me? Will I remember if the one on the Viaduct in Carlisle is the family-named copycat or the original?

So, Lidl = named copy. Aldi = Original.

OK! gawd... I have no idea why I care...!