Aldi has primarily grown its store network through organic expansion rather than massive corporate buyouts of major domestic chains, though its parent entities have made strategic international acquisitions. For instance, Aldi Nord acquired the Trader Joe's brand in the United States to capture a unique segment of the specialty grocery market, while Aldi Süd expanded into Austria by acquiring the Hofer chain. Within its primary markets, however, the company builds and scales its own distinct discount storefronts rather than absorbing pre-existing supermarkets.