You have a late-night hankering for pickles. Quick -- where is the first place you think to go?
The owners of German grocery chain Aldi know it's likely not there. But they're hoping to change that, with 800 new stores and an additional $5 billion in investments in the U.S. Their goal is to become the third largest grocery chain in the country in the next three years, behind only Walmart and Kroger.
Similar German chain Lidl opens its first stores later this week on the East Coast. The company plans to open at least 200 stores in the coming years.
Both Aldi and Lidl offer a limited selection of deeply discounted, store brand food items. That reflects a successful trend in grocery store models while the industry as a whole struggles with lower prices and shrinking earnings.