Royal Ahold became a founder member of the WorldWide Retail Exchange. This is a web-based business-to-business e-commerce initiative, which includes 17 U.S. and European retailers.
Royal Ahold acquisitions during the year
- U.S. Foodservice, food distributor to over 130,000 institutional customers, was acquired by Ahold. The operation then expanded during the year by taking over PYA/Monarch in south eastern U.S.
- Boots Stores (British drugstore chain in the Netherlands) acquired by Etos, Ahold's Dutch health and beauty care store chain
- Supermercados Agas S.A. (Chile) by Santa Isabel, Ahold's Chilean joint venture operation
- Mea-De Wilde-De Loore, (Belgian foodservice company) by Deli XL, Ahold's wholly-owned Dutch foodservice subsidiary
- Sugar Creek (New York-based convenience gas stores) by Ahold's U.S. subsidiary, Tops Markets
During the year Ahold also completed the purchase of the remaining 50 percent voting shares in its Brazilian joint venture, Bompreço, and announced its intention to acquire the U.S. internet grocer, Peapod Inc.