About Ahold

What is Ahold's address?

Piet Heinkade 167 - 173
1019 GM Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0)20 509 51 00
Fax: +31 (0)20 509 51 10
Contact us

What distinguishes Ahold as a company?

Ahold is an international group of quality supermarkets based in the United States and Europe. We provide an easy, convenient and appealing shopping experience through continuous customer focus. We are committed to offering our customers the best value, the highest quality and healthy choices, while building value for our shareholders.

Our strong retail brands ensure we are optimally placed to answer our customers’ local needs. At the same time, our brands benefit from group synergies that allow us to operate in a simple, responsible and efficient way.

Our people love being in the food business and they make the difference as we strive to be the leader in all our markets. Our aim is to continuously grow, in part by innovating products, services and store formats.

Ahold's strategy for profitable growth

On November 6, 2006 we announced our plans and financial targets resulting from our Retail Review, which began in May the same year. The plans announced are designed to accelerate identical sales growth, improve profit returns and strengthen the company’s foundation for future expansion, creating additional value for its shareholders.

Highlights:

• Divest U.S. Foodservice
• Appoint European Chief Operating Officer and U.S. Chief Operating Officer
• Reduce operating costs by EUR 500 million by end 2009
• Cut Group Support Office costs by 50% by end 2008
• Divest Tops and retail operations in Poland and Slovakia
• Sell holding in Jerónimo Martins Retail
• Implement brand improvement and value repositioning
• Reaffirm targets as retail net sales growth of 5% and retail operating margin of 5%
• Return approximately EUR 2 billion to shareholders and reduce debt by approximately EUR 2 billion, following divestments

The new plans focus on Ahold’s core retail businesses in the United States and Europe, the continued roll-out of value repositioning programs, and the reduction of operating costs by EUR 500 million by end 2009. The company has also announced the appointment of new Chief Operating Officers in the United States and Europe to lead its restructured continental organizations.
Read more about our strategy for profitable growth 

In what year was Ahold established?

The first Albert Heijn store was established in 1887. By 1907 the concern had grown to a total of 23 outlets. On May 26 1920, the corporation Albert Heijn NV was established, changing its name in 1973 to Ahold NV.