Ahold is an international retailing group based in the Netherlands, with strong local consumer brands in Europe and the United States. Our foundation is selling great food and supermarkets are our core business. We also operate other formats and channels so that our customers can shop whenever and wherever is most convenient for them. We provide customers with the best possible value, assortment, and shopping experience.

 

Ahold USA：

Head offices: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and Quincy, Massachusetts

Brands: Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Giant Food Stores, Martin’s Food Markets, Peapod

Store formats: Supermarkets (some stores include full-service pharmacies), superstores, convenience stores, online grocery

Leadership: Carl Schlicker (Chief Operating Officer)

Employees: 117,000 (2011)

 

History：

2011 

In November, Ahold’s senior management presents an update of its strategy to analysts and investors. The strategy has six pillars designed to accelerate growth in Ahold’s existing and new markets.

 

Peapod delivers in 12 states, and opens up in Manhattan and Philadelphia. It receives its 20 millionth online order. The website offers many different shopping tools, for example weekly specials, new items, shopping lists, a NutriFilter that makes sensible food choices for you, virtual-aisle browsing, coupons and recipes. 

 

Following Albert Heijn’s example Gall & Gall becomes the first Netherlands liquor store to release its own brand line in 2011.

 

Albert Heijn opens its first store in Belgium and announces intention to open convenience stores in Germany in 2012.

 

In January, Dr Albert Heijn, grandson of the founder of the company and Ahold CEO from 1962 to 1989, dies. To read more about the life and work of Dr. Albert Heijn, please visit the In Memoriam website.

 

For more information about the year 2011, click here.

 

2010 

In September, Ahold announces that Dick Boer is appointed next CEO of Ahold, effective March 2011. At the same time, the company announces that Carl Schlicker has been appointed COO Ahold USA and Sander van der Laan will replace Dick Boer as COO Ahold Europe.

 

In April, Ahold commences the € 500 million share buyback program to return value to shareholders and announces a 28 percent dividend increase and commences € 500 million share buyback program. 

 

2009 

Ahold announces that Giant-Carlisle, a Division of Ahold USA, will expand its presence in Virginia by acquiring 25 stores from Ukrop’s Super Markets, Inc. Ukrop’s is a family-owned business based in Richmond, Virginia. The transaction includes 25 stores, inventory, equipment, lease agreements and one new store location. Furthermore, Giant-Carlisle will hire Ukrop's store associates. The purchase price is approximately $ 140 million. 

 

Albert Heijn launches “Appie”, a multi-featured iPhone app that scans barcodes in-store with voice recognition. The device can also scan cupboards at home and tell you what you have run out of. It also delivers discounts and rewards.

 

Ahold announced a series of changes in its European and US businesses to create a strong platform for future growth.

 

The reorganization in both continents delineates the responsibility for running operations, supporting the operations, and business development. The changes will ensure a sharper focus on local customer needs, provide efficient and effective support functions in each continent, and a more robust approach to business development. The changes will further simplify and standardize processes and structure to ensure the company can integrate acquisitions more easily, as it pursues its strategy for profitable growth. 

 

2008 

Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover supermarkets introduce new look and logos.

 

Ahold announces a new store look and logos for its Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover supermarkets in the United States. The introduction is part of a series of new initiatives designed to enhance the customer store experience with new prepared foods assortment, an expanded private label offering, updated store signage and décor, new shopping technology and customer websites. 

 

Ahold announces agreement on the sale of its 73.2 percent interest in Schuitema N.V. to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. As part of the transaction, Ahold will obtain a 20 percent indirect interest in Schuitema without supervisory board representation. The acquired stores are to be converted into Albert Heijn stores. 

 

2007 

The Albert Heijn Foundation is formed, this organization is working to improve the lives of their African suppliers, their employees and their families. This involves clean water projects in Ghana, training courses for South African farmers, school development in Kenya and medical programs.

 

Ahold announces the appointment of John Rishton as Chief Executive Officer. Rishton had been in the role of acting President and CEO since July 2007. Ahold also announced the appointment of Kimberly Ross as Chief Financial Officer. 

 

Agreement on the sale of Tops Markets, LLC to Morgan Stanley Private Equity in a transaction valued at $310 million is reached. The divestment of Tops is part of Ahold’s strategic review announced in November 2006.

 

Ahold announces its intention to delist its American Depositary Receipts from the New York Stock xchange (NYSE), deregister from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and terminate its reporting obligations under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The company’s ADRs will continue to be traded on the over-the-counter (OTC) market in the United States. 

 

Ahold reaches agreement on the sale of U.S. Foodservice to CD&R and KKR for USD 7.1 billion.

 

2006 

Ahold announces plans and financial targets resulting from its Retail Review, which 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. 

 

Ahold announces that its operating company, Giant Food Stores LLC of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has entered into an agreement to acquire 14 suburban Philadelphia stores from Clemens Markets Inc. of Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

 

Ahold announces that its operating company Albert Heijn has entered into an asset purchase agreement to acquire 23 Konmar stores from Laurus Nederland B.V., of which three are franchise stores. Ahold’s consolidated subsidiary Schuitema will acquire another six Konmar stores, including one franchise store. 

 

Ahold announces that Dick Boer, President and CEO of Albert Heijn, has been nominated for appointment by the Supervisory Board to the Ahold Corporate Executive Board. He assumes his responsibilities as acting Executive Board member with immediate effect.

 

2005 

During 2005, Ahold acquired 56 stores in the Czech Republic from Julius Meinl.

 

Albert Heijn introduces healthy labeling on its products, allowing customers to recognize and choose healthier products more easily. 

 

2004 

Consolidation continued during the year, with the divestment of Ahold’s remaining 204 convenience stores in the U.S., the final Asian operations in Thailand and the sale of operations in South America, Poland and Spain. Ahold also announced its intention to divest its Benelux foodservice unit, Deli XL 

 

2003 

Ahold announces that net earnings and earnings per share would be significantly lower than previously indicated for fiscal 2002 and that the financial statements for fiscal 2000 and 2001 would be restated.

 

In the course of the year, Anders Moberg is appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Ahold and leads the company on its Road to Recovery strategy. This was necessary after a difficult year that saw major changes in company leadership as a result of investigations by regulatory authorities and Ahold’s own auditors. The period of expansion through acquisition was replaced by a more focused approach. 

 

2002 

Ahold introduces two new Albert Heijn supermarket formats in The Netherlands - Albert Heijn XL and AH to go.

 

2001 

Online business

Ahold made significant moves into the home online shopping business through the purchase of U.S internet grocer Peapod, while in the Netherlands, Ahold subsidiaries join forces to introduce Albert, a joint internet-based home delivery service. 

 

2000 

Ahold acquires U.S. Foodservice, food distributor to over 130,000 institutional customers. Boots Stores (British drugstore chain in the Netherlands) acquired by Etos, Ahold's Dutch health and beauty care store chain.

 

The second half of the 20th century 

1999 

Ahold announces a partnership with ICA Group, Scandinavia's leading food retailer. In 2001, ICA Ahold AB and Dansk Supermarked form joint venture to develop and operate discount stores and hypermarkets in Sweden and Norway.

 

1998 

Ahold is among the first supermarket companies to introduce organic products to the shelves in the Netherlands in Albert Heijn. Before it launched its “AH biologisch” brand organic food was just the premise of specialist health food stores.

 

1997 

Albert Heijn introduces the Bonus card, the customer loyalty card.

 

1993 

Ahold stock trades for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange, as well as listing in Amsterdam, Zurich and Brussels. 

 

Albert Heijn begins experimenting with the first hand-held scanners used in the world. A few years later they are the first to offer customers the option to manage the scanning and payment process themselves. This leads to much shorter queues in supermarkets, and a quicker, more efficient over-all experience in-store. 

 

1992 

Ahold and its Portuguese partner form Jerónimo Martins Retail (JMR). The joint venture operates a supermarket banner under the name Pingo Doce and a hypermarket banner that trades under the name Feira Nova.

 

1990 

The end of the era of communism enables Ahold to establish a foothold in Central Europe. Ahold starts by setting up a holding company in the then Czechoslovakia. There - a year later - Ahold opens Mana, its first wholly-owned supermarket chain in the region. The chain now trades under the Albert banner.

 

1990 

Peapod launches the world’s first web based internet home delivery service, an idea now used globally. In 1996, it launched its website and became one of the earliest internet start-ups. Products are delivered to the customer’s doorstep in a quick and efficient manner by stores affiliated or in partnership with Peapod. Today, Peapod is the largest and most successful Internet supermarket in the United States, providing people with the ability to shop online for their groceries.

 

1989 

Albert Heijn retires after 27 years and is succeeded as President by Pierre Everaert, the first non-family member to hold the position.

 

Ahold acquires Gall & Gall, approx 500 wine and liquor stores in the Netherlands.

 

Ahold allows customers to self-scan their products with a scanner built into their shopping carts. This gave them a running total to keep an eye on their spending before they reach the check-out. 

 

1987 

Ahold gets the designation "Royal" Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands awards Ahold the designation "Royal" on its 100th anniversary of the very first store opening. 

 

1982 

Stop & Shop pioneers the superstore concept in New England, opening the first Super Stop & Shop – immense stores, averaging 55,000 to 60,000 square feet in size, and planned around a "street of shops" concept in which each class of product received its own well-defined and suitably decorated segment of the store.

 

1981 

Ahold acquires its second U.S. supermarket company, Carlisle-based Giant Food Stores with operations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

 

1977 

Albert Heijn introduces the first IBM 3660 Supermarket System in Europe in a store in Heemskerk. Meanwhile, Albert Heijn (the man) is the driving force in the industry behind the introduction of the universal product code and later on the bar code.

 

1976 

Ahold opens its first store outside the Netherlands in Getafe, Spain. It is the beginning of the internation expansion era of the company, with a focus on acquiring supermarket chains in the United States, including Giant Carlisle (1981) Stop & Shop (1996), Giant Landover (1998) and Peapod (2000). Ahold also engaged in expansion into other geographies (Latin-America, Asia) and other activities (food service, restaurants) but those activities are no longer part of Ahold today. 

 

1973 

The holding company Albert Heijn changes its name to Ahold N.V.

 

Ahold acquires Etos, approx 500 health- and beautystores in the Netherlands.

 

Albert Heijn acquires the Simon de Wit chain, bringing 137 new supermarkets under the Albert Heijn banner. Albert Heijn and Simon De Wit were neighbours as children. Albert Heijn’s market share increases to over 20 percent in the Netherlands.

 

1962 

Albert Heijn allows customers to buy a fridge for much lower prices while doing their shopping by saving points. It sells 5,000 fridges in one day, and Liebherr, the manufacturer, borrows funds from Albert Heijn to build a second production line. By offering other kitchen products as well, it drives down consumer prices as the usual sellers of household products have to reduce their margins to be able to compete. 

 

1961 

Albert Heijn starts importing fruits and vegetables by train from Southern Europe, reducing transport time from one week to one day, leading to much fresher products with constant quality in the stores. It also allows Albert Heijn to introduce many new products for the customer in the stores, such as kiwis, mangos, avocados and artichokes. 

 

1959 

100st Albert Heijn self service supermarket opened in Zeist, The Netherlands.

 

1955 

Albert Heijn opens the first self-service supermarket in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. 

 

1952 

Albert Heijn opens its first self-service supermarket. It also introduces a new company magazine Aller Hande, the Netherlands first taste of corporate merchandising, which now has a monthly circulation of over 2 million. 

 

1951 

The Stop & Shop Foundation is created to support various civic and cultural projects. 

 

1948 

Albert Heijn’s company was first listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.

 

The first half of the 20th century

1936 

Giant Landover opened Washington’s first mass-merchandised supermarket, founded by Nehemiah Myer Cohen and Samuel Lehrman. The format of large-scale, high volume and self service but low-mark-ups it was so novel that skeptics said “super markets” would never catch on.

 

1936 

In the same year Martin’s opened as a Fruit Stall operated by Daniel Martin on Pennsylvania Avenue in Hagerstown. In the next 30 years, they went on to become the largest local complete food market in Hagerstown by specializing in home-style bakery and deli products.

 

1923 

Giant Carlisle founded by David Javitch. It began as a small meat market in Carlisle Pennsylvania. In 1936, Javitch purchases a store in Lewistown Pennsylvania which he named the Giant Food Shopping Centre. This was his first grocery store and marked a huge leap from his previous occupation as a butcher. His motto is "the best product at the fairest price."

 

1914 

The Rabinovitz family begin operations, pioneering the concept of the modern supermarket and introducing self-service in stores. This is the start of Stop & Shop. In 1936, The Rabbs open New England’s first supermarket in Massachusetts, in a converted car assembly plant. First year sales went to nearly $2 million; the equivalent revenue of 45 conventional stores. 

 

1911 

Albert Heijn introduced the first private label products to the Netherlands. These were biscuits that Albert Heijn senior baked in the kitchens of a local mansion house. Later on, Albert Heijn companies produced tea, coffee, peanut butter and wine bottling. Today, over 50 percent of all products sold in Albert Heijn stores carries the Albert Heijn own brand label.

 

The early years 

1887 

Albert Heijn and his wife open a small grocery store in Oostzaan, given to them by Albert’s father on their wedding day. Holland was in the midst of an economic boom sustained by its colonial network. Albert Heijn senior advertised his goods as “cheap enough for the man on the street and good enough for the millionaire.” Within a decade he had 22 more shops. 

 

1884 

Three years earlier, in 1884, two sisters of the Gall family opened their first wine and liquor store, named Gall & Gall. Their motto was “No order too large, no order too small, no order too far”, and the same motto has held for over 125 years now.