Ahold is a fast-growing international retailing organiza
tion primarily focused on distributing and selling food
products. In 1995, sales totaled NLG 29.6 billion.
The company owns retail companies with some
2,400 supermarkets, specialty stores, hypermarkets,
discount stores and cash carry outlets in the United
States, The Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic
and Poland. In Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore,
joint ventures were started with local partners. In the
United States, Ahold is one of the ten largest US food
retailers through its five regional supermarket chains
(Tops, Finast, Edwards, Giant and BI-LO) in the
eastern part of the country. With its Albert Heijn
supermarket chain, Ahold is the market leader in The
Netherlands and holds a 73% interest in wholesaler
Schuitema. In Portugal, Ahold co-owns (49%) one
of the leading supermarket and hypermarket chains.
In the Czech Republic, Ahold owns several store chains,
including the Mana supermarket chain.
The Ahold operations include several produc
tion companies, a 50% share in a sherry bodega in Spain
and an institutional food supply company in The
Netherlands.
The strategies of both Ahold and its subsid
iaries focus on the consumer. Activities are continually
adapted to the consumer's wishes, and to ever-changing
market conditions.
Corporate headquarters are in Zaandam, The
Netherlands. Ahold employs 140,000 people.
