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Our strategy
Organization
Financial targets
Corporate responsibility
Customers
society
To achieve our growth
objectives, we are
transforming our retail
banners into powerful
local consumer brands.
retail operating margin
In 2008, we achieved
our target to halve
Corporate Center costs
compared to 2005.
We aim to balance
the interests of people,
the planet and profit.
Our people
AHOLD ANNUAL REPORT 2008 6
We operate from two continental platforms, Ahold USA and Ahold Europe, each led
by a Chief Operating Officer. This structure helps us balance local, continental and
global decision-making. It also enables us to leverage continental scale and talent
effectively to support our local operating companies.
In 2008, we achieved our target to halve Corporate Center costs compared to
2005. The savings were made by streamlining functions and reducing staff and
discretionary spend.
Our long-term financial targets are to achieve a sustainable net sales growth
of 5 percent (mainly from identical sales growth) and a sustainable retail operating
margin of 5 percent, while maintaining an investment grade credit rating.
Corporate responsibility is fully integrated into our day-to-day operations. Our
corporate responsibility activities are organized around four main themes - healthy
living, sustainable trade, climate action and community engagement. These areas
are most relevant to our business and are where we believe we can make a positive
impact. We aim to balance the interests of people, planet and profit to ensure our
business is responsible, sustainable and profitable. Our strategy, goals and targets
are set globally by Ahold and implemented locally.
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In 2008, we established processes to collect data to track and report on our
performance in corporate responsibility. This year, we have published our carbon
footprint for the first time, along with targets and objectives for each of our
corporate responsibility themes. Our reporting approach is based on the standards
developed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
To find out more about our corporate responsibility strategy, activities and
performance, see our 2008 Corporate Responsibility Report.
www.ahold.com/reports2008
