Collaborating for a healthier future: retail’s role in a healthier food system

October 12, 2026 – 92% of people want to eat healthier, but only 14% believe their diet is ‘very healthy’. Healthier choices often feel difficult due to perceived cost, inconvenience, or complex information. These are some of the conclusions highlighted in Ahold Delhaize's newly published paper, based on a survey of more than 8,000 consumers across seven markets, conducted in partnership with GlobeScan. 

Based on this research and expert insights, Ahold Delhaize explores how retailers and partners across the food value chain can help make healthier eating more accessible in everyday life. As one of the industries that interacts with millions of people every day, food retail has a unique opportunity to help bridge the intention – action gap. By making healthier choices more affordable, easier to find and more relevant to people's individual needs, retailers can help make healthier eating a natural part of everyday life.
 

Creating lasting change requires collaboration across the value chain, from retailers and manufacturers to policymakers, health experts, civil society and the consumer. Bringing together consumer research, industry perspectives, and examples from our brands and other retailers, the paper explores how to accelerate healthier choices and scale practical solutions for greater impact.  
 

You can read the full paper here: Collaborating for a healthier future: retail’s role in a healthier food system