The net proceeds from both tranches will be applied for general corporate purposes, including the financing of the intended acquisition of the Czech and Slovak businesses from Tesco, announced on October 30, 2026.

Pricing of dual-tranche issuance
The 3-year tranche is priced at MS+50 bps and carries an annual coupon of 3.750 per cent, and the 9-year tranche is priced at MS+103 bps and carries an annual coupon of 4.250 per cent. The notes will settle on November 12, 2026 and shall be listed on Euronext Dublin. BofA Securities acted as Global Coordinator, and BNP PARIBAS, BofA Securities, Deutsche Bank, ING, J.P. Morgan, Rabobank, SMBC, Société Générale and Wells Fargo Securities, as Joint Lead Managers.

The onshore wind farm, Dunarea East, will be situated in Constanta County and is expected to produce 780 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity per year. The solar farm, to be named Dama, will be built in Arad County, and is set out to become the largest onshore renewable energy project in the European Union. Its two million solar panels are expected to produce 1,800 GWh of electricity per year. Together, the two farms’ energy production will be enough to power 1.6 million households in the region.

Realizing Ahold Delhaize’s European renewable electricity ambitions ahead of plan

Ahold Delhaize will contract approximately 14% of the farms’ output and will receive Guarantees of Origin for a period of ten years, starting in 2029. With this additional agreement in place, based on projected consumption across its European brands, Ahold Delhaize will be able to fully match the electricity consumption in our European operations with renewable electricity by 2030. This will be five years ahead of our original target which was set at 2035. Therefore, this agreement finalizes the current European PPA program.

Lenka Duskova, CFO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia said: “We are pleased to support the development of these wind and solar projects in Romania, which will add new renewable capacity to the grid while contributing to a more sustainable future for the communities we serve.”

Alastair Hammond, CEO, Rezolv Energy said: “This is one of the largest and most important corporate virtual Power Purchase Agreements ever signed in Southeastern Europe. By committing to such a significant share of the output from these two iconic projects, Ahold Delhaize has become a key corporate investor in Romania’s energy transition.”

Supporting Europe's energy transition

This vPPA marks Ahold Delhaize’s fifth and final (virtual) Power Purchase Agreement in Europe, following one direct Power Purchase Agreement in the Netherlands in 2023, and three virtual PPAs in Spain (2024), Romania (2025) and Finland (2025), reflecting the Company’s continued efforts to scaling renewable electricity solutions across Europe. These agreements form part of Ahold Delhaize’s wider efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its own operations (scope 1 and 2) by 2040. 
 

Download the share buyback transactions excel sheet for detailed individual transaction information from aholddelhaize.com/investors/share-buyback-programs/.

This press release is issued in connection with the disclosure and reporting obligation set out in Article 2(2) of the EU Regulation that contains technical standards for buyback programs.

Combining these complementary businesses and their local retail expertise and scale will position Ahold Delhaize to invest further in the customer proposition, associates and communities, while supporting sustainable long-term growth.
 

Strategic rationale 
The transaction increases Ahold Delhaize's scale in the Central and Southeastern European region and strengthens its ability to compete in rapidly evolving grocery markets. Today, Tesco Czechia and Slovakia comprise a network of over 360 self-operated supermarkets, hypermarkets and convenience stores, as well as over 100 franchise stores, generating approximately €3.5 billion in sales, and employing over 14,000 employees.

Following completion, integration and store portfolio remodeling, the combined businesses of local Ahold Delhaize brand Albert and Tesco Czechia are expected to become the leading grocery retail brand in Czechia by market share. It will also establish Ahold Delhaize as a significant player in Slovakia, with a leading brand position. This strengthens Ahold Delhaize’s ability to serve customers, invest in growth and compete effectively over the long term.

Albert has a long-standing track record of acquiring store estates and transforming them into its winning proposition. It will bring proven execution capabilities to a new customer base across an expanded footprint. Local customers will benefit from a strong customer value proposition and omnichannel capabilities, a refreshed store look and feel, modernized and technology enabled customer-facing areas, and an aligned assortment and loyalty proposition.

For Ahold Delhaize, this is an excellent example of our Growing Together strategy in action. It combines our local food retailer expertise with a clear capital allocation policy to deliver shareholder returns through multiple levers.

The combination is expected to generate significant value in market and for the European region through increased scale, operational efficiencies, stronger sourcing capabilities and the sharing of expertise across the organization.

This transaction is complementary, and we remain committed to all our capital allocation ambitions.

Transaction details

• Ahold Delhaize expects to generate significant revenue growth and synergies from the transaction. The expected synergies will create additional capacity to invest in the customer proposition, digitalization, sustainability and the associate experience in both markets.
• Ahold Delhaize will pay an Enterprise Value of approximately €1.2 billion, corresponding to lease-adjusted Enterprise Value of approximately €1.7 billion (post-IFRS 16). On a post-IFRS 16 basis, the lease-adjusted Enterprise Value implies an EV/LTM EBITDA multiple of approximately 7.2x, or 5.0x including synergies.
• In the first year after closing, the business combination is expected to be EPS neutral to Ahold Delhaize.
• The acquisition consideration will be funded with committed financing and existing resources, with the transaction expected to close in Q4 2027 following the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory clearances. 

Frans Muller, CEO of Ahold Delhaize: “This acquisition is an important step in strengthening our position in the Central and Southeastern European region. It brings together highly complementary businesses with strong local market expertise and gives us the opportunity to expand into Slovakia, an attractive adjacent market. We see significant potential to combine our European scale, capabilities and retail expertise to better serve customers and support sustainable long-term growth. We look forward to working closely with the local teams as we take this next step together.”

Margaret Versteden-van Duijn, CEO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia: “At the heart of both businesses are strong local teams who know their customers and communities exceptionally well. I am very much looking forward to welcoming our new colleagues across the stores, distribution centers and offices in Czechia and Slovakia to Ahold Delhaize. Together with our Albert colleagues, they bring deep local expertise, experience and passion for retail. I am excited about what we can learn from one another and what we can build together for our customers, our associates and the communities we serve. This acquisition positions us well for further value creation, driving sustainable long-term growth in attractive markets.”

Next steps
The transaction is subject to regulatory clearances under applicable laws and regulations.

Because of Ahold Delhaize’s strong balance sheet, the transaction will have no meaningful impact on ongoing capital allocation and capital return policies. 

More details will be provided during the Q3 2026 Ahold Delhaize analyst conference call on Wednesday, November 4 at 10AM CET.

BofA Securities is acting as financial advisor to Ahold Delhaize; CMS is acting as lead transaction counsel and Crowell & Moring LLP and Havel & Partners as regulatory counsel.

Download the share buyback transactions excel sheet for detailed individual transaction information from aholddelhaize.com/investors/share-buyback-programs/.

This press release is issued in connection with the disclosure and reporting obligation set out in Article 2(2) of the EU Regulation that contains technical standards for buyback programs.

The Supervisory Board nominated Thierry in May 2026 to succeed Frans Muller. His appointment was approved by shareholders at the recent Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (EGM) on October 13, 2026. Thierry’s appointment as a member of the Management Board is for a four-year term, ending at the close of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) to be held in 2031.

Thierry will spend significant time in Ahold Delhaize’s markets with our brands to get to know our business, customers and people as part of his onboarding before his tenure as President and CEO begins.

Frans will retire from Ahold Delhaize and step down as President and CEO and as a member of the Management Board at close of business on March 3, 2027. He will remain fully responsible for leading the company until that date and will work with Thierry and the Supervisory Board to support a smooth and orderly transition.

Download the share buyback transactions excel sheet for detailed individual transaction information from aholddelhaize.com/investors/share-buyback-programs/.

This press release is issued in connection with the disclosure and reporting obligation set out in Article 2(2) of the EU Regulation that contains technical standards for buyback programs.

Ahold Delhaize detected suspicious activity in its IT infrastructure and immediately took action, including engaging cybersecurity experts to investigate. The investigation confirmed the suspicious activity resulted from the malicious actions of others.

Protecting our infrastructure in the best interest of our customers, associates and partners is a top priority. As a result, we proactively took certain systems offline, including our brands’ websites and apps, as a precautionary measure to protect them. This decision affected most of our brands across Europe and the United States, although the impact varied by brand. Throughout this incident, our brands’ stores remained open to serve customers. We apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused customers and partners.

As part of our response, we notified the Dutch National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) within 24 hours of discovering the malicious activity and have continued to provide timely updates to the NCSC, law enforcement and other relevant regulatory authorities. Today, Ahold Delhaize has filed a formal police report with the Dutch police. We remain fully engaged with the appropriate authorities and will continue to support their investigations, while working diligently to restore services for our customers as quickly as possible.

Our teams are working tirelessly to restore our brands’ sites, apps and services for our customers. We continue to make good progress. Albert Heijn’s website and app are back online, with home deliveries expected to resume from Friday, October 23. The Etos and Gall & Gall websites are also available for customers. E-commerce services at our Ahold Delhaize USA brands are expected to come back in the coming days. In Belgium, e-commerce is now fully operational. The majority of the websites and apps of our brands in the Central and Southeastern Europe (CSE) region is available for customers.

All stores across all brands have remained open throughout the incident, while we have continued the phased restoration of our systems and services to support the distribution of groceries to our brands’ customers as quickly as possible. As the investigation is ongoing, we are not sharing further details that could compromise security measures or interfere with our response efforts. While our investigation is still ongoing, we have no evidence at this moment that suggests that any sensitive customer, associate or partner data was taken.

Frans Muller, President and CEO of Ahold Delhaize: “Taking systems offline to help protect them was a precautionary measure that affected most of our brands across Europe and the United States. The investigation to date confirms this was the right decision. Although this incident was caused by the malicious actions of others, we apologize for the inconvenience this has caused - especially to our customers. We take seriously the trust you place in us. We know this situation has caused disruption, and our commitment to our customers, associates and partners remains unchanged. We are deeply grateful to our colleagues across the organization who are working tirelessly on recovery, serving customers in our brands’ stores and supporting our businesses and brands’ customers across our organization.”

Follow our conference call and webcast that starts at 10 AM CET which will be available on this website.  

If you have questions or would like further information, please contact:  

Ahold Delhaize Investor Relations at investor.relations@aholddelhaize.com or +31 (0)88 659 5213. 

Webcast

We recognize that these actions have caused disruption for customers, associates and partners, but protecting our infrastructure in the best interest of our customers, associates and partners is a top priority. Our teams are working with urgency to investigate the incident and restore affected systems safely. As they make progress in assessing and mitigating the issues, we are in the process of starting a controlled re-launch of certain systems.

As part of our response, we are working with relevant internal teams and external cybersecurity experts. We are engaging with the appropriate authorities and other stakeholders as necessary. As the investigation is ongoing, we are not sharing further details that could compromise security measures or interfere with our response efforts. Although our investigation is still ongoing, we have no evidence at this moment that customer, associate and partner data was taken in this cybersecurity incident.

Our brands’ stores across Europe and the United States remain open and are serving customers. The impact of our preventative measures differs per brand. Each local brand is working hard to serve its customers and minimize disruption.

We will provide further updates when appropriate. We apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused customers and partners.


Updated: October 14, 2026. 

For further information:

• EGM 2026 materials on our website
• Press release: ‘Ahold Delhaize announces Thierry Garnier as nominee for Chief Executive Officer and member of the Management Board; Frans Muller to retire from the company in 2027’
• Press release: ‘Ahold Delhaize announces nomination of Claire Peters as CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA’
• Press release: ‘Ahold Delhaize announces nomination of Margaret Versteden-van Duijn as CEO of Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia’
• Press release: ‘Ahold Delhaize announces the nomination of a new member to its Supervisory Board’

Download the share buyback transactions excel sheet for detailed individual transaction information from aholddelhaize.com/investors/share-buyback-programs/.

This press release is issued in connection with the disclosure and reporting obligation set out in Article 2(2) of the EU Regulation that contains technical standards for buyback programs.

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 

Protecting our infrastructure in the best interest of our customers, associates and partners is a top priority. We apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused customers and partners.

Download the share buyback transactions excel sheet for detailed individual transaction information from aholddelhaize.com/investors/share-buyback-programs/.

This press release is issued in connection with the disclosure and reporting obligation set out in Article 2(2) of the EU Regulation that contains technical standards for buyback programs.

1. How has Ahold Delhaize’s approach to health evolved in recent years?

“Since Ahold Delhaize was formed ten years ago, health has been high on our agenda. Today, it’s an important strategic priority for us and integrated into our company’s purpose. Recent societal trends – from increasing attention to ultra-processed foods to the growing use of GLP-1 medications – are bringing conversations about diet and health further into the public discussion, and we believe there is an opportunity to accelerate progress, both within our own business and across the wider food system. 

“To this end, we recently took a major step up on health in our strategy. Our healthy sales target had been focused exclusively on own brands. This was a great first step, but we wanted to make it even more relevant. Starting this year, we’re measuring ‘total store healthy food sales’ – changing our target from a percentage of healthy own-brand products to a percentage of healthy food items across all product ranges. This new metric will help us encourage consumers to make better choices throughout our assortment. 

“As we strengthen our focus on health, we want to better understand the barriers that prevent people from eating healthier and identify where the greatest opportunities for impact exist. Through research and engagement with stakeholders across the food system, we have gained valuable insights that reinforced both the urgency of the challenge and the need for collective action.  

“Because we believe no single organization can solve these challenges alone, we are working to share our insights in a research paper in October. We hope it will support conversations across the industry and encourage collaboration among retailers, manufacturers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to help make healthier diets more accessible." 

2. What are some of the most interesting findings your research has uncovered so far? 

“Across markets, we see that healthy eating is relevant for almost all consumers, but most people are having a hard time reaching their goals. While 92% of people we’ve surveyed want to change their diets to be healthier, only 14% believe that their diets are ‘very healthy.’ And only 13% feel ‘very confident’ that they can identify healthy options. 

“Our research also highlights that motivations for healthier eating differ across countries and consumer groups. For example, in some markets, people are primarily motivated by weight management, while, in others, they are focused on gut health or driven by price. Understanding these differences is critical if we want to help people make healthier choices in ways that are relevant to their daily lives.” 

3. How is Ahold Delhaize making healthy eating more accessible and affordable?  

“For us, it comes down to making healthy choices easy and making healthy living a habit.  We have a healthy living framework that guides our approach and consists of three clear steps. First, make it easy. This is about making sure the right, healthy options are simply available. Our local brands are doing this in countless ways, and own-brand ranges are an important tool they use to do this in a way that is both relevant and affordable.  

“Second, make it a habit. This includes efforts like providing information, engaging dietitians and offering educational programs.  

“And third, make it a lifestyle. This is already reflected in some of our brands’ digital apps, which not only help people improve their nutrition but take a broad, holistic approach to healthy living – including in areas like getting enough sleep and reducing stress.”

4. Can you tell us about some of the barriers that people face when striving towards a healthier lifestyle?  

“As people try to eat – and live – healthier, they not only face personal challenges, but also obstacles that are built into our systems and environment and over which they have little control. Healthy living is not one-dimensional. Many aspects of lifestyle are connected – and food is an important part of it.  

“For example, if you sleep better and move more, you're also more likely to eat healthier. But as people try to be more active and eat better, the system is not necessarily built around making those choices easy. And it goes beyond food. Our cities and suburbs have largely been built around convenience and affordability. It’s not always easy to get around without a car, or to take the elevator instead of the stairs.   

“And even if retailers provide healthy food choices for parents to feed their families, the environment can make it challenging. There may be fewer nutritional snacks available at school or at sports practice, or snack bars nearby offering kids hard-to-resist food options like French fries. So, it’s not just a food retail issue, it’s a system-wide issue.  

“That's what makes health such a complex and difficult challenge.” 

‘’Healthy living is not one-dimensional. Many aspects of lifestyle are connected – and food is an important part of it.’’ 
 
 

5. While this is clearly a challenge that requires cooperation across the supply chain, what role can retailers play to help customers move toward healthier diets?  

“It’s true that because health is such a systemic challenge, we, as food retailers, absolutely cannot solve it on our own – the entire local ecosystem must change. If a customer walks out of the supermarket and immediately buys an unhealthy snack from a street vendor next door, we’re not making progress overall. However, food retail is well placed to help lead the change, having a direct connection to shoppers at the moment of choice.  

“To get to meaningful, practical change across the system, we need to align healthier outcomes with commercial outcomes. In our soon-to-be published research paper, we will outline three main barriers that stand in the way of people making healthier choices. For each of them, we will identify practical ways to help bring those barriers down that can inspire action across food retail.” 

6. What role do manufacturers, NGOs and policymakers play?  

“Manufacturers can make a positive impact through efforts like creating healthier assortments and reformulating products to contain healthier ingredients – for example, cutting sugar and salt. For policymakers, it's about helping to change the environment more broadly and create a level playing field and working towards policies that support stronger health outcomes. This goes beyond supermarkets – it involves the wider food environment and the systems that influence consumer choices.” 

7. You mentioned your research has found that motivations vary by market. How does having strong local brands help?  

“Our local brands are very close to their customers and communities – this enables them to understand those differences in motivations and behaviors and meet consumer needs with the most relevant product offering and support. This is the exact reason why our local-brand model is so important, and such a differentiator for Ahold Delhaize.” 

8. How do sustainability and health intersect in your strategy?  

“Even in times when sustainability might not be top of mind for consumers, we know from our research that health is. For this reason, health can actually be used as the lens through which sustainability efforts are understood. 

“A good example is the protein shift. Moving from animal-based proteins to plant-based proteins is a major sustainability opportunity, but it's also a health opportunity because it encourages people to eat more vegetables, legumes and plant-based alternatives. 

“Health and sustainability are often connected through those kinds of choices.” 

9. Looking ahead five to ten years, what innovation or collaborative initiative is most important for creating a healthier future?  

“I don't think it's one thing. It's the total system. 

“Creating a healthier future is such a complex challenge. It will require a combination of initiatives and innovations: reformulation, affordability, pricing, promotion, regulation – all working together. We need to move away from thinking it's about one product. It's about the full shopping experience and the full basket, with a health lens overlaid across everything. 

“That doesn't mean people can't buy anything unhealthy. It means that, in the broader picture, the balance should be more healthy than unhealthy. Today, that balance is often not where it should be.” 

‘’Creating a healthier future requires a combination of initiatives and innovations: reformulation, affordability, pricing, promotion.’’ 

10. What role can technology and data play?  

“All kinds of technology can help, particularly if they make healthier choices easier. 

“For example, in the online shopping journey, we can propose healthier alternatives when people click on a product. Loyalty programs can help guide people in a healthier direction. Personalization is also important, allowing people to receive personally relevant information based on the type of diet or lifestyle they're interested in. 

“One thing we do know is that the more personal and relevant the information becomes, the more useful it can be. As retailers – but also across the industry – new technologies give us so many opportunities to get closer to our customers and help them make choices that lead to real, lasting healthy lifestyle changes.” 


 

This article is part of a 10-part series celebrating 10 years of Ahold Delhaize. For a decade, Ahold Delhaize brands have been trusted partners in millions of customers’ daily moments, operating at the heart of local communities. We’ve built a strong foundation in those 10 years – but this is only the beginning. In this series, we look back at where we came from and forward to the future, through the eyes of the people who are making it all happen.  

Download the share buyback transactions excel sheet for detailed individual transaction information from aholddelhaize.com/investors/share-buyback-programs/.

This press release is issued in connection with the disclosure and reporting obligation set out in Article 2(2) of the EU Regulation that contains technical standards for buyback programs.

Download the share buyback transactions excel sheet for detailed individual transaction information from https://www.aholddelhaize.com/investors/share-buyback-programs/

This press release is issued in connection with the disclosure and reporting obligation set out in Article 2(2) of the EU Regulation that contains technical standards for buyback programs.

As Manager of Food Lion Feeds, Kevin Durkee helps lead the Food Lion brand’s hunger-relief efforts across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States. We ask him about the evolution of their Food Lion Feeds program, the growing challenges facing customers and communities, and the partnerships that are helping the brand work toward its goal of donating three billion meals by 2032.

1. If you look back on the past 10 years, how has being part of the combined company strengthened your ability to serve customers and communities?

“I've been with Food Lion for more than 20 years and was with Hannaford for 16 years before that, so I've seen firsthand the commitment of the brands to their local communities. I’ve also seen the amazing impact that we can have. As a part of the ADUSA family of brands, I am inspired by the passion of each brand and the change that they are able to create. At Food Lion, we have the opportunity to see what other brands are doing and leverage great ideas to maximize the impact that we have. The ability to borrow a great idea means we are able to move faster to find meaningful solutions to the challenges that exist within the communities that we each are a part of.

“It’s fun to hear what other folks are doing, and ‘steal’ ideas that are working for them to strengthen our own programs. For example, we got the idea to sell reusable bags to benefit hunger relief from another brand. Ultimately this cooperation helps us serve our communities more effectively and make a greater impact.”

2. Can you tell me a little bit about the Food Lion Feeds program and your role in it?

“Food Lion Feeds was launched in 2014 after we asked customers what community issue they felt was most important to them and most relevant for a grocery retailer to address. The answer was overwhelmingly clear: food insecurity. Streamlining our philanthropic efforts with a focus on reducing hunger and helping people access food just made sense. It enables us to engage associates and rally them around a cause that is important to everyone. We believe that no one should have to choose between dinner and rent, or gas and groceries.

“As manager of Food Lion Feeds, I help lead the strategy behind these efforts. That includes helping shape what the program looks like and how we go out into the community, supporting our meal donation goals, tracking and reporting our impact, and helping tell the stories behind the work. A big part of my role is making sure we're continually evolving our approach to meet the changing needs of our neighbors.”

3. Have you seen the impact of a challenging economic environment over the past several years on the needs of people in your communities?

“Absolutely. We recently did a survey with our food bank partners on the most challenging aspects of their work, and they told us that while they see that need is increasing, the resources and donations to support that need are on the decline.

“Rising costs are putting pressure on households across our communities. When families are paying more for rent, utilities, transportation and other necessities, there is less money available for groceries. At the same time, we’re seeing changes in public assistance programs, such as SNAP benefits, and foundations and nonprofits are raising less money. This means there are fewer resources to go around for feeding agencies, food banks and other partners, which makes our role in the fight against hunger even more important.”

4. This takes us back to your comment that "no one should have to choose between dinner and rent, or gas and groceries." How does that philosophy guide the daily operations and strategy at Food Lion Feeds?

“That belief has been part of our mission statement since the beginning of Food Lion Feeds. People with limited resources have to make impossible choices: should I use my paycheck to pay the rent, buy gas or feed my family? Unfortunately, food is often the item that gets pushed to the end of the list when budgets become stretched."

“That reality is always in the forefront of our minds – we feel like people shouldn’t have to make those decisions, and we’re working hard to make sure our neighbors have reliable access to food. It drives everything we do.”

5. Food Lion Feeds has already provided over 1.5 billion meals or meal equivalents since 2014. What’s the biggest shift in how you’ve approached food insecurity during that time?

“Over the years, we’ve learned that food donations are essential, but they are only one part of addressing hunger, so we started focusing on how to set people up for success in life. We expanded our work to support nutritional education and workforce development programs that help people build long-term stability and success.

“However, over the last couple of years, economic pressures have forced us to shift back and focus on access to food. It’s important for us to remain flexible and responsive.’’

"The key is meeting people where they are, understanding what's happening in our communities and adapting our approach to fulfill the most pressing needs.”

6. Food Lion has long been recognized for its food rescue work, aiming to keep edible food entirely out of landfills and get it to neighbors in need. What are some of the ways that you have achieved this – and what are some of the biggest hurdles you’ve faced?

“Food rescue is a collaborative effort – our community relations team can’t do it alone. We partner closely with Retail Operations to ensure there are standard processes and practices, and training aids in place. We work with our feeding partners to make sure they can pick up items at our stores regularly. And we work with our sustainability team on programs to keep as much surplus product out of landfills as possible.

“One of the biggest challenges is maintaining food safety and product quality throughout the process, especially when it comes to produce and other perishable items. In recent years, we've expanded donations of frozen foods and started freezing milk and other dairy products to ensure these nutritious items can reach families in need. We are collaborating to make sure our partners have the transportation, refrigeration and storage capabilities needed to collect and distribute food quickly and safely. Our focus is not only on donating food, but on making sure the full chain works well. ”

7. The “Holidays Without Hunger” campaign and your register round-up initiatives have seen historic success. Why do you think they’ve been so successful? How do you cultivate that deep sense of trust and generosity between Food Lion and your everyday customers?

“Through our Holidays without Hunger program, customers buy boxes filled with food which are then distributed by our food rescue partners to clients in the neighborhood. It takes a lot of people to execute – from the category teams that make sure we have the right items and get them packed into boxes all the way to the logistics, supply chain and Feeding America teams that make sure those products get where they need to go.

“The success of the program comes from engaging everybody in it. Our store teams build amazing displays to encourage customers to participate. We cultivate trust with customers through transparency – we tell customers their donations will stay in their communities to help their neighbors, and we stay true to that. We’ve worked to put healthy and nutritious food in the boxes and put a picture of the contents on the packaging, so customers know what’s inside. And then we communicate about the impact their donations are having, with a focus on tangible examples that show how the money is doing good."

“I think we've been successful in building trust over time, and our customers have been incredibly generous, both through Holidays without Hunger and our register round-up project.”

8. Through the annual Feedys Awards, Food Lion Feeds celebrates local hunger-relief heroes. Why is it so important for a major retailer to shine a spotlight on these grassroots advocates and volunteers?

“As I mentioned before, fighting hunger is a collaborative effort that requires the dedication of vendor partners, feeding partners, food banks, associates, customers and volunteers. The Feedys Awards give us an opportunity to show that this is a group effort and recognize the people who go above and beyond to do great work in their communities. Their stories inspire others to join us in these efforts.

“One recent example of a hero who deserved to be highlighted is a student leader at North Carolina State University who manages a campus food pantry while pursuing her degree. She has a huge passion around feeding people and is helping fellow students and faculty members access food while also inspiring others to get involved. Being able to celebrate her and people like her is really special – it helps elevate awareness and encourages even more community engagement.”

9. Initiatives like the Collegiate Hunger Challenge focus heavily on mobilizing college students. Why do you believe empowering the next generation of student leaders is key to solving campus food insecurity?

“I don’t think people really understand how widespread food insecurity is on and around college campuses. Raising awareness is an important first step, but empowering students to be part of the solution is what creates lasting impact.

“We've seen purpose-driven, passionate, innovative students take on these hunger-relief challenges and do some really cool work. Their ability to use social media and engage fellow students is inspiring to see. Programs like the Collegiate Hunger Challenge give students opportunities to further develop their leadership skills while engaging their communities around an issue that matters. In many ways, they are helping build the next generation of hunger-relief advocates and community leaders.”

10. Food Lion Feeds has set an ambitious goal to donate three billion meals by 2032. What is the next major milestone or innovation your team is focusing on to keep the momentum going toward that target?

“Our focus is on staying in tune with the needs of our communities and evolving our strategy to make sure we’re meeting those needs. Right now, that means continuing to prioritize access to food while also helping our hunger-relief partners build their capacity and capabilities to serve a broader client base sustainably over the long term.

“We're constantly evaluating and improving our programs and building stronger partnerships with colleges and other organizations. Our associates are passionate about serving their communities, and we want to continue to provide them with opportunities to do that.

“As we work towards our three-billion meal goal, the biggest challenge is balancing our ability to serve the needs that exist today while making sure our feeding partners are able to sustainably meet community needs in the long term. By strengthening the organizations on the front lines of hunger relief today while helping them build for the future, we can continue making meaningful progress.”

This article is part of a 10-part series celebrating 10 years of Ahold Delhaize. For a decade, Ahold Delhaize brands have been trusted partners in millions of customers’ daily moments, operating at the heart of local communities. We’ve built a strong foundation in those 10 years – but this is only the beginning. In this series, we look back at where we came from and forward to the future, through the eyes of the people who are making it all happen. 

Download the share buyback transactions excel sheet for detailed individual transaction information from https://www.aholddelhaize.com/investors/share-buyback-programs/

This press release is issued in connection with the disclosure and reporting obligation set out in Article 2(2) of the EU Regulation that contains technical standards for buyback programs.

The updated Position provides greater clarity on how we put our human rights commitments into practice. Its aim is to serve as a reference point for associates, suppliers, customers and other stakeholders.  

To learn more about the key updates and what they mean in practice, we spoke with Gwen Wolting, Director Ethical Engagement & Human Rights at Ahold Delhaize.  

1. What draws you to this work, and was there a particular moment or experience that made this topic personally meaningful to you? 

“I've always had a strong sense of empathy and a desire to stand up for people who don't always have a voice. For many years, I pursued that passion through volunteer work, including with the Food Bank in Amsterdam.  A defining moment came in early 2024, during a six-month sabbatical in South Africa and Zimbabwe, part of which I spent working on farms. Seeing firsthand the hard work that goes into producing the food and flowers we consume every day, and working alongside the people who make that possible, gave me a much deeper appreciation of the human side of global supply chains. 

That experience made me realize that I wanted to work closer to these supply chains and contribute to improving conditions for the people within them. Being able to do so through my role at Ahold Delhaize is a genuine privilege. It gives me the opportunity to ensure that human rights remain a top priority on both our internal and external agendas, and I'm fully committed to continuing that work. The more I learn about the realities people face, the stronger my conviction becomes that businesses can and should be a force for positive change, and I want to play my part in making that happen."

2. What is the main focus of our updated Position and why do we as Ahold Delhaize have such a document?​ 

"Our Position on Human Rights, which was first published in 2017 adhering to international frameworks that we commit to, outlines our commitment to respecting and promoting human rights across our operations and supply chains.   

Ahold Delhaize’s operations and supply chains involve hundreds of thousands of associates and even more workers in our supply chains globally. Given our scale, our decisions (e.g., how we source, how we supply, how we manage our workforce) directly affect people’s working conditions. Our Position sets out our approach to human rights due diligence for both our own operations, and our broader supply chain, which includes tens of thousands of suppliers and vendors. It explains how we identify, prevent and address the risks associated with operating at this scale. It is based on internationally recognized frameworks, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD Guidelines. Our scale and reach come with responsibility, and this document captures that.  

Our Position on Human Rights gives our brands’ associates, suppliers, and customers a clear reference for what we require and what they can expect from us. At its core, our commitment to do what is right is based on our collective belief that all people should be treated with dignity and respect." 

3. In your words, what are the most important changes to understand about this updated position?​ 

"Our updated Position provides more clarity on how we aim to deliver on commitments that we’ve made. In addition, we have considered upcoming legislation, including the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which will apply to our entire company due to our listing in the Netherlands. The directive requires companies to conduct human rights and environmental due diligence throughout their operations and value chains. 

This is reflected in our risk-based approach to addressing the areas where the highest risk prevails, such as countries where governments may fall short on safeguarding workers’ rights. We have included our salient impacts and provided more information on our social compliance and critical commodities programs. With this, we’re providing more clarity on our human rights approach within Ahold Delhaize and beyond. The word “beyond” is used deliberately. Human rights issues are often systemic and therefore rarely isolated. Solving them is a collective responsibility and therefore requires a true value chain approach to work. This is why industry collaboration in the supply chain is a key and integral part of our Position. We will continue to use our Annual Report to report on actions, learnings and next steps on human rights."     

“Our commitment to do what is right is based on our collective belief that all people should be treated with dignity and respect.” 

4. What internal processes give you confidence that our commitments translate into practice on the ground?​ 

"At Ahold Delhaize we have strong governance, a clear Position on Human Rights, supplier requirements through our Standards of Engagement, a social compliance program for Own Brand suppliers with production locations in high-risk countries, our critical commodities program and our Speak Up Line that all help translate our commitments into action.   

In addition, our brands take ownership across a range of human rights issues in their operations & supply chains as well. And I believe our commitments are increasingly integrated into how brands engage with suppliers and conduct their business. 

At the same time, human rights is an area that requires continuous attention and engagement. Supply chains are a good example: they are constantly changing, and so are the risks within them. To identify these risks early, we need to continuously invest in due diligence, engage with stakeholders, and stay alert to where gaps are forming. So, it’s not that we assume we have all the answers. It’s the iteration and the willingness to listen and act on what we find that gives me the confidence we’re on the right path."  

5. What excites you most about where this work is heading? And what changes do you expect in the human rights field in the coming years, and how does this update help us prepare? 

"What excites me most is that human rights are increasingly becoming a core business consideration rather than a standalone topic across our industry. The industry is moving beyond commitments and compliance towards embedding human rights into everyday business decisions, where we can create real impact.  

Looking ahead, I expect greater collaboration with stakeholders, increased transparency, and a stronger focus on demonstrating outcomes. This shift is coming and over time, companies will increasingly be expected to show real impact on worker and community conditions, not just prove that they’ve responded when issues arose.  

This update is a step toward preparing us for that future. Most importantly, human rights is about making a positive difference in people’s lives. That’s what makes this work so meaningful to me."  

Read the full Position on Human Rights here.  

Download the share buyback transactions excel sheet for detailed individual transaction information from aholddelhaize.com/investors/share-buyback-programs/.

This press release is issued in connection with the disclosure and reporting obligation set out in Article 2(2) of the EU Regulation that contains technical standards for buyback programs.

Growing demand supports further development
Delhaize continues to grow, with both market share and customer base steadily increasing. More and more customers are choosing Delhaize because of its trusted brand, broad assortment of fresh and healthy products, pleasant shopping experience, and strong local presence. Customer satisfaction with Delhaize's logistics services has also increased significantly in recent years. To support future growth and rising volumes, Delhaize will continue to evolve and strengthen its logistics organization.

Investment in logistics network and capacity
Delhaize is investing €120 million in its logistics network to support future growth. Existing logistics operations in Zellik and Ninove will be maintained, alongside investments in current infrastructure, a new transportation center, and a new fresh distribution center in Zellik. The opening is planned for 2029.

At the same time, Delhaize is developing a future-ready logistics organization with a strong focus on efficiency, employee well-being and ergonomics. This plan is expected to create 130 permanent jobs.

Collaboration and transparency
Over the coming months, Delhaize will engage in a social dialogue with employee representatives. The investments in its logistics network will support the company's continued growth while helping ensure that customers and affiliated partners continue to benefit from strong service in the future.
 

“The strong growth Delhaize is achieving today calls for a modern logistics organization that is ready for the future. Through this investment, we are expanding our logistics capacity, strengthening our operations, and creating a solid foundation for sustainable long-term growth. Together with our associates, we are building the logistics network of the future. This will enable us to remain a trusted partner for our customers, suppliers, and affiliated entrepreneurs,” said Alexandros Boussis, Brand President of Delhaize.

AI is having a growing impact on many areas of life, including retail – both in what customers can see and what goes on behind the scenes. Ahold Delhaize is leveraging the technology to improve the customer experience, empower associates and fight food waste. We talked to Sjoerd Holleman, member of the Board of Directors of Albert Heijn, responsible for Product, AI and Specialty Brands, and head of the team leading the global AI focus areas across the Group, and Noortje van Genugten, VP Product Operations for Albert Heijn, about how it’s already changing the way we work and what the future holds for AI in retail. 

1. When implementing a new AI project, there’s a big difference between a successful pilot and something that can successfully scale. What have you learned about how to get that transition right? 

Sjoerd: “The most important thing is to start small but with the end goal in mind. If you have your prerequisites early on, you can steer in that direction. We start pilots in one or two stores, and as soon as they prove successful, we start adding to that and seeing how we can scale. We'd rather fail fast but also scale fast. 

“One thing we’ve built at Albert Heijn that has been incredibly helpful in translating business needs to successful projects is our Product Organization. It sits between tech and the business, acting as an ‘architect’ between the needs of the business and the talented engineers that actually build the projects to address them.” 

Noortje: “We always want to build things that deliver value to our P&L, help us meet sustainability targets or help improve the customer or associate experience. Our Product Organization helps us get the most return on value from our tech resources and budgets by translating business needs and challenges to technical applications that can actually be built. And then it manages how the tech teams deliver so that what they build really meets the needs of our colleagues or our customers.”
 

2. Over 80,000 colleagues are already using Albert Heijn’s recently launched AI assistant for associates – initiating more than 50,000 conversations a week. What did it take, organizationally, to reach that level of adoption?  

Noortje: “Before we build anything, we want to understand what associates are looking for and what problems they need to solve. So, before building the AI assistant, we rolled out a test app that used human power on the backend instead of AI. Associates could ask questions and our team answered them as quickly as possible. We found most questions had to do with products – their location in the store, in-stock level, price, promotions – so we focused on that as our use case and soon got 250,000 requests every month!  

“The road to success is really understanding what's going on in associates’ work and not making assumptions. I have some funny stories about that. While we trained the AI assistant extensively before launch, we didn’t realize how the youngest generation of colleagues – a large part of our store associate group – would talk in one-word sentences. This posed some challenges. For example, the Dutch word for onion is “ui” – which the AI translated to “user interface”! You can imagine what happened when they typed “Dubai” instead of “Where can I find Dubai chocolate?” Also – we thought associates would want a voice-activated app rather than having to type, but our young colleagues saw that as the most awkward thing ever. Luckily, we asked them before we built it!” 

3. Is it making a difference for associates? 

Sjoerd: “Yes, it’s had a positive effect so far. Associates feel empowered because they can actually answer questions themselves. Customers are happier because they’re served more quickly. And managers now have time to focus on other areas of their work. So, it's really been a win-win-win!”  

4. Sjoerd, you help to oversee AI for both the group and a local brand. How do you build shared infrastructure and knowledge across Ahold Delhaize without steamrolling the local context that makes each brand unique? 

Sjoerd: “When we work together across the group, our first priority is to get the right people together to share knowledge, so we don’t reinvent the wheel. While the brands are very different, we’re also similar – we deal with stores, products and people – so it’s helpful to share experiences about what enabled each brand to create the most value or save the most time or money.  

“The next step is to share infrastructure and platforms where possible because this doesn’t affect the local customer experience. If we have a platform that works, why not use it more broadly? To this end, we’re building an adaptive, LLM-agnostic platform where developers across Ahold Delhaize can work and run AI applications together. It is pretty industry leading and should give us a competitive advantage. 

“Our next step will be to move into creating domain visions – thinking about, for example, what merchandising will look like in the future, what will be the role of AI, what's our vision on that and how do we work towards it – and then share those domain visions with each other.” 

5. What is the AI application you're most proud of that people outside of the company probably don't know about? 

Sjoerd: “We always talk about our employee and customer assistants, which we’re very proud of. But there are other applications operating behind the scenes that really make an impact. One great example came out of our yearly hackathon at Albert Heijn, where all our technology people – product owners, data science & analytics and tech engineers – come together and spend 24 hours working and sleeping in the office, focused on solving difficult challenges. They often come up with ideas that we actually deploy.  

“Two years ago, the hackathon group created an AI layer that can sit between our systems and our customer app and automatically translate everything in the app to another language. With 1.2 million non-native Dutch speakers in the Netherlands, this is very helpful! Doing all these translations could have cost millions of euros, but our teams built the AI tool in 24 hours and could deploy it at hardly any cost. So now we offer our app in languages like Turkish, Polish, French and English – we keep adding more – which allows us to be inclusive and help many more customers. It really opened my mind about how AI can help us think out-of-the-box.” 
 

“Two years ago, the hackathon group created an AI layer that automatically translates everything in the app to another language. With 1.2 million non-native Dutch speakers in the Netherlands, this is very helpful!” 

6. Is it hard to convince people with a lot of retail experience to trust an AI model? And can you give me an example of how the AI replenishment forecasts are making a difference? 

Noortje: “We started with our first simple forecasts back in 2003 and then made the switch to automatic replenishment after that, which has reduced waste and increased product availability. 

“One thing we’ve learned is that it’s important to put as much effort into communication as developing the tools, to ensure that people understand the benefits and are willing to use them.  

“For example, we recently launched an app in our bakeries that tells associates exactly which bread to bake in which baking round. Our experienced employees were used to deciding this for themselves, so we knew we had to communicate well to explain to them that the tool would really help them work more effectively and reduce waste. To explain the tool’s benefits, we held information nights at every store and used other communication tools, such as movies – the implementation program was almost bigger than the project to develop the app. We also had to make sure that we had a strong feedback loop with the stores, listened to what people told us, and improved the tool to meet their needs. It took some weeks but, in the end, it was successful and people are happy with it.”
 

7. Noortje, you mentioned waste. Combating food waste is a big priority for Ahold Delhaize. Do you have any examples of how AI is helping? 

Noortje: “Yes, many! The first step in preventing food waste is always to stock the stores as closely as possible with what people want to buy. AI is helping us do that. We’re currently rolling out new algorithms that use AI assortment planning, to determine the correct product mix per store and assortment group.  

“Secondly, we use AI to forecast customer demand and algorithms to determine how much of a product we should deliver to a store and when – like the production algorithm we use in the bakery app. 

“Because we can never forecast perfectly, we use AI to dynamically mark down the cost of items on the shelves that are about to expire. These dynamic prices are automatically pushed to our Albert Heijn app and the electronic shelf label – the system reevaluates and updates every 15 minutes.”  

8. What role will AI play in the fight against food waste 10 years from now? 

Noortje: “My dream is that forecasting will someday be so precise that we will sell exactly what we bring to the store. When you think about it, food waste results from not having the insights needed to make the smartest decisions – and AI will continue to help us make better decisions.  

“One huge benefit to AI is that it enables us to build simulation environments to test our replenishment algorithms in different scenarios in a way that is much faster and less costly than doing it physically in the stores. Customers don’t want to see empty shelves, so there’s always a trade-off between availability and waste, but AI makes these decisions so much easier than in the past by giving us the right data to support our decision-making. 

“AI will also expand food waste reduction capabilities across the retail industry. While Albert Heijn is already a frontrunner in how we use technology to prevent food waste, generative AI will put these tools in reach for many other retailers.”  

9. A lot of AI in retail focuses on the customer experience. But do you think the operational side – supply chain, product flow, efficiency – deserves more attention? 

Noortje: “Yes, that's one of my favorite topics! Our supply chain is our most AI-intensive domain because it runs on optimization algorithms. I see it like a big Tetris puzzle – we know which articles to bring to a store, and we use optimization algorithms to fit them perfectly onto a load carrier in the distribution center, just like a Tetris game. 

“We use also optimization algorithms to design perfect walking paths for associates as they move product around our distribution centers and to make sure we pack trucks with as little air as possible. ‘Invisible’ innovations like these enable us to save millions of euros, not to mention environmental impact, by operating more efficiently.” 

10. I know when it comes to AI, it’s hard to look even two weeks ahead, but I'm going to ask you to look further than that. In the next two to three years, what's the shift in AI that you will matter most and that we're not talking about enough yet? 

Sjoerd: “I think the agentic part is going to change a lot – both on consumer side and the organizational side. We're the last generation of leaders who will have only led humans. Upcoming generations will lead agents as well as humans. Agents will have an employee number, and will execute tasks around the clock together. I believe this will free up time for humans spend time on things that really add value. Humans will become more the orchestrators of these agents rather than executing all the work themselves. So, it's going to be very interesting.” 

Noortje: “We are already trying to determine what processes will look like with agents. Today, store managers still spend a lot of time on computers and email, managing information and results and then processing and translating them into tasks for their associates. This takes them away from the many things happening in the store, and from customers and their feedback. We believe that if we can help store managers by taking all this information and breaking it up to tasks that can be distributed – maybe even automatically – the store manager will have more time to coach associates and interact with customers.  

“We believe that AI will make our people more human – meaning that instead of doing repetitive but necessary tasks, they can actually spend time on things that humans are really good at.” 

This article is part of a 10-part series celebrating 10 years of Ahold Delhaize. For a decade, Ahold Delhaize brands have been trusted partners in millions of customers’ daily moments, operating at the heart of local communities. We’ve built a strong foundation in those 10 years – but this is only the beginning. In this series, we look back at where we came from and forward to the future, through the eyes of the people who are making it all happen.