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.  

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.

Margaret is an experienced retail and business leader who joined Ahold Delhaize in 2015 as Chief Marketing Officer of bol, the company’s online retail platform in the Netherlands and Belgium. She currently serves as Brand President of Ahold Delhaize’s Dutch brands Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall. Before that, she was Brand President of bol from 2021 and has been part of the Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia leadership team since that time. Earlier in her career, Margaret built broad international experience through roles at Bain & Company, Nike and BCG. 

Originally from Australia, Margaret has double (Australian/Dutch) nationality and has lived and worked in Australia, Malaysia, Germany, France, Central Eastern Europe and the Netherlands. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Systems (Business and IT) from Monash University and an MBA from INSEAD. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Hero Group. 

Wiebe Draijer, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Ahold Delhaize, said: “We are pleased to nominate Margaret as CEO of Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia and member of the Management Board. As Brand President of Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall, and previously in her role at bol, she has consistently demonstrated the ability to connect Group strategy with the strengths of Ahold Delhaize’s local brands. We are confident that Margaret’s leadership will further strengthen Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia and support the continued execution of our Growing Together strategy.” 

Frans Muller, President and CEO of Ahold Delhaize, added: “Margaret brings strong operational leadership, broad experience across our European businesses and a clear understanding of what makes our great local brands successful. During her time at Ahold Delhaize, she has built a strong track record leading customer-focused, purpose-led businesses. She combines operational discipline with digital and AI-enabled acceleration, adjacent business development, sustainability, diversity & inclusion, and long-term value creation. I would also like to thank Claude Sarrailh for his leadership and contributions to Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia. I am confident that, together with her colleagues across the region, Margaret will continue to deliver on our Growing Together strategy for customers, associates and shareholders.” 

Margaret stated: “I am honored by the nomination to serve as CEO of Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia. Ahold Delhaize’s local brands have strong positions in their markets and deep roots in the communities they serve. I would like to thank Claude Sarrailh for his mentorship. He has been of great value to Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia and I will be building on the foundations he has laid. I look forward to working with my colleagues and their teams across Europe and Indonesia to build a stronger, more connected European platform, while continuing to unlock the unique strengths of our great local brands. Together, we will further enhance the customer experience, accelerate omnichannel growth and continue delivering sustainable value for customers, associates and shareholders.” 

To ensure a smooth transition, Margaret and Claude Sarrailh, currently CEO of Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia, will work closely together during September ahead of Claude’s departure at the end of that month. Ahold Delhaize has initiated succession planning for Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall and will share more information at a later date. Until such time, Margaret will retain overall accountability for the Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall&Gall brands, supported by strong existing leadership teams.
 

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.

Our brands across Ahold Delhaize work hard every day to create a brighter future for their local communities. In the U.S., Stop & Shop has created a program that exemplifies this commitment. The Stop & Shop School Food Pantry program teams up with schools to address food insecurity within the brand’s local communities. Through the program, Stop & Shop works with partners across its footprint to create accessible food pantries for local families.

We spoke with Shannon Karafian, School Food Pantry Program Manager at Stop & Shop, to find out how this program has developed and how they make sure it fits the needs of each local community and school to maximize impact.

1. The program was built on early local success

In 2019, schools in Fall River, Massachusetts, faced a problem. They had hundreds of students in temporary housing who were facing ongoing food insecurity. The nearby Stop & Shop distribution center responded by helping to create an in-school pantry at the local high school, which then shipped bags of food to all eighteen schools across the city. The success of this outreach inspired a movement within the brand to expand the program to other communities. “Our program is meant to bridge the gaps where students and families don’t have consistent access to food."

2. It addresses a growing problem of food insecurity

The School Food Pantry program is addressing a growing problem across Stop & Shop’s footprint in the northeast U.S. Today, one in five American children are facing food insecurity, which is an even higher proportion than when the program launched in 2019. Moreover, 40% of college students are facing hunger.

3. School pantries are designed to decrease stigma

“Stigma around food assistance is widespread,” Shannon noted, “so we work with school partners to create comfortable and welcoming spaces. It’s one of the things we’re most proud of.” Two successful approaches the team has taken are branding the pantries using school colors, logos, or even fun mascots – and designing them to look like bodegas or traditional markets. Overall, program participants have reported an 87% decrease in stigma associated with asking for food assistance since the opening of their pantries.

4. School-based pantries help reduce barriers to food access

Another key to the pantries’ success lies in alleviating barriers families may face when seeking support. “Traditional food pantries play an important role in our communities, but logistical barriers, like transportation and hours of operation, can make them difficult for some families to access. Because school is already part of the daily routine for many families, school pantries provide a convenient way to get groceries home. Parents can pick up food when they drop off their student, or the student can bring the items home on the bus.” Shannon said.

“Schools are a trusted space in the community, which alleviates logistical and emotional barriers. We offer this resource in a space that is safe, convenient, and free of judgment.”

5. Participating schools report educational and social benefits

The School Food Pantry program surveys participating schools, both to keep a pulse on need and to share the impact of their work. Recent results show that 79% of the schools reported an improved culture and morale as a result of the program, while 68% have seen increased family engagement, and 46% have seen increased student attendance. “When you’re viewing the student as a whole and giving them what they need to thrive, many positive impacts come with that,” Shannon said.

6. Pantry supplies are tailored to individual community needs

Rather than imposing a pantry list or delivering what’s convenient for the local store, the pantry is stocked by teachers and other school staff. That way, the items in the pantry are high impact for their specific student body. This helps ensure there is no food waste at the pantry and that students have access to food that is culturally appropriate. Meanwhile, some partners will also consistently pick up food rescue donations. As Shannon said, “food rescue is incredibly important, too, as food insecurity continues to grow.”

7. Broad collaboration with local institutions is vital

Given the enormity of the problem, as more and more families face food insecurity, it’s important to work with a wide ranges of partners: from nonprofits to government entities to community organizations. Shannon explained, “We often say it takes a village, and we encourage our schools to build additional community partnerships that can complement our support. The more resources and partners we can bring together, the greater the impact these school pantries can have for students and families.”

8. Local Stop & Shop stores are critical to operations

The school pantry program doesn’t just rely on local partners – Stop & Shop stores are key to making it work. “We added many new schools to our program last year,” Shannon remembered, “and when I went to visit one particular pantry, I invited a manager from our local store to join me. As soon as she walked in, the life skills students running the pantry all screamed her name because she is a friend to them. It’s her community, so she worked with these students to start the pantry."

9. Store associates drive the deepest community connections

It’s not just about donations; associates are also volunteering to help their communities. “We recently opened a new school food pantry and hosted a produce distribution for about a hundred families,” Shannon recalled. “We sent out a note to our local districts to get some volunteers to help run it. One of our associates immediately responded that his son went to that school, and he knows there’s a tremendous amount of need in that community. He said he would love to help out in any way that he can. These are truly our communities. It’s where our associates live, where they raise their families, and where their kids go to school.”

10. Each school is its own milestone

The goal for the future is to add even more schools to the program. “For our team, our next big milestone is to reach 300 schools by the end of the year,” said Shannon. The program leaders are focusing on communities where at least half of the students are economically disadvantaged. Despite the additional responsibility for the school administration that comes with running a pantry, there is a steady stream of schools applying. Shannon and her team are working on getting them onboarded and connected with local store partners.

The Stop & Shop School Food Pantry program is an important way to address a growing problem in the U.S. It also serves to bind local communities together, as everyone – from associates and schools to nonprofits and government officials – work together to make sure every student is fed and has the opportunity to succeed, in school and beyond.

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. 

For decades, Ahold Delhaize brands have developed own-brand product lines that are central to the customer experience. Today, own-brand products play an even greater role by helping customers find trusted quality, relevant choices and everyday value, at a time when expectations for affordability, convenience and differentiation matter most.  

In the United States, the Ahold Delhaize USA local brands offer a wide range of own-brand products across various price points to meet – and evolve with – customer needs and expectations, all with a focus on quality. We spoke with Abby Cook, U.S. Senior Vice President of Own Brands, at Ahold Delhaize USA about how the portfolio has changed, what customers value most and where own brands are headed next. 

1. At Ahold Delhaize USA’s local brands, what own-brand offering is most important for building trust and creating a strong first impression with customers?

“Trust starts with fresh products. In each of the U.S. brands local stores, produce is the first thing customers see and it’s a great introduction to own brands because quality and freshness are immediately clear. Produce gives us a meaningful way to show how own brands can respond to what customers want and need. One example is our Nature’s Promise greenhouse-grown lettuce, which was introduced in response to customers’ growing focus on sustainability and health.” 

2. What is one misconception people still have about private labels or own brands? 

“In the past, there was a common misconception that higher quality had to come with a premium price. That perception is changing. Customers have discovered the value of own brands, especially when they see that these products from the local brands can meet their lifestyle needs. The consumer trends we see today center on health, sustainability, convenience and emotional connection, and at Ahold Delhaize USA,  our own-brand focus reaches across all of them.” 

3. When customers first try own brands during tougher economic times, what convinces them to stay?  

“No one is looking to spend more than they need to, especially when they find a product that delivers on quality and fits into their daily lives. We’ve found that while customers may first try own brands because of economic pressure, they often continue buying them after that pressure has passed. Some may even move from an opening price point to a more premium own-brand tier over time. That means we continually adapt our focus and investment across the portfolio in response to both customer needs and broader economic trends.” 

4. What does it take to build own brands that customers actively seek out, not just trade into?

“Historically, own-brand products were often viewed as an opening price point with acceptable quality. Today, Ahold Delhaize USA’s own brands play a much broader role. They span multiple tiers while maintaining a consistent commitment to quality. Premium offerings have grown especially quickly in recent years in response to customer trends, offering interesting culinary experiences as well as organic and free-from options. A strong quality foundation across every level of the own-brand portfolio is one of the most powerful ways a retailer can influence the customer experience.” 

5. Over the past five to 10 years, how has the role of own brands evolved from a value alternative to a strategic growth driver for Ahold Delhaize USA? 

“Compared with 10 years ago, own brands now play a much wider range of roles across the Ahold Delhaize USA brands. Our local brands offer a broad and varied selection of products and experiences, which has helped create a much larger customer base for own brands. The exciting thing is that many of these products have continued to improve over time, so what comes to market is even more consistent, relevant and trusted by customers.” 

6. Can you share a recent own-brand innovation that reflects changing customer needs?  

“Over the past decade, customer needs have evolved significantly, driven by different diets, greater awareness of allergies, more attention to ingredients and an underlying focus on health. Our U.S. brands have responded by adapting own-brand products to meet those needs. One recent example is the Taste of Inspirations snacking tomatoes sold at the local Ahold Delhaize USA brands’ stores. They offer a delicious, healthy alternative to traditional snacking options.” 

7. In today’s environment, affordability is critical. How do own brands help customers manage their grocery budgets without feeling like they are compromising? 

“After a shopping trip, customers want to feel they made the most of both their money and their time in-store. One way to meet that need is by offering different product tiers and choices, from simple commodities and meal builders to more premium options, all at accessible price points. Offering choice, including an opening price point option, tells customers that you have their best interests in mind.” 

“Offering choice, including an opening price point option, tells customers that you have their best interests in mind.”

8. How does trust in own brands contribute to customer loyalty?  

“Retailer trust and own-brand trust are tightly connected. The quality of one product can influence how customers view other products offered by the same retailer. For example, if a customer discovers that a non-food item is durable and dependable, they may be more likely to explore a food item from the same brand. When customers believe they have a variety of good options, it builds trust in the own brand and strengthens their trust in, and loyalty to, the retailer.”  

9. Looking ahead, what will distinguish successful own brands – and where do you see the biggest opportunities?  

“The next generation of own brands in the U.S. will be defined by speed to market, innovation and storytelling. Own brands will need to keep pace with trends, which means retailers will need to innovate more quickly and use faster iteration cycles. The more innovative products you have, the more important it becomes to tell a compelling story, both about the brand and about the product, so customers understand what is available and why it is relevant to them."

10. How do you see the importance of own brands evolving in the years ahead, particularly as digital and AI shape shopping?  

“Own brands have been a priority for many years in the U.S., and we still have tremendous opportunities to keep growing. In fact, with generative AI and more agentic shopping, own brands become an even more important lever, because they can only be purchased at each of Ahold Delhaize USA local brands’ stores. As purchasing channels evolve, own brands will become even more crucial to customer retention. This provides us with exciting growth opportunities for the future." 

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.

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.

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.

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.

On 24 June 2015, Ahold and Delhaize Group announced their intention to merge. Just over a year later, Ahold Delhaize was born, bringing together two great companies with deep roots in local communities and a shared ambition to serve customers in the best possible way by building a stronger, more innovative food retail group.

Since then, the company has navigated a decade marked by unprecedented change, from a global pandemic and inflationary pressures to rapid advances in technology and evolving customer and stakeholder expectations. Throughout these often-challenging times, associates at Ahold Delhaize and its brands remained focused on what matters most: serving customers, supporting communities, contributing to a more resilient and sustainable food system and creating value for all stakeholders.

A family of local brands
What began as one of the world’s largest cross-border mergers in food retail has evolved into a company that combines local customer relevance with international scale, shared expertise and leading omnichannel capabilities. Today, Ahold Delhaize is a family of 17 local brands across the United States, Europe and Indonesia that employs 384,000 associates. It serves 77 million customers weekly, both online and in more than 9,500 stores, holds a number 1 or 2 position in all the markets in which it operates, and it has created substantial and sustainable value for shareholders.

Frans Muller, President & CEO of Ahold Delhaize, said: “When Ahold and Delhaize Group came together, we believed local brands would be stronger when supported by international scale. Ten years later, that belief has proven right. Our brands remain deeply connected to the customers and communities they serve, while benefiting from our scale, shared expertise, technology and innovation. Combined with the dedication of our associates, that is our secret sauce. It has enabled us to grow, adapt and create value over the past decade, and it gives me great confidence for the future.”

Ready for the future
Looking forward, food retail will continue to be shaped by technological innovation, greater personalization, continued growth in omnichannel shopping, and further increasing demand for affordable, healthier and more sustainable food choices. Ahold Delhaize’s model of strong local brands, supported by scale, innovation and high-quality own brand assortments, positions us well to navigate those changes. And the Growing Together strategy, started in 2025 with a four-year timespan, enables us to continue to build on those strengths.

Jolanda Poots-Bijl, CFO of Ahold Delhaize, said: "The next decade of food retail will bring profound change, and we are well positioned to seize the opportunities ahead. Our strong foundation is built on a relentless focus on customers, trusted local brands, talented associates, deep customer relationships and leading capabilities in digital and technology. By leveraging these strengths at scale, while remaining committed to affordability, health and sustainability, we will continue to create lasting value for all our stakeholders."

Today's gong ceremony marks the start of a new chapter. Ahold Delhaize is ready for its second decade.

Sustainability 
 

Advancing circular energy solutions with Moment Energy

Included in this new round of investments is Moment Energy, a pioneer in repurposed battery energy storage systems (BESS) and the first company in North America to manufacture certified, commercial-scale systems using second-life electric vehicle batteries. Built on the principle that every battery deserves a second life, Moment Energy’s platform extends EV battery lifespan, preventing premature recycling and landfill waste while enabling more sustainable energy use. Its cost-effective BESS solutions deliver reliable and flexible energy storage at scale across grocery retail infrastructure as well as in settings including data centers, hospitals, factories and microgrids. 

As Ingrid Maes, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of W23 Global, noted, “Moment Energy is meaningfully advancing what’s possible in sustainable retail infrastructure and supply chain circularity. As grocery operations face rising energy costs and increasing demand pressures, Moment Energy's second-life storage systems give retailers a faster, cleaner path to reliable backup power, while significantly reducing peak-demand utility costs.” 

Optimizing energy portfolios with Verse 

W23 Global is also investing in Verse, an energy intelligence platform that helps large-scale energy consumers manage increasingly complex energy portfolios. Its core product, Aria™, centralizes utility bills, contracts, and power purchase agreements across thousands of sites, providing a unified view of energy data. This enables retailers to compare forecasts to actual performance across stores, distribution centers and other physical assets, make smarter procurement decisions, and optimize costs and risk. With the addition of Dispatch Intelligence, Verse also orchestrates on-site energy resources in real time, helping AI infrastructure come online faster in a constrained grid environment. 

AI-enabled operations
 

Enabling secure agent-driven commerce with Skyfire

Expanding its focus to the emerging landscape of AI-driven commerce, W23 Global is investing in Skyfire, which is building a cross-ecosystem trust and permission layer for the agentic economy. The platform provides a secure identity and financial stack that enables retailers to distinguish trusted AI shopping agents from malicious automation. Through verified “Know Your Agent” (KYA) credentials and integrated payment capabilities, Skyfire allows businesses to safely open their digital channels to autonomous shoppers. 

"Skyfire is providing the critical infrastructure required to turn the rise of autonomous AI into a new frontier of growth for retailers," said Ingrid Maes, CEO and CIO of W23 Global. "By upgrading traditional commerce stacks with a dedicated agent identity and payment layer, Skyfire provides the key to unlock high-intent agent demand while shielding systems from the surge of bot-driven cyber risk. Skyfire provides the infrastructure retailers need to capture and process automated transactions securely and instantly.” 

Scaling compliant marketing with Haast

Among its latest investments, W23 Global is investing in Haast, an AI-native platform designed to automate marketing compliance and brand protection for consumer industries. Founded in 2023, Haast supports retailers in managing compliance across the full content lifecycle, from pre-publication review to continuous monitoring of live channels. Operating across text, image, video, and audio, the platform helps ensure consistent, compliant messaging while accelerating approval processes. It helps marketing, legal, and compliance teams save time, reduce risk, and speed up content approvals in a complex regulatory environment. 

Elevating customer experience with Cresta 

W23 Global also announces its investment in Cresta, a unified platform in human-centric generative AI for contact centers. Cresta’s platform combines autonomous AI agents with real-time coaching and conversation intelligence for human teams. Originating from the Stanford AI Lab and led by the co-founder of Google’s AI Contact Center, the company helps teams work more effectively by turning conversational data into live agent assistance. Their scalable technology has already delivered measurable operational results for global enterprises, with over 80 businesses as customers. 

As Ingrid Maes, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of W23 Global, noted, "Customer service has become a critical point of differentiation for retailers. The opportunity is no longer simply to automate interactions, but to deliver faster, more personalized and more consistent customer experiences while fundamentally improving the economics of service. We believe Cresta is one of the companies best positioned to help retailers achieve both." 

About W23 Global

W23 Global is a global grocery retail venture capital fund backed by five leading grocery retailers: Tesco (UK, ROI, Europe), Ahold Delhaize (U.S., Europe, Indonesia), Woolworths Group (Australia, New Zealand), Shoprite Group (Africa), and Empire Company Limited (Canada). W23 Global invests in innovative start-ups and scale-ups developing technology to transform grocery retail. Its work focuses on supporting companies that build solutions with practical application across markets, helping advance the way retailers operate and serve customers while addressing sustainability challenges. As technology continues to shape the future of grocery retail, W23 Global remains focused on solutions that make a tangible difference for both customers and retailers.  

For more information about W23 Global, visit www.w23.vc. 

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.

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

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.

Ahold Delhaize operates in a world where grocery affordability is under real pressure, from global supply chain shifts to persistent inflation. Keeping food accessible for millions of families while maintaining a healthy, low-margin business is a daily reality.

At the heart of how Ahold Delhaize manages this is Save for Our Customers; a group-wide cost savings program that finds efficiencies across the business and reinvests savings back into customer value. We sat down with André Blesing, Senior Vice President of Business Planning & Performance, to find out how.

1. How is this more than a savings target? 

“Save for Our Customers is not just about cutting costs. It is about creating a mindset across the organization: every euro we save can help us invest in better value for customers. It should constantly challenge you to ask: can this be done better, simpler, or more efficiently? Not just to make things cheaper, but to create room to invest where it truly adds value for the customer. It has three clear elements: 

• Buy better It starts with making sharp, well-considered choices in what and how we purchase. It’s not only about price, but also about quality, supplier partnerships, and long-term value.
• Operate smarter How do we organize our work? Can processes be simplified, automated, or can we eliminate duplication? There is often a lot of untapped potential here to become more efficient without compromising quality.
• Waste less This can relate to time, resources, energy, or physical goods. Everything we don’t waste can be used for something that truly matters.” 

Blesing: “This efficiency strategy is backed by a highly successful, audited track record of execution. Ahold Delhaize is known for consistently delivering on its savings targets. Year after year, the Save for Our Customers initiative has successfully generated between €1.25 billion and €1.3 billion in annual savings, establishing the foundation required to navigate the macroeconomic environments for the company and its customers. It allows us to continue investing in better and healthier own-brand products, lower prices, and a stronger value proposition for our customers, while supporting our broader Healthy Communities & Planet ambitions” 

2. The ambition is growing  

“Scale remains one of Ahold Delhaize's greatest assets, and the company is continuously elevating its efficiency targets. Between 2025 and 2028, the group is aiming for €5 billion in cumulative savings. We will achieve this by stepping up joint sourcing, applying AI and automation in logistics, distribution, store operations, and back-office functions, and by simplifying and refining our operating model. This allows us to operate both more efficiently and more sustainably.” Blesing says.  

3. How cost savings help fuel growth.  

Blesing: “The Save for Our Customers program directly drives Ahold Delhaize’s broader growth model. By systematically eliminating operational waste, the company generates the necessary financial room to invest back into the business. This structural efficiency allows local brands to invest in their winning customer value proposition, including lower prices and fund innovations, which in turn drives higher sales volumes and market share, creating a cycle of growth.” 

“Every euro we save gives us more room to invest in what matters most: affordable groceries, better service and stronger local brands.” 

4. How AI helps to predict what customers need. 

Technology is fundamentally reshaping inventory management, enabling local brands to move to highly predictive models. What makes this shift possible is our ability to reinvest savings into advanced capabilities like AI. 

As Blesing explains: “We deliberately use the funds generated through Save for Our Customers to invest in technologies that drive further innovation and efficiency. Advanced AI systems allow teams to analyze store operations end-to-end. By leveraging historical data, we create hindsight, generate real-time insights into shelf movement, and build predictive foresight.” 

By incorporating variables such as weather patterns and seasonal demand, these systems can forecast with higher precision. This is clearly illustrated by Albert Heijn’s dynamic markdown capability, where products approaching their expiration date are automatically offered at reduced prices in-store to help prevent food waste. The result is a triple win: reducing food waste while offering better value to customers and protecting margins. 

Ultimately, this shows how savings are not an end in themselves - they are a means to fund smarter, more future-proof ways of working.”  

5. How local brands benefit from a shared scale.  

Blesing: “Ahold Delhaize operates a decentralized family of local brands and utilizes global and regional scale to provide  competitive edge. For example, European brands are increasingly aligning product specifications to source high-volume items collectively. By consolidating purchasing volumes and harmonizing requirements, such as shared ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) certification standards, the group drives major procurement efficiencies without compromising quality. It even improves quality and service for customers.”  

6. How cost savings also improve the workday.

Blesing: “By structurally reducing costs, Ahold Delhaize frees up resources to focus on what truly matters for our customers. It’s not about saving for the sake of saving, it’s about creating the capacity to invest in a better customer experience and supporting our teams where they add the most value. These efficiencies allow us to redirect time, attention, and investment away from routine or low-value activities, and toward areas where we can genuinely make a difference for shoppers, whether that’s improving service, enhancing assortment, or making shopping more seamless and convenient.  A good example is how we invest in technology to support our people. Albert Heijn’s AI assistant, which is used daily by 80,000 colleagues across the organization, exemplifies this approach. The tool provides store associates with instant access to operational and product information, reducing complexity in their daily work. As a result, customers can receive accurate answers immediately, without associates having to search for information or consult another colleague.” 

7.  How the program funds a $1 billion commitment to lower everyday shelf prices in the United States 

“The true power of organizational efficiency is realized when it directly alters the price tags on the shelves. A prime example of this is Ahold Delhaize’s commitment to invest $1 billion directly into lowering grocery prices across its U.S. brands between 2025 and 2028. The Save for Our Customers program acts as the funding mechanism for this initiative. By driving cost savings, including procurement, automation and simplification, the company can structurally lower the everyday cost, turning savings into a sustainable, long-term price promise at the register.” 

8. Efficiency helps absorb rising costs. The program serves as a vital financial shock absorber against escalating upstream supply chain costs 

“Before a product reaches a grocery bag, it navigates a complex, volatile and increasingly expensive global supply chain. Rising costs at the very beginning of the journey, such as escalating fertilizer prices for farmers or higher diesel or electricity costs for transport, threaten to push up retail food prices. Because Ahold Delhaize sits at the end of this value chain, its efficiency program successfully manages and partially absorbs these mounting global pressures behind the scenes, acting as a buffer that keeps the extra costs off the customer's final receipt as much as possible.”  

9. A statue of a customer at the corporate headquarters stands as the ultimate anchor for the program’s consumer mission. 

“This statue carries a clear and symbolic meaning. It represents the customer and is depicted as an everyday shopper carrying grocery bags, reflecting the reality of daily life. The statue was unveiled in 1990 during the opening of the headquarters and bears a powerful message: ‘Opdat wij nooit vergeten voor wie wij werken’ - 'So that we never forget who we are working for.’”

Blesing: “The statue serves as a physical reminder that everything we do is for the customer. Every decision should ultimately make life better, easier, or more affordable. Building on that principle, the combined strength following the merger created new opportunities to accelerate savings and reinvest them, enabling an even better, more affordable, and more compelling customer experience. And it continues to do so today.”

10. A personal question: when you've had dinner at a restaurant, do you always check the bill before paying? 

Blesing: “Yes and no — I generally have a rough idea of what the bill should be, and whenever it deviates, I always check it. In almost all of these cases, it turns out to be incorrect. This can go both ways: just last week I had a restaurant bill that was lower than expected, and when I checked, I noticed they had missed two coffees and some desserts, so I asked them to adjust it. At our last team event, they even added another table to our bill. It’s really worthwhile, both privately and at work, to always check the bill and, if necessary, challenge it.” 

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.

1. If you think back to the start of the merger process, what was one moment that made a big difference to you and the team?

“I remember the start of the merger very well. I was sitting in my study in Dusseldorf, where I was living at the time, and I picked up the phone to call Dick Boer, CEO of Ahold. He took my call – and the rest, as they say, was history.  One of the most pivotal early moments for me was when Dick and I received immediate, strong support from both our Supervisory Board Chairs. This gave the process an enormous boost and truly energized everyone.” 

2. Can you name one thing that surprised you about the merger – something you didn’t realize ahead of time?

“We were surprised when we heard that it was the biggest ever cross-border merger in food retail! It was something we didn’t realize or even think about as we were working hard to deliver on our plan. But it makes me even more proud of all the work our people did to put synergies in place and successfully integrate our teams and the underlying business.” 

3. What have you been most proud of over the past 10 years?  

“During the merger process itself, I'm proud of how our teams – some of whom came from brands that had been competing as food retailers for decades – came together in a very pragmatic and disciplined way to form this great company. We saw strong collaboration between associates in stores, functions, head offices, distribution centers, online and offline – all with the right combination of skills and with everyone understanding their roles. I think that has been a powerful element of our success. Over the past decade, I’m proud of how we have always kept a clear focus on what matters most to customers, communities, associates and all our stakeholders – in particular, how our brands have supported customers through turbulent times, aiming to make shopping more affordable, healthier and sustainable.” 

4. Is that part of what makes Ahold Delhaize most unique today?  

“Yes, I think that our proximity to customers and communities is truly special. Ahold Delhaize is unique in that we have very distinct brand strategies, omnichannel propositions, own brands and a very comprehensive and competitive e-commerce offering for our local communities. And I'm very happy that we are a company that has invested well in our store fleet, in technology, innovation and data.  

But first and foremost, we are a company of great local brands with a high level of autonomy, accountability and ownership, that are close to communities and close to our people.” 

“Our brands deeply understand the needs of local customers and communities. I think that's the secret sauce of our company, and, among retailers of our size, it makes us unique.” 

5. Looking forward, what excites you most about what's next for Ahold Delhaize?  

“I believe we have a strong foundation – strong teams, strong brands, leading market positions, and a solid balance sheet. Our high relative market shares combined with brand strength give us options to grow and develop the company, to further improve our already strong customer value propositions and to invest more in technology solutions that consumers are asking for and that our company will benefit from. So, I’m most excited by the fact that this solid foundation gives us a lot of freedom to create opportunities for the future.” 

6. Where do you see the company in 10 more years?  

“Well, first, I see myself as still being a very proud shopper at our brands. As for the company, hopefully we will have more brands and operate in more geographies, because I think scale through expansion is important. And I believe our omnichannel strategy, that we launched 10 years ago, will remain super valid and relevant – and I hope that we’ll get even smarter in meeting customer expectations. Technology will further fuel us here. 

I believe the food retail journey will change quite a lot in the next decade. Speed will be important, and sustainably sourced products will be an even bigger differentiator for customers. I hope we will still have a strong purpose and contribute to society, making sure people can find affordable, healthy, sustainably sourced food, helping them with their health and feeding families in an affordable way. That is the cornerstone of our company.

I believe we will also be an even better employer for young people, that our purpose will attract folks who want to be a part of it and that they will enjoy the diversity of the teams, that they feel welcome, that they can make an impact, and learn from each other. And at the same time, of course, continue to win in our markets, because I believe this is what happens when you bring people together with the right purpose and the right strategy.” 

“I believe the food retail journey will change quite a lot in the next decade”   

7. Will physical stores remain important in the future? 

“Actually, the combination of physical stores and online shopping will continue to be a very strong proposition for the future. While I believe that share of e-commerce will rise, people will still like to see what we have to offer, shop for themselves and get inspiration, new ideas and new recipes. Our convenient network of close to 10,000 stores not only provides that shopping experience but also has an important function in the community and society. 

While there will always be a part of our customer base that only shops online or only shops in the stores, in 10 years’ time, I think offering both - through omnichannel - will be an even more powerful proposition.” 

8. How do you see assortments changing?  

“We might see a reduction in center store assortments and expansion of produce and fresh products. While our large assortments, particularly in the U.S., are important, these changes will make it easier for customers to make choices. I believe our total store size in Europe will be more focused on smaller stores at a higher density. We will also have a higher own-brand participation, and it will be increasingly important to pursue efficiency in the supply chain that makes high-quality groceries more affordable to customers.”  

9. Personalization is very popular with our customers. What will this be like in five or 10 years’ time – and is Ahold Delhaize prepared? 

“Our customers expect us to understand them very well. They want to be addressed in a way that is relevant to them when it comes to promotions, inspiration, and recipes. This will only become more important – in the future, consumers will no longer accept irrelevant or middle-of-the road promotions.  

Ahold Delhaize’s brands can be a very, very good partner in catering to customers’ needs in this way because we have invested heavily in data, loyalty and personalization. We have all the tools we need – whether it is AI or predictive tools and predictive analytics – to make things hyper personalized for customers. And we have the opportunity to be even more precise and seamless in how we do it, while also taking the utmost care to protect customers’ privacy. So, I think there are more exciting things to come!” 

10. How important is the role of local communities for our local brands and Ahold Delhaize? 

“We sometimes get questions about whether it makes sense to operate our 17 great local brands. People wonder if it’s less efficient compared to having only one banner. But I'm convinced that retail is very local, and our great local brands enable us to be closely connected to our communities and understand local customers, farmers and vendors – a very important element in our strategy. Being close to communities and being that trusted partner for customers has only become increasingly important over the past 10 years.” 

11. Any final words for the Ahold Delhaize team?  

“I wish you all a great time in the coming 10 years. Let's look into the future with a lot of confidence because a good company with great people can do even more than we have already done in the last 10 years – and that makes me super hopeful and confident. All the best to you!” 

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.

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 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.

Expanding our own‑brand products ranges
Own brands are one of the most important tools our brands have to help families access quality products at competitive prices. They offer greater control over the supply chain so they can better control costs and optimize sourcing and packaging. They also enable our brands to use their deep knowledge of customers to create products that meet local needs.  

Our brands continue to grow and expand these differentiating ranges – striving to reach our goal of making own brands around 45% of total food sales by 2028. In 2025, our brands introduced 1,100 new own-brand products in the U.S. and 1,450 in Europe, including 250 entry-priced products. Each of our European brands offers over 900 Price Favorite products, providing customers with greater choice and value. Own brands continue to outpace the rest of the products in our brands’ stores in terms of sales and volume, showing they are well appreciated by customers.


 
Price investments in the U.S.
By strategically lowering prices on key products and broadening their everyday low-price assortments, our brands are building customer trust, driving volume growth and increasing market share. Our Ahold Delhaize USA brands are launching their second round of price investments this year, toward a total of $1 billion planned between 2025 and 2028. Some local examples of how the U.S. brands are lowering prices to make groceries more affordable include:

• Stop & Shop has been lowering everyday prices across key states and will expand these price investments across its full fleet of stores by the end of 2026.
• The GIANT Company has launched its “Simply Low” campaign that includes price investments, particularly on own-brand products, to keep groceries more affordable.
• Giant Food has lowered the price of hundreds of products across its own-brand portfolio through its “Fresh Low Prices” initiative.
   

Saving to invest for customers
Through our company-wide Save for Our Customers program, we aim to save €5 billion between 2025 and 2028, to be reinvested into our winning customer value proposition, technology and sustainability agenda to fuel future growth. The program focuses on areas such as sourcing, simplification initiatives, automation, and further leveraging the power of data and AI across Ahold Delhaize. As part of it, our brands have local savings initiatives in place, such as Buy Better at Albert Heijn and Delhaize, which expands customers’ access to quality food by generating savings through tailored purchasing strategies, value chain optimization and synergies between the two brands.

In 2025, we achieved €1.3 billion in cost savings through the program, to fund all the things that create value for customers, including smart technology, modern and inviting stores, more sustainable refrigeration and expanded electric vehicle fleets for online deliveries. We expect to save at least another €1.25 billion in 2026.



Tailoring promotions to create more value
Our brands’ loyalty programs are increasingly helping customers access offers that are personalized to their needs, further driving value and helping make shopping more affordable. Each year, our brands provide billions of tailored offers to customers – and they continue to optimize the way they deliver these offers, ensuring they are increasingly relevant and make it easier for customers to save in ways that fit their daily lives. Our U.S. brands delivered over 14.2 billion personalized offers in 2025, up a whopping 18% over the previous year.

We aim to reach 80% omnichannel loyalty sales penetration by 2028 – and are transforming our loyalty programs to get there. All our European brands have recently launched new or enhanced digital features as part of their loyalty programs, such as a new My Albert app in the Czech Republic and an award-winning AB Plus program in Greece. Albert Heijn rolled out an AI-powered assistant, Steijn, that is helping customers figure out what to make for dinner by suggesting personalized recipes and step-by-step guidance – making it easier for people to save money by eating at home.
 

Sourcing together across our European brands
Sourcing together is another way our brands can save money that can be invested into affordable prices for customers. Our European brands, in particular, put a strong focus on shared sourcing and are working to expand these efforts, with a focus on own-brand products. By harmonizing own-brand products – standardizing in areas like packaging, sourcing and production – they are able to create better economies of scale and a faster path to innovation. In 2025, our European brands expanded their joint sourcing portfolio with 167 new products, including 100 items in their Price Favorite range. 

During the first half of this year, our brands across the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Greece identified hundreds of key value items where they see further opportunities to harmonize products and take better advantage of our scale. These staple products are purchased frequently by our customers, so the ability to source together and lower prices on products like these helps make the average shopping basket more affordable.

In addition, our brands in Europe have worked with strategic purchasing alliances, such as Eurelec and Coopernic, for years, leveraging our scale to deliver value to customers while maintaining strong relationships with suppliers.

For more information on how our European brands leverage shared sourcing, see our recent article on ‘Joint sourcing for more affordable, healthy and sustainable food in Europe’.
 

Building trust – and a stronger business
All our brands’ efforts to lower prices and deliver better value show customers that we’re there for them – that we value their loyalty and are earning their trust. And the results prove making everyday food more affordable is not only good for our customers, it supports the long-term resilience and growth of all our brands.

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 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.

KickstartAI was founded in 2019 based on the shared belief that the Netherlands needs not only strong technology and talent, but above all, organizations that know how to apply AI to issues that truly matter. That is why it focuses on applications that have a direct effect on societal challenges.  

Knowledge sharing through KickstartAI is helping Ahold Delhaize brands solve some important challenges. For example, bol is using AI models to optimize the prediction of parcel volumes, resulting in more efficient transport. Albert Heijn is driving waste reduction through dynamic mark downs and Delhaize is lowering food waste through improved forecasting. 

The foundation is also helping us attract, develop and retain top talent, contribute to academic and societal debate around AI decision making, and drive community and social impact. KickstartAI works with organizations such as Erasmus MC and the National Police on projects that show what is needed not only to develop and test AI, but also to truly implement and scale it in practice. 

That practical experience is urgently needed. The Netherlands faces major societal and economic challenges, from declining productivity growth and rising healthcare costs to climate pressure and congested infrastructure. AI can help deliver concrete progress on precisely these types of issues, provided that organizations make the transition from experimentation to application at scale. 

“KickstartAI not only provides a valuable place to exchange knowledge and jointly develop and implement AI applications,” said our CEO Frans Muller, “it also gives us the opportunity to apply our knowledge and experience beyond our own business, in areas where the impact is significant.” 

“The biggest challenge around AI right now is not the technology itself, but the step from ambition to application,” said Erick Webbe, CEO of KickstartAI. “Real progress happens when you work together on concrete solutions, learn from them and share those lessons so others can move faster. In this new phase, we want to expand our group of partners so that successful applications and practical lessons can spread more quickly to other sectors and further increase the positive impact of AI in the Netherlands.” 

About KickstartAI 
KickstartAI is an independent foundation, founded by Ahold Delhaize, ING, KLM and NS, that helps organizations move from individual AI pilots to demonstrable societal impact. KickstartAI shows where AI works in practice, what is needed to scale successful solutions, and how those lessons can be applied more broadly in the Netherlands. For more information, visit kickstart.ai. 

Download the share buyback transactions excel sheet for detailed individual transaction information from https://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’s local brands source products from more than 180 countries and work with over 15,000 direct suppliers. Together, they serve 77 million customers every week. For us, sourcing food responsibly is about more than where products come from. It is about working together across brands to make everyday food, safe, affordable and healthier – for as many people as possible – and to support the transition to a more sustainable food system. 

Ahold Delhaize’s European brands continue to raise the bar and expand their shared sourcing efforts, with the aim to support affordability, increase access to healthier food and build more resilient supply chains. 

Harmonizing across own-brand product ranges 
One of the most important ways our European brands are working together is by harmonizing products across their own-brand product ranges. For example, they might agree to harmonize their recipes, ingredients, and packaging for an own-brand pasta sauce product. This enables them to reduce complexity in packaging and logistics, consolidate volumes and pass savings on to customers. 

So far this year, the brands have identified hundreds of key value items across our six European markets – the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Greece – where we see further opportunities to harmonize products and take better advantage of our scale. These products – from bananas to yogurt to toilet paper – play a critical role in our value proposition: they are purchased frequently, strongly influence price perception, and show limited need for local differentiation. 

These efforts build on the work our European brands did in 2025 to ramp up their shared approach to sourcing in order to keep everyday essentials affordable for customers. Sourcing together and combining volumes enables the brands to buy ingredients and products more efficiently, plan further ahead, build stronger long-term relationships with suppliers, reduce unnecessary complexity in the supply chain, and lower costs. And the money they save can be invested back into affordable prices for customers.  

In 2025, our European brands expanded their joint sourcing portfolio with 167 new products, including 100 items in their Price Favorite range. By the end of the year each of the European brands offered over 900 Price Favorite products, providing customers with greater choice and value across their assortments. Overall, the brands added 1,450 new own-brand products in Europe last year. 

Innovating through own brands 
For our European brands, own brands are also a way to play a leading role in innovation by leveraging their deep local insights and strong development capabilities. Own brands enable them to launch differentiated products that help customers make better choices without compromising on quality or taste.  

Some recent successes are Albert Heijn’s renewed own-brand BBQ assortment with over 80 new products – launched right in time for the sunny weather. Alfa Beta’s award-winning own-brand range “AB close to the Greek land” highlights their commitment to high-quality products inspired by the richness of Greek gastronomy and local production. And Maxi Serbia has significantly stepped up their own-brand offering to support customers who have faced ongoing pressure on their household budget in the country. Innovations like these in Europe continue to inspire product development across Ahold Delhaize as we pursue our ambition of 45% own-brand sales. 

Making healthy and sustainable choices easier and more accessible 
Joint sourcing also plays a key role in helping customers eat healthier and more sustainably. In 2025, more than half (52.1%) of Ahold Delhaize’s own‑brand food sales came from products classified as healthy. This reflects years of work across brands to improve everyday products – reducing salt, sugar and saturated fat, and increasing healthier options – while keeping prices accessible. Because many of our brands work with the same suppliers, cooperating means improvements can be made at scale. When a supplier reformulates an ingredient or improves a recipe, that change can benefit multiple brands and millions of customers. You can see this approach in action at the local brands. 

At Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, working together with shared suppliers has helped improve the recipes of everyday own‑brand products – cutting back on sugar, salt and saturated fat while keeping prices affordable for customers.  For example, Albert Heijn reduced the sugar in all its own-brand products by the equivalent of 134 million sugar cubes in 2025. You can read more about Albert Heijn’s progress in making its own-brand products healthier in its 2025 Impact Report.  

At Delhaize in Belgium, the same joint sourcing approach supports a wide range of healthier own‑brand products, including reduced‑salt and reduced‑sugar options that are part of many families’ regular weekly shopping basket – not premium products, but everyday choices. In 2025, Delhaize also launched a selection of hybrid protein products that blend traditional meat flavors with the advantages of plant-based ingredients – based on inspiration from Albert Heijn. 

Working with suppliers at scale also helps our brands source more responsibly and reduce waste. For example, as they harmonize own-brand products, our European brands are also working to reduce packaging materials – particularly the use of virgin plastic – for these ranges. In 2025, we surpassed our target to reduce the use of virgin plastic packaging as a result of several brand initiatives to improve plastic own-brand packaging. 

Building for the long term 
Joint sourcing is not about quick wins. It is a continuous effort to build a food system that works for customers, suppliers, and communities. By working together to create more affordable, healthy and responsible product ranges, our European brands continue to unlock meaningful benefits for both customers and the planet. Because what happens at the source ultimately shapes what ends up on the shelf. 

To learn more about joint sourcing at Ahold Delhaize, watch Robert’s story below.   

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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.

Claude was appointed CEO of Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia in 2024, joining the company from Metro where he served as a member of the Management Board and held the position of Chief Customer and Merchandise Officer at Metro Group in Dusseldorf, Germany. During his tenure at Ahold Delhaize, he has played an important role in strengthening the European leadership team, improving business performance, advancing own-brand strategies and joint sourcing. 

“I want to thank Claude for his contribution to Ahold Delhaize, and I have confidence in our leadership team to continue delivering our strategy,” said Frans Muller, President and CEO of Ahold Delhaize. “Claude has been a valued colleague and leader, with a keen eye for leveraging scale across the company, including such areas as sourcing and digital, while fostering collaboration across markets. We appreciate his perspective in our Management Board discussions and wish him well for the future.” 

"After a rewarding time with Ahold Delhaize I have decided to accept a new opportunity outside the company,” said Claude. “From the first day onwards I have been impressed by the exceptional drive, the talent and the full dedication of all the Ahold Delhaize teams that I have had the privilege to work with. I am proud of the strong results we have delivered and the progress we have made to better leverage our Group scale in support of our great local brands and their customers. I leave with great respect for the company and full confidence in its future. Until my departure, my focus remains on the implementation of our strategy while working towards a seamless transition."  

“I am grateful for the leadership and contribution Claude has brought to Ahold Delhaize during his time with the company,” said Wiebe Draijer, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Ahold Delhaize. “Claude is a highly regarded leader, and we appreciate his commitment to remain fully engaged to support an orderly transition. On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I would like to thank him for his dedication and wish him success in his next role.” 

The Supervisory Board has initiated the succession process and will provide updates as appropriate.

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 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.

What inspired you to go into technology and what key moments led you to your current role?

I’ve always been drawn to problem-solving and building things that make a difference in people’s lives. Early in my career, technology felt like the perfect intersection of logic, creativity and impact. Over time, key experiences like leading teams through large-scale change, learning from failure in addition to success and seeing the impact of technology on the overall business shaped my path. Each of my roles reinforced for me that technology isn’t just about data and systems; it’s about people and outcomes.

Did mentors or role models influence your career and did that influence your leadership style?

I’ve been fortunate to learn from leaders who challenged me, trusted me with meaningful responsibility and led with empathy alongside high expectations. Those experiences shaped how I lead today. I strive to create an environment where people feel supported and empowered to grow, while staying focused on delivering results.

From your perspective, what defines the culture of technology at Ahold Delhaize USA and what makes it a great place to build a career?

Our culture is grounded in purpose and partnership. Guided by our #OneTech mission, we focus on enabling the business to run every day, while creating differentiated value and paving the way for the future. Our team is encouraged to think boldly, but always with a clear tie to how our work supports customers, associates and our brands. Collaboration is core to how we work, across functions and with each of our brands, and there’s a strong sense of shared ownership. Equally important, we invest in our people by valuing diverse perspectives, supporting development and creating space for continuous learning and growth.

How do you approach decision-making when speed, innovation, and security all compete—and technology decisions affect millions of customers?

It starts with trust. Speed and innovation are essential, but they can never come at the expense of security or reliability. We rely on strong principles, deep expertise and clear priorities to guide decisions. Sometimes that means moving quickly; other times it means slowing down to make sure we get it right. It’s about balance and staying grounded in what’s best for our stakeholders, whether that’s our brands, associates or customers.

Can you share a recent example where technology from your team quietly improved life for customers or colleagues?

Many of the best examples are the ones no one notices because everything works seamlessly. Whether it’s improving system reliability during peak times, simplifying workflows for associates or enhancing how data flows behind the scenes, those behind-the-scenes improvements make a real difference. When technology works as it should and enables people to do their best work, that’s success.

With AI changing so many jobs, how do you think tech careers will look different in the future? How might AI help or challenge young engineers?

AI will continue to transform how work gets done, especially by automating routine tasks and accelerating learning and development. For young engineers, AI can be a powerful tool, helping you experiment, build faster and focus on higher-impact challenges. At the same time, it makes human skills like critical thinking, creativity and ethical judgment even more important.

How does your team create a place where diverse talent can grow and help drive our digital goals?

We are intentional about building teams where people are included and valued. That includes mentorship, development opportunities and leaders who actively listen and invest in their teams. When people feel they belong, they contribute more fully, and that in turn helps fuel innovation and progress.

What would you say to a girl who’s interested in tech, but isn’t sure if she belongs?

You belong. Technology needs many different perspectives, experiences and ways of thinking. Don’t wait to feel perfectly ready; no one ever does. Stay curious, ask questions and seek out people who support and encourage you. Your voice and ideas matter more than you may realize.

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.

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

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.

What Product Carbon Footprinting means

• Prioritize actions that strengthen long-term supply resilience and food security.
• Better recognize and support suppliers who are investing in lower-impact production.
• Inform decisions on assortment, sourcing, and innovation.
• Better identify where supply chains may be more vulnerable to climate and cost pressures.
• Unlock new opportunities to reduce emissions across our value chain.
• In short, this shifts us from managing overall emissions to better managing risk and opportunity across our value chain.

Working with partners and suppliers
To support this transition, we are partnering with HowGood, to build product-level insights across our assortments. We will also work directly with suppliers – through the HowGood platform and one-on-one engagement – to gather better data and reflect the actions they are taking to reduce their footprint.

This collaboration is essential. Progress at scale depends on working together across the value chain and grounding decisions in how food is produced.

We are also contributing to broader industry efforts to help establish more consistent approaches to product-level emissions data, including the WBCSD Partnership for Carbon Transparency (PACT) and the Global Sustainability Transition Alliance (GSTA), a program delivered by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and Wageningen University and Research.

Revisiting our baseline
As PCF provides a more accurate and detailed view of our emissions, we will recalculate our 2020 scope 3 purchased goods baseline to ensure full comparability over time. Any changes will reflect improved data quality, not a change in our targets or underlying performance.

Looking ahead
The transition to PCF is not an end in itself. It is a step toward building a more resilient business. Better product-level insights will help us decarbonize our value chain. And more importantly, strengthen supply security, support suppliers through transition, and enable better commercial decisions over time.

In a more volatile and resource-constrained world, this level of insight is becoming essential to how we operate.

For more information about our climate agenda as part of our Healthier Communities and Planet strategic priority, please visit our Annual Report.

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. Use Less: becoming more energy-efficient
The cleanest energy is the energy you don’t use. Across our brands, we continually improve energy efficiency with LED lighting, heat recuperation, heat pumps, smarter refrigeration systems, and better insulation. These upgrades make our stores, distribution centers, and offices significantly more energy‑efficient and fit for the future.
 
2. Make Our Own: generating renewable power on-site
Where possible, we generate our own clean electricity. Thousands of solar panels on the roofs of our stores, distribution centers, and offices help power our operations with sunshine. This reduces our reliance on the grid and allows us to produce renewable electricity close to where it’s used. In 2025, the use of solar panels enabled us to increase the electricity generated and used on-site by 62% compared to 2024.

3. Buy Green: bringing new renewable energy onto the grid
It is not feasible to cut back our energy consumption to zero, nor to generate all the electricity we require ourselves. To cover the rest of our electricity needs, we invest in renewable energy through long‑term contracts. This is where Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) come in.

What are Power Purchase Agreements?
PPAs are long-term offtake agreements between a renewable energy developer and an electricity consumer (usually a company) that make it possible for a solar/wind park to come into existence. Through these agreements, a minimum income level is guaranteed to a developer for the electricity generated by the renewable energy installation. Having secured a steady income flow, the developer is able to finance the construction of the project. In return, the consumer receives renewable energy or renewable energy certificates.

There are two types of PPAs:

• Direct PPAs are long‑term agreements in which the buyer receives electricity from a nearby renewable energy project. It usually requires the developer and consumer to operate in close vicinity.
• Virtual PPAs (VPPAs) work similarly, but instead of receiving electricity physically, the buyer supports the development of the project financially and receives the renewable energy certificates it generates. The renewable energy generated is sold into the local grid, for example to households or businesses in that market.

By entering into a PPA, companies like Ahold Delhaize directly support the creation of renewable power plants, which is essential to accelerate the transition to a low‑carbon economy.

Examples from our markets
In Europe, we have supported a large solar plant development in Spain, and new wind farms in the Netherlands, Romania and Finland through a total so far of four (V)PPAs. In the U.S., our local brands have entered into a total of eleven agreements tied to underlying PPAs for renewable energy to support the construction of solar projects on the East Coast, between Maine and Maryland/DC.

These projects generate nearly 2,000 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity annually and significantly increase the share of our operations powered by renewables.

Looking ahead
Going forward, we will continue advancing our efforts in reducing energy usage, generating our own renewable electricity and buying green energy. Every partnership, efficiency upgrade and renewable agreement brings us closer to achieving our climate targets and ambitions, enables us to contribute to the renewable energy infrastructure in the U.S. and Europe, and strengthens our energy resilience. 

For more information about our Healthier Communities and Planet strategic priority, please visit our Annual Report. 

To learn more about how we bring Power Purchase Agreements to life, watch Isabelle’s story below:

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.

JJ has spent his entire 36-year career in grocery retail in Ahold Delhaize companies, including Food Lion, our largest U.S. brand. Throughout his service with the company, he has held a diverse array of executive leadership roles, covering strategy, commercial, digital, retail operations, marketing and merchandising. As the leader of Peapod Digital Labs, JJ was instrumental in laying the foundations of the omnichannel model that continues to drive the company’s success. He was appointed CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA and member of the Ahold Delhaize Management Board at the company’s 2023 shareholder meeting.

“I am grateful for the strong omnichannel foundation JJ has helped build, and I have full confidence in our U.S. leadership team to continue executing our Growing Together strategy,” said Frans Muller, President and CEO of Ahold Delhaize. “JJ’s strength in bringing teams together, developing a ‘winning together’ culture, combined with his ability to recognize talent and personal leadership will leave a lasting legacy in our company. We have appreciated JJ’s vision and business insights as part of our Management Board conversations and wish him success in his future endeavors.”

“Over the past 36 years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside extraordinary teams across the companies of Ahold Delhaize, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together for our customers and communities,” said JJ. “As I look ahead to a new chapter, I’m grateful for the associates who bring our brands to life every day, and I’m committed to supporting a smooth transition.”

“On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I would like to thank JJ for his dedicated leadership and the progress made across our U.S. businesses,” added Wiebe Draijer, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Ahold Delhaize. “We are committed to an orderly transition and to ensuring continued focus on the execution of our Growing Together strategy, serving our customers and communities in the markets our brands operate in.”

The company will provide updates on the succession process as appropriate.

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 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 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.