Inspiring healthy habits to thousands of pupils
Maxi is committed to offering healthier choices across its stores and actively promotes the importance of balanced nutrition for a healthier lifestyle. Understanding that healthy habits begin early, the brand launched its Healthy Food Every Day school program in partnership with the Ministry of Education to encourage healthy eating among children.

Since its launch in September 2023, the program has reached fourth-grade students across Serbia, educating them on proper nutrition, hydration, and physical activity. It has visited 235 primary schools across the country engaging over 23,000 pupils through interactive and educational lessons and is set to continue next year.

Children’s responses to the program have been consistently positive, particularly for its interactive lectures. A highlight was the use of handheld voting devices, which allowed children to respond to pre-set questions such as “do you play any sports?” and “how often do you eat fruit?” making the experience both fun and informative. The insights gathered from this activity provided valuable information on students’ eating habits, later showcased at a public exhibition of the Healthy Food Every Day program held at the Kalemegdan Fortress in Belgrade.
 

Daily food donations make a lasting impact
Maxi has also been working diligently in its food donation efforts. In 2024 alone, nearly 2,000 tons of food was delivered to people in need through its donation programs. The importance of daily direct food donations carried out through the Food for All program at 14 locations across Serbia have been critical in its success. Nebojša Milosavljević, representative of Food Bank Vojvodina, comments “It is important for such support to be continuous and organized, as regular deliveries make a real difference in the lives of those who need help the most.”

“I would like to thank all our partners who support us in the programs we carry out for our community”, said Gorica Jovović, Brand President of Delhaize Serbia. “Both educating pupils about healthy nutrition and donating food to citizens would not be possible without all the teachers, schools, food banks, and humanitarian organizations. Our strength lies in the trust and partnerships we build - and we are committed to upholding this in the years to come.”

Supporting local producers and pesticide-free produce
Thanks to the strategic cooperation with more than 200 local producers of fruits and vegetables, Maxi customers have enjoyed a wide selection of locally sourced products at Maxi farmers’ markets over the past year. In addition, the company’s partnership with the Faculty of Agriculture has led to a significant expansion in the range of fruits and vegetables without pesticide residues. Since the launch of the Zero Residue program in 2022 – with just one supplier and seven products – the initiative has grown to include five suppliers and 17 certified products by the end of 2024. During that same period, the volume of Zero Residue products increased by an impressive 195%, reflecting both the program’s success and rising consumer demand for healthier, residue-free options.

Learn more about Maxi’s ongoing efforts in their 2024 Sustainability Report, available in Serbian and English. For more information and examples of our local brands’ approaches to healthier and more sustainable choices, please visit this page.

Building on years of experience in supporting healthier dietary choices and working with healthy sales targets, Ahold Delhaize is increasingly helping customers to make more sustainable choices. The brands’ strategies are tailored to their local markets and customer preferences. These include:

• Actively promoting plant-based product ranges and offering lower-carbon animal protein assortments.
• Working together with farmers and partners to reduce emissions of animal protein products.
• Leveraging loyalty programs and incentives to encourage customers to choose plant-based alternatives.
• Investing in inspiration and education, helping customers discover the benefits of healthier and more sustainable choices.

For more information and examples of our local brands’ approaches to healthier and more sustainable choices, please visit this webpage.
 

In 2022, Dutch brand Albert Heijn set its current protein split target of 60% plant-based sales by 2030.
 

-Ends-

Notes

• *Romanian food retailer Profi became part of the Ahold Delhaize family of brands in January 2025 and is not yet part of this target.
• The EAT Lancet Commission concluded in its report that a diet rich in plant-based foods and with fewer animal-derived foods confers both improved health and environmental benefits.
• Link to European Commission Farm to Fork strategy, including a section on protein transition.

Ahold Delhaize’s digital convergence journey 
This launch marks the final milestone in a six-country implementation. The first market to go live was Albert in the Czech Republic in February 2024. It was followed by Maxi in Serbia and Delhaize in Belgium in July, Delhaize Luxembourg in September, Mega Image in Romania in November and Alfa Beta in Greece completing the rollout. 

Gerhard van der Bijl, CTO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia: “Our new app showcases the value of engineering, of implementing technology at scale for our brands across Europe. We take pride not only in the product delivery, but also in the collaborative journey that made it possible. Successfully delivering all releases in a complex, multi-brand environment underscores our commitment to agility and innovation. This initiative not only enhances our customer experience but also drives substantial business value and positions us for sustained growth in the future. With this newly developed customer platform we have a strong foundation for customer innovation in the future.”  

Key features for customers of Ahold Delhaize’s European brands 

• Intuitive interface: Enhanced communication and improved accessibility for a seamless user experience.  
• Web-based login and registration: improved security measures to keep our customer data safe. 
• Retail media integration: Special offers and products recommended to customers based on their shopping history. 
• Cookie consent management: Ensuring transparency and giving customers control over how their data is used.  
• Larger product images and improved customer navigation: Making online shopping easier while offering a more visually appealing experience.  
• Multiple quantities of free products in exchange for points: Enabling customers to redeem more rewards. 

The journey ahead 
This series of launches is a strong example of strategic collaboration among Ahold Delhaize brands, as well as a foundation for delivering a vibrant customer experience that leverages scale and operational excellence​. Ahold Delhaize and its brands remain committed to continuously strengthening their shared technology foundation to drive cost efficiencies, accelerate innovation and support the customers of tomorrow.  

January 20, 2025 – Ahold Delhaize is proud to announce that the Top Employer Institute (TEI) has recognized both the company and the majority of its great local brands as Top Employers in 2025. This certification recognizes organizations that are dedicated to cultivating great places to work through excellent Human Resources policies and people practices. 

The Top Employer certification highlights Ahold Delhaize’s progress in its Thriving People strategic priority, part of its broader Growing Together strategy, which drives the company’s aspiration to be the leading (#1 or #2) employer of choice in each market. TEI has assessed our brands’ policies and unique practices, which may differ from one another. The recognition celebrates efforts to foster a caring, purpose-driven environment where the brands’ employees are valued, inspired, and empowered to grow and collaborate.  

In 2025, Ahold Delhaize Group and all of its U.S. brands – including ADUSA – achieved the Top Employer certification, alongside several European brands such as Mega Image (Romania), Maxi (Serbia), Alfa Beta (Greece), and Albert (Czechia). The assessment, based on TEI’s HR Best Practices Survey, evaluates organizations based on several areas, including people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, diversity, equity & inclusion, and well-being. 

“We are a people business. Receiving this certification is positive confirmation that our HR strategy is driving meaningful progress across all these areas,” says Natalia Wallenberg, CHRO of Ahold Delhaize. “It's testament to the  efforts of teams in the local brands and Ahold Delhaize Group, recognizing initiatives that prioritize connection with our purpose, collaboration and well-being, while supporting our brands’ communities. “It also proves that Ahold Delhaize is staying true to its promise: to create a supportive workplace that encourages growth and teamwork, where everyone feels heard, valued, and finds purpose in serving our communities.”  

Thanks to an ongoing collaboration between our great local brands, customers will find a broader range of new products including more plant-based and organic choices, as well as redesigned packaging and innovations on existing food products. Our brands’ customers are now able to enjoy an even wider selection of own-brand staples, such as Nature’s Promise, Perla coffee and tea, Delicata chocolate and Gustona. This expansion is part of an extensive harmonization project that aims to offer an enriched, high-quality product range across the region. The CSE brands have introduced around 500 new items, bringing the total products introduced through the project to 800. 

Streamlining production and processes
By working together on their own-brand assortments over the past three years, the brands are able to differentiate their offering from competitors, providing high-quality, healthy and affordable options that customers greatly value. At the same time, they are streamlining the entire production and distribution process.

This CSE harmonization project marks a great step towards Ahold Delhaize’s ambitious group target of 45% of total food sales coming from own-brand products by 2028. Rembrandt Heerkens Thijssen, Director EU Sourcing CSE, comments: “This dynamic collaboration between our CSE brands allows us to make positive changes at scale, bringing innovations and the latest product improvements to customers across the region.”

Small packaging adjustments, big impact
The project team is also rebranding some existing products to unify them under new packaging and labeling. "As part of the harmonization, we’re developing packaging that will be consistent across all countries, with four-language labeling," explains Ivo Ředina, Own Brand Development Director.

The support and collaboration of local suppliers in the CSE markets are of great value, in providing high-quality ingredients, unique recipes and product innovations. Their partnership enables us to introduce new trends in health and convenience.

Rembrandt concludes: “While the harmonization process has its challenges, it’s well worth it. And customers seem to agree. The team has seen comparable sales growth of over 20% compared with the previous year. One great example is the plant-based milks which have shown a three-fold uplift since last year. This is a massive team effort that we can all be proud of.”

Today’s launch features the Maxi app, the second in a series of unified, modular apps planned for release throughout 2024. The app will have a gradual rollout and it will be available for all Maxi customers within the next weeks. 
 

Enhanced shopping experience 

Maxi customers will benefit from a more streamlined shopping process with improved usability and a consistent look and feel. The app offers optimized promotions, product lists, and checkout processes, all designed based on extensive user research within the shopping journey. This modular approach allows brands to share functionalities like referral programs and value propositions, including loyalty programs and fast delivery options, more easily. 
 

Expanding tech capabilities and knowledge 

This initiative marks a significant step in Ahold Delhaize’s product and tech ambitions, enhancing collaboration and operational efficiency across its European brands. Developed on ReactNative, the modular app framework supports cross-platform functionality for both iOS and Android devices. This foundation enables the rapid scaling of new features and innovations, reducing design and development time, as well as costs. The shared codebase and design system are expected to yield substantial annual savings, improving the company’s financial health. 
 

Anette Schouls,  VP Consumer Products Ahold Delhaize: “This new app for Maxi has been designed to scale wherever possible and include local requirements when needed. The passionate collaboration with regional and local teams has been a key ingredient in delivering this new app for the second brand in line, only four months after its initial launch for Albert. This is fueling our excitement for a promising future.” 
 

Strong collaboration across brands and partners 

The project has involved close collaboration among the five participating brands, as well as the digital experience and IT teams, leveraging their combined expertise in business strategy, user experience design, software development, and product and project management. The initiative also includes partnerships with external experts in design, development, and analytics. 
 

Building a unified suite of digital services 

With the launch of the Maxi app, the primary function is to facilitate online shopping, particularly for larger weekly purchases. In addition to the new app for online shopping, Maxi will continue to operate the locally built Moj Maxi (“My Maxi”) app, dedicated to its loyalty program. As part of its omnichannel strategy, Maxi plans to integrate the two apps into a single customer touchpoint, enhancing user convenience and engagement. 
 

Pivotal advancement in digital transformation 

Ahold Delhaize's app convergence project represents a major milestone in its digital transformation journey. The greenfield approach and modular design offer brands a more secure, robust, and flexible app. By harmonizing the digital shopping experience across brands, Ahold Delhaize aims to enhance customer satisfaction, set new standards for retail innovation, and drive both customer engagement and business growth. 
 

We look forward to the upcoming launches of unified apps for our other brands! 

Instrumental role

Gorica, currently Vice President Buying & Merchandising at Delhaize Serbia, was born and raised in Serbia & Montenegro and joined the company in 2014. Since 2021 she has been part of the Delhaize Serbia Executive Committee. Under Gorica’s leadership, the local brand Maxi has deployed their customer value proposition (‘CVP’) strategy successfully. The CVP provides differentiating offers and good value for customers, while at the same time securing long-term partnerships with suppliers. Gorica also played an instrumental role in the deployment of the company’s Health & Sustainability agenda as well as the CSE commercial programs and joint initiatives.

Solidifying brand market leadership

Jan-Willem Dockheer will pursue a career opportunity in the Netherlands, outside of Ahold Delhaize. He joined Delhaize Serbia in September 2020. Under Jan-Willem’s leadership Delhaize Serbia deployed the Maxi strategy resulting in strong growth and solidifying their brand market leadership. Jan-Willem helped build a high-performance culture and psychologically safe environment. Also, Jan-Willem was a strong contributor and ambassador for the Ahold Delhaize CSE strategy and collaboration.

Wouter Kolk, CEO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia: "We are proud to promote internal talents to such critical business roles, which confirms our ambition and dedication to grow talents and build diverse executive leadership teams. Within our European team, we enhance career opportunities and leverage the Central Southern Europe region to strengthen succession pipelines. I am thankful to Jan-Willem for his contributions and wish Gorica the best."

Jesper Lauridson, COO Central Southern Europe region: “Jan-Willem is known for his passion for associates and customers, and he will be missed. Jan-Willem’s decision to return to his home country was driven by his wish to be more with his family. We wish Jan Willem all the best on his journey outside Ahold Delhaize and Gorica success in her new interim role with Delhaize Serbia.”

In addition to all illuminated advertisements being turned off, as well as the lighting above fresh products and cosmetics aisles, all outdoor lighting is switched off, apart from necessary lighting that allows a safe passage for people. 

Measures introduced in previous years as part of Delhaize Serbia’s sustainability strategy, will also be accelerated. By the end of 2024, its entire store network will use LED lighting, and by the end of November this year, the existing fluorescent lighting in the Distribution Center will be replaced by LED lighting, which is expected to cut power consumption by about 700 MWh per year on the company level. Implementation of modern software solutions that combine the use of natural lighting with artificial lighting will also begin throughout the entire retail network by the end of this year. 

“During the analysis of the introduced measures, we considered the habits of our customers, as well as global challenges and the need to rationalize energy use. We therefore introduced changes to work processes in order to cut consumption during daily peaks. These measures have been implemented throughout the entire system, and we will be reminded of our own responsibility as individuals every time we see a message in the supermarket that calls for responsibility and rational consumption,” said Dejan Virijević, Member of Executive Committee and Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain at Delhaize Serbia. 

Currently, the company has about 60 stores in its system that use CO2 as their cooling systems. Replacements are planned for 17 more stores by the end of the year, and the company plans to stop using Freon completely in the next 8 years. This will cut power consumption of cooling systems by about 40% compared to Freon-based cooling systems. 

Among the new measures is the introduction of a central cooling monitoring and management system. This software will enable economic management of power consumption by turning off certain showcases during the night, raising temperatures during the night and managing the thawing period. This system has already been implemented in over 170 stores and will be introduced in another 80 by the end of the year. Furthermore, in the next few days, remote management of air-conditioning systems will be brought in 10 stores, and an additional 15 in 2023. 

Ahold Delhaize brands continue to cut their carbon emissions  

All of our great local brands are taking steps to reach net-zero carbon emissions across all operations by 2040 (scope 1 and 2) and to become net-zero businesses across the brands’ entire supply chains, products and services no later than 2050 (scope 3). We have set these commitments in accordance with the Science Based Target initiative’s Net-Zero Standard requirements.  

Ahold Delhaize and our great local brands are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion with ongoing efforts to create a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. It is a topic that is part of the Ahold Delhaize DNA and comes to life in our values of courage, integrity, and care.  

Hannaford 
Hannaford supports young people living with a neurodiverse diagnosis by encouraging independent living and job readiness skills. In order to provide a real-life experience in grocery shopping, Hannaford Supermarkets donated grocery shelving and a checkout station, complete with conveyor belt and bagging area to the Maine Behavioral Healthcare’s Glickman Lauder Center of Excellence in Autism and Developmental Disorders (GLCOE).  

The dedicated grocery training area is a 28,000 square foot innovative facility that opened in August 2021. In addition to outpatient treatment for all ages, the center includes a life-skills room with a grocery shopping station as well as special chairs for practice with getting haircuts, dental care and health care. 

“These are more than just nice activities – if a person is unable to do these things it can result in serious problems, such as feeling overwhelmed in the grocery checkout line, a dentist’s chair, or in a doctor’s office.  We are thrilled to have this resource to provide practice in these key life experiences,” said Dr. Matthew Siegel, vice president of medical affairs for autism and developmental disorders 

“Going to the grocery store is being part of the community, so we are proud to partner with the Glickman Lauder Center (GLCOE) in helping neurodiverse members of our community develop new skills related to the shopping experience,” said Eric Blom, Hannaford spokesman. “We are so thankful for the work being done at the Center every day to help people with autism and developmental disorders lead full, rich lives.” 

Hannaford also supports associate initiatives such as Chris Heel's annual autism fundraiser. Chris started a 5K walk to benefit the Autism Society of Maine (ASM) when he was high school student. What started off as a senior year project has now turned into an annual event on Mount Desert Island. Since Chris started his "senior project", he has raised over $30,000 to help support nonprofits including the ASM. 
 

Stop & Shop  
Stop & Shop honored Autism Awareness Month and promoted acceptance for the condition that occurs in one out of every 44 children in the U.S. SVP Human Resources, Maria Silvestri, wrote a personal message to associates, sharing some of her experience as a grandmother of a neurodiverse child who is living with an Autism Spectrum Diagnosis, and invited associates to virtual events during the month, presented by the United Nations and the NIH (National Institute of Mental Health), and the OARC (Office of Autism Research Coordination), to increase their own awareness, acceptance and inclusion. 
 

Mega Image 
The Urban Garden project, developed by CONIL Before & After-school Center for children living with autism, is supported by Mega Image through their “Project of Today for Tomorrow” 2021 program. On April 5, children living with a disability had the opportunity to plant flowers, vegetables and fruits in an urban garden with the help of teachers and Mega Image representatives. The objective is to support and promote healthy eating for children, and to also provide learning and recreative activities in a therapeutic way. 

As Diversity Month is recognized during May in Europe, Mega Image will also raise awareness of diversity and inclusion via its strong involvement in a number of initiatives. This includes helping displaced Ukrainian people integrate into life in Romania by welcoming them into Mega Image’s community and providing employment opportunities in its warehouses, headquarters or 900+ stores. Moreover, associates are offered the opportunity to support social causes, through Mega Image’s internal volunteering program, 12 Acts of kindness. 

Mega Image will also continue its online series of events, Community Talks, with a new edition focused on “Pandemic vs War: The impact of social context on women”. Ileana Alexandru, HR VP; representatives of She is Mom digital platform; and a psychologist will discuss the topic. Furthermore, Mega Image will support the Lead Network community by joining its “Breaking the Biases” event, where Ileana Alexandru, HR VP, will join as a guest speaker. 

The Giant Company  
As part of Diversity Month in the U.S. The GIANT Company honored Autism acceptance by focusing on their commitment to building a culture of acceptance and inclusion. This month and every month, The GIANT Company strives to break down all physical, intellectual, and sensory barriers so that all people, including individuals with autism, can reach their fullest potential, regardless of their unique strengths and challenges. 

Throughout April, team members were encouraged to wear Autism Acceptance pins provided by The GIANT Company to foster inclusion and were also encouraged to wear blue on World Autism Awareness Day. Stories and experiences of team members with autism were also shared throughout the month and vendor partner Popcorn for the People was recognized for its efforts to create meaningful employment for individuals with Autism and other spectrum diagnoses. The GIANT Company’s DE&I Team and BARRIER FREE Business Resource Group also hosted a virtual event for team members called “From Awareness to Acceptance” to build a better understanding and embrace everyone's differences. 

Additionally, The GIANT Company also supported community events with the shared vision of celebrating diversity, building equity and promoting inclusion, including the local YWCA Race Against Racism and 21-Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge, Race for Resources for Autism Cares Foundation of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the Kinney Walk/Run for Autism, and an Autism Awareness Luncheon in Philadelphia.   

Giant Food 
Giant Food recognizes and celebrates neurodiversity in various ways, and it is committed to breaking down barriers to allow all people to succeed. Below are just some examples on how Giant Food is committed to this. 

Giant Food stores partner with their local schools to provide “on-the-job” experience with the assistance of a job coach to students with disabilities. Students are hired and paid for several hours each week learning general tasks that help them build customer service and teamwork skills that are useful for any future career of their choice. Through these programs Giant Food has hired many associates with disabilities, creating a better diverse and inclusive company culture.  

For many years, Giant Food has been a sponsor of the Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities. This is an independent, non-profit advocacy organization focused on improving the lives of children and adults with disabilities and their families in the District of Columbia and beyond. In 2021, Giant Food sponsored the Quality Trust “Back Together Luncheon,” an opportunity for their staff, supporters, and stakeholders and specifically the people with developmental disabilities they support; who have said they are experiencing depression as they have had to isolate for over a year and a half and want to be with people. 

During Autism Acceptance month throughout April, Giant Food associates also showed their support and acceptance of the Autism community by wearing red while working in stores, distribution centers, delivery centers and the office.

Delhaize Serbia  
Honoring Diversity Month, Delhaize Serbia is spotlighting its collaboration with the Creative and Educational Center (CEC), an organization focused on the inclusion of persons living with a mental or intellectual disability through a range of programs, initiatives and partnerships. These initiatives allow people living with a neurodiverse diagnosis to improve their quality of life, provide preparation for an independent life, social inclusion, future employment, as well as raising awareness to the general population and breaking prejudice.  

One of the most successful initiatives between CEC and Delhaize Serbia is its work-ready program. Participants of the program learn about store processes and gain experience across the stores in Belgrade, three times a week for one hour. This program has been successful not just for enhancing inclusion, but for also building awareness and a better understanding of neurodiverse diagnoses among associates and customers. This year, the program will be renewed for a 10th time and soon a new group of participants will take part in the program across Delhaize Serbia stores. 

Can you tell us about yourself?

I’ve worked with the company for over 10 years, and I’m a Graphic Designer.  I’ve had a great career and I love my job!  Besides work, I have an active role in the community by leading the Belgrade Association of deaf and hard of hearing in Belgrade. I really want to contribute to the improvement of the position of people with disabilities in society.  For example, one of the recent projects in which I participated was the creation of the National translation center which enables easier 24-hour communication for deaf people and people hard of hearing, which then contributes to better visibility in society as well.  

Why is it important to spread awareness about National Disability Employment Awareness Month? 

Delhaize Serbia has recognized people with disabilities as a group for which support is crucial in order to achieve equality and equity in employment. With the strategic approach and active employment policy, many people with disabilities have been employed in Delhaize Serbia. By doing this, the company has contributed to better living conditions to the employed people with disabilities. What has also been recognized as very significant is not only stopping at employment, but importantly having the employer directly receive feedback from employees with disabilities and to receive it often. This way, they can work on better visibility and continuous improvements on the ways of communication. 

How would you like to keep inspiring others to do what they love?

I think that it is very important to find and do what we love, to support each other, to work together on always finding new possibilities and innovative solutions as a company. This will make us a more inclusive workplace for people with disabilities. I believe that this is the task of all of us, including myself. At times, I have experienced challenges with communication, which can be harder because I am a deaf person.  But with persistence and optimism, along with the support of my colleagues who are always here for me, I am able to pursue my passion and do the work I love.  

What career advice do you have for us?  

 Always be positive and hardworking, and strive to be recognized as a hero to others.