Nov 24, 1867 CE
Delhaize Founded in Belgium
Jules Delhaize and his brothers open a grocery store in Charleroi, Belgium, laying the foundation for the Delhaize Group. #retail #history
Chronological Storyline (39 Milestones)
May 27, 1887 CE
Ahold Founded as Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn opens a grocery store in Oostzaan, Netherlands, which becomes the foundation of Ahold. #retail #history
By Niels Kim - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3294706
1891 CE
Albert Heijn Acquires First Factory
Albert Heijn acquires a cookie and confectionery factory to expand product lines. #retail #expansion
1900 CE
Albert Heijn Becomes a Limited Company
The business is incorporated as N.V. Gebroeders Heijn. #corporate
1906 CE
Delhaize Enters United States Market
Delhaize begins operations in the US, initially in the Northeast. #international #retail
1927 CE
Ahold Introduces Self-Service Stores
Albert Heijn opens one of the first self-service supermarkets in the Netherlands, revolutionizing grocery retail. #innovation #retail
1950 CE
Delhaize Acquires Food Town in US
Delhaize acquires Food Town (later Food Lion) in the United States, expanding its American footprint. #acquisition #retail
1952 CE
Albert Heijn Introduces Private Label Products
Ahold launches its own brand products under the Albert Heijn label, increasing margins. #retail #branding
1973 CE
Ahold Acquires Stop & Shop
Ahold enters the US market by acquiring the Stop & Shop supermarket chain in New England. #acquisition #international
1977 CE
Delhaize Acquires Giant Food Stores
Delhaize acquires Giant Food Stores in the US Mid-Atlantic region. #acquisition
1981 CE
Ahold Goes Public on Euronext Amsterdam
Ahold lists its shares on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange, raising capital for expansion. #ipo #finance
1983 CE
Albert Heijn Launches 'Bonus' Loyalty Program
Ahold introduces a customer loyalty program with discounts, one of the first in Dutch retail. #marketing #retail
1988 CE
Delhaize Acquires Piggly Wiggly Carolina
Delhaize expands in the US Southeast by acquiring Piggly Wiggly Carolina. #acquisition
1995 CE
Ahold Enters E-commerce with Albert Heijn Online
Ahold launches an online grocery ordering service in the Netherlands. #ecommerce #innovation
1996 CE
Ahold Acquires Giant Food of Landover
Ahold purchases Giant Food in the Washington D.C. area, strengthening its US presence. #acquisition
1998 CE
Ahold Expands into Latin America
Ahold acquires Disco in Argentina and Bompreço in Brazil, marking entry into South America. #international #expansion
Jan 1, 2000 CE
Ahold Acquires U.S. Foodservice
Ahold enters the foodservice distribution business by acquiring U.S. Foodservice. #acquisition #diversification
Feb 24, 2003 CE
Ahold Accounting Scandal
Ahold reveals accounting irregularities at U.S. Foodservice, leading to a stock crash and CEO resignation. #scandal #corporate
2005 CE
Ahold Divests U.S. Foodservice
Ahold sells U.S. Foodservice to focus on core retail operations. #restructuring
2006 CE
Ahold Exits Latin America
Ahold sells its operations in Argentina, Brazil, and other South American countries to focus on Europe and the US. #divestiture
2007 CE
Delhaize Acquires Hannaford Bros.
Delhaize acquires Hannaford Bros. in the US Northeast. #acquisition
2008 CE
Ahold Launches 'Albert Heijn' Brand in Belgium
Ahold expands Albert Heijn stores into Belgium. #expansion #retail
2010 CE
Ahold Acquires Ukrainian Retail Chain
Ahold enters Eastern Europe by acquiring the Ukrainian chain 'Fora'. #international #acquisition
2011 CE
Delhaize Acquires Bottom Dollar Food
Delhaize acquires the Bottom Dollar Food discount chain in the US. #acquisition
2011 CE
Ahold Exits Ukraine
Ahold sells its Ukrainian operations after a short period due to economic challenges. #divestiture
2012 CE
Ahold Acquires bol.com
Ahold acquires the Dutch e-commerce platform bol.com to boost online retail. #ecommerce #acquisition
2013 CE
Ahold Launches 'Albert Heijn' in Indonesia
Ahold enters the Indonesian market through a joint venture, opening Albert Heijn stores. #international #expansion
2014 CE
Ahold Sells Stake in ICA Group
Ahold sells its remaining stake in the Swedish ICA Group, exiting the Scandinavian market. #divestiture
Jun 24, 2015 CE
Ahold and Delhaize Announce Merger
Ahold and Delhaize announce a merger agreement to create a global retail giant. #merger #corporate
Jul 23, 2016 CE
Ahold Delhaize Merger Completed
The merger between Ahold and Delhaize is finalized, forming Ahold Delhaize, listed on Euronext Amsterdam. #merger #corporate
2017 CE
Ahold Delhaize Launches 'Easy Shopper' App
The company introduces a mobile app integrating loyalty and e-commerce across its brands. #technology #retail
2018 CE
Ahold Delhaize Acquires Peapod
Ahold Delhaize fully acquires the online grocer Peapod to strengthen digital presence. #ecommerce #acquisition
2019 CE
Ahold Delhaize Sells Bottom Dollar
The company divests its Bottom Dollar Food chain in the US to focus on core banners. #divestiture
Mar 1, 2020 CE
Ahold Delhaize Boosts E-commerce During Pandemic
The company rapidly expands online capacity, doubling e-commerce sales amid COVID-19. #ecommerce #covid19
2021 CE
Ahold Delhaize Acquires MyWebsite
The company buys a local e-commerce platform in the Netherlands to support small businesses. #acquisition
2021 CE
Ahold Delhaize Launches 'Drive' Click-and-Collect
The company rolls out curbside pickup services across US banners. #retail #innovation
2022 CE
Ahold Delhaize Launches 'Go' Store in Netherlands
A test store with cashierless technology opens in the Netherlands. #technology #retail
2023 CE
Frans Muller Steps Down as CEO
CEO Frans Muller retires after leading the merged company; successor appointed. #leadership
2024 CE
Ahold Delhaize Expands 'Boons' Store to New Markets
The company opens its discount 'Boons' store concept in additional European locations. #expansion #discount