Ahold Reorganizes Head Office

Following on from Ahold's January announcement that Ahold Europe would no longer exist as a separate business division, the international retail conglomerate has made a number of head office support roles more efficient and streamlined commercial activities at its Albert Heijn supermarket chain.

As a result, 210 roles, 130 of them in Ahold’s home country of the Netherlands, will cease to exist, including vacancies, temporary contracts and natural attrition. Accordingly, the company has reached a severance agreement with affected Dutch workers.

According to Zaandam-based Ahold, the reorganization will enable management to focus on the Albert Heijn business to enhance its customer proposition. The company added that it would continue to look for ways to streamline the organization’s head office functions as part of its ongoing "Simplicity" program.

Ahold currently employs about 222,000 people worldwide, of which 94,000 are based in the Netherlands, with 1,500 associates working at its head office. In the United States, the company operates the Giant-Carlisle, Giant-Landover and Stop & Shop banners.