IMPORTANT: RetailDetail has upgraded its website. To regain access to your account and enjoy our plus-content, please select the ‘sign in’ button, enter your email address and choose a new password.
RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Become a member
  • Sign in user
  • News
  • Events
  • Hunts
  • RetailHub
  • Food
  • Fashion
  • Home
  • Electronics
  • Beauty/Care
  • DIY/Garden
  • Leisure
  • General
RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Sign in user
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • Events
  • Hunts
  • RetailHub
user
Written by Stefan Van Rompaey
In this article
  • Companies Ahold Delhaize
Share article
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • email

Ahold Delhaize focuses on private label and cost savings in “challenging” market

iconFood11 May, 2022
Shutterstock.com

Ahold Delhaize owes an increase in sales in the first quarter mainly to its American activities. In Europe, comparable sales were under pressure. Bol.com also lost sales, due to a difficult basis for comparison.

Saving costs

It was expected to be a difficult quarter for Ahold Delhaize, due to the difficulties to surpass the strong figures of the first quarter of 2021, when lockdown effects still played a role. All in all, the figures are better than expected: the supermarket group posted sales of 19.8 billion euros, up 8.3 % (3.6 % at constant exchange rates). Consumers continue to spend and price increases also play a role, the company says.

However, for comparable sales growth – only including stores that have been open for at least a year – there is a huge difference between the United States (+ 3.3 %) and Europe (- 3.1 %). In the US, inflation, energy prices and the war in Ukraine play a smaller role.

In the Benelux, and especially in Belgium, the market is “challenging”, CEO Frans Muller admits. The retailer is therefore rolling out successful price and loyalty programmes and is also going to cut costs more in order to be able to offer shoppers competitive prices. Private label products are being played out more prominently: in the Benelux, they represent more than half of sales. Dutch chain Albert Heijn was again an outperformer, gaining market share. Belgian Delhaize, however, lost market share as inflation hit the Belgian market hard.

Bol.com gains market share

Online sales also suffer from the normalisation of consumer behaviour. Although the penetration of online grocery shopping continues to rise, sales at bol.com fell by 7 % – again in comparison with a very strong first quarter a year ago. Moreover, according to Muller, the market has shrunk by 10 to 15% and bol.com has therefore gained market share. Muller is sticking to his plans to take the web shop to the stock exchange in the second half of the year.

Due to the difficult circumstances, the operating profit at Ahold Delhaize fell by 5.4%, in Europe even by 29.9%. The operating margin fell from 4.6% to 4.2%. Yet topman Muller sounds positive: “All in all, I am pleased with the performance of the business in what is an increasingly challenging environment. Overall, Q1 results were better than our expectations, despite macro-economic pressures arising from the war in Ukraine. The second quarter is seeing many of the trends from Q1 continuing. Therefore, taking all moving parts together, we expect underlying EPS to be comparable to 2021 with the rest of our full-year guidance metrics unchanged.”

Stay up-to-date

Receive our free newsletters and do not miss out on the latest retail news.

Subscribe
logo

Ahold Delhaize owes an increase in sales in the first quarter mainly to its American activities. In Europe, comparable sales were under pressure. Bol.com also lost sales, due to a difficult basis for comparison. Saving costs It was expected to be a difficult quarter for Ahold Delhaize, due to the difficulties to surpass the strong figures of the first quarter of 2021, when lockdown effects still played a role. All in all, the figures are better than expected: the supermarket group posted sales of 19.8 billion euros, up 8.3 % (3.6 % at constant exchange rates). Consumers continue to spend and price increases...

More on Food
See more
  • iconFood19 May, 2022
    Lidl breaks through the 100 billion euro sales barrier

    Discount chain Lidl has exceeded the 100 billion euro mark for the first time, while parent company Schwarz Gruppe is also performing strongly. The new CEO, Gerd Chrzanowski, did not miss his start.

  • iconFood19 May, 2022
    “Breakthrough in cultivated meat is fast approaching”

    Animal-friendly meat is becoming a reality: on a small scale, cultivated meat producers are now taking the first steps towards consumers. Approval in Europe will follow: "It won't take five years anymore," says pioneer Mosa Meat.

  • iconFood18 May, 2022
    Uber Eats tests delivery robots in Los Angeles

    Uber Eats is testing self-driving delivery robots in Los Angeles: autonomous vehicles from two different robot builders will drive around different parts of the city. Although, for the time being, someone will still be around to keep an eye on things.

Events
  • 9
    Jun
    Future of Food Congress
  • 14
    Sep
    Captains of Retail 2022
  • 22
    Sep
    RetailDetail Day 2022
  • 13
    Oct
    Human Resources & People Congress
  • 20
    Oct
    Trade & Shopper Marketing Congress
  • 24
    Nov
    RetailDetail Night 2022
Most read
  • iconFood19 May, 2022
    Lidl breaks through the 100 billion euro sales barrier
  • iconFood19 May, 2022
    “Breakthrough in cultivated meat is fast approaching”
  • iconFashion19 May, 2022
    Olivier Van den Bossche leaves Rituals, returns to Galeria
  • iconGeneral19 May, 2022
    Partnership with Ochama turns Blokker into a platform
Follow RetailDetail
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • linkedIn
footer-logo
RetailDetail, the leading b2b-retailcommunity in the Benelux, keeps retail professionals up-to-date by means of online & offline publications, retail events, inspiring retail hunts and the unique co-creation platform retailhub, where retailers and their suppliers can experience the future of shopping.
RetailDetail Mailing Address:
Kolveniersstraat 7, bus 26 
2000 Antwerp
Visiting address:
Stadsfeestzaal – Meir 78 
2000 Antwerp
How to reach us:
Directions
© 2022 RetailDetail
general conditions | privacy policy
+32 3 500 89 59 info@retaildetail.be