Dutch and Belgian supermarket groups Ahold and Delhaize have completed their 29 billion-dollar merger, creating a world-leading food retailer, with a total 6,500 stores mostly present in the east coast of the United States and in central and southeastern Europe. The 60 billion-dollar group operates in the U.S. under the banners Stop & Shop, Giant, bfresh, Martin’s, Hannaford and Food Lion, as well as the Peapod e-commerce platform. Ahold Delhaize is also in Belgium and the Netherlands, with banners including Delhaize, Albert Heijn, Gall &Gall, Shop & Go, and bol.com.
CHANGING FOOD RETAIL – The merger comes as the food retail industry faces radical changes, with demand for natural ingredients, transparency, and fast delivery forcing supermarkets to innovate their model. Ahold Delhaize, which has combined the crown and the lion in a new logo and unveiled a new website trades on Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels under the ticker symbol AD. Ahold Delhaize will present its first combined financial results for the third quarter of 2016 on November 17.
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