Ahold, the Netherlands-based international food retailing giant, has been named U.S. Retailer of the Year for 2001 by the business publication Mass Market Retailers. The award will be presented to Ahold president and ceo Cees Van der Hoeven and his U.S. management team at a ceremony in New York on Jan. 16, 2002.
Though Ahold is based in Europe and owns or has interests in about 9000 supermarkets, hypermarkets and discount and specialty stores in 24 countries, the U.S. has become its largest market. The company has had worldwide 2001 sales of over $60 billion (U.S.), of which $24 billion have come from the 1600 supermarkets it operates in this country. The company employs 200,000 workers in the United States.
Ahold owns and operates six prominent U.S. supermarket chains: Bi-Lo (more than 420 stores, primarily in the Carolinas); Tops Markets (340-plus stores, mainly in New York); Stop & Shop (more than 270 outlets in New England); Giant-Carlisle (about 95 Giant Food stores in four northeastern states) Giant-Landover (nearly 180 stores, mostly in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., area); and the recently acquired Bruno's Supermarkets (169 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi).
In being selected for the award, Ahold's U.S. retail operations were recognized for the way they meet the performance criteria: customer satisfaction, financial results, industry leadership, innovation, business strategy and corporate behavior in the field of social responsibility. Previous winners have been Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart and Fred Meyer.
“We just delivered our 23rd consecutive quarter of double-digit earnings per share growth and reconfirmed Ahold's full-year 2001 outlook,” van der Hoeven said. “Our company stays on track and we continue to deliver on our promises.”