Zaandam, the Netherlands – Today and tomorrow, Ahold’s senior management will present an update of the company’s online retail strategy to analysts and investors.
Ahold’s management will announce that the company’s online sales are expected to reach €1.4 billion* by the end of 2014; and the company will present an ambition of €2.5* billion in online sales by the end of 2017.
With trusted consumer brands, leadership in its markets, millions of loyal customers, and its physical store network, Ahold has a strong foundation. In the past 25 years, the company has created a robust set of strengths to serve customers anyhow, anytime, and anywhere. To stay in the forefront of omni-channel retail, Ahold has invested in technology, marketing and online capabilities. Following the acquisition of bol.com in 2012, the company now employs over 1,000 IT experts, based in four technology hubs in the U.S. and the Netherlands.
Commenting on Ahold’s online retail strategy, CEO Dick Boer said: “Our online brands bol.com, Peapod.com and ah.nl have played a pioneering role over the past 25 years. Today, we announce the next stage of our ambition, aiming for a growth in online sales to €2.5* billion by the end of 2017. This growth will be supported by an incremental EBIT investment of €60 million in the period 2015 until 2017. We offer a great omni-channel proposition for our customers, creating a strong platform for continued future growth and long-term value creation."
Ahold’s online growth strategy has three elements: “more customers,” benefitting from general market growth and driving share growth; “more places,” expanding into new regions; and “more choices,” expanding the offering for customers and partners.
*Consumer sales
Cautionary notice
This press release includes forward-looking statements, which do not refer to historical facts but refer to expectations based on management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those included in such statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements as to market-leadership, online business, including but not limited to sales and investments as part thereof, Ahold’s online strategy and its basic elements customers, market growth, market share, geographical expansion and offering. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond Ahold's ability to control or estimate precisely, such as discussed in Ahold's public filings and other disclosures. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Koninklijke Ahold N.V. does not assume any obligation to update any public information or forward-looking statements in this release to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as may be required by law. Outside the Netherlands, Koninklijke Ahold N.V., being its registered name, presents itself under the name of "Royal Ahold" or simply "Ahold".
