Latest news with #FransMuller
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ahold Delhaize sees sales and comps increase in Q1
This story was originally published on Grocery Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Grocery Dive newsletter. Ahold Delhaize recorded comparable-store sales growth excluding fuel of 3.1% in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2025, as severe winter in areas the company serves helped bolster its performance. Net sales for the quarter came in at about 13.9 billion euros ($15.8 billion), an increase of about 2% at constant exchange rates compared with the same period in 2024. Online sales rose year over year by 17.9%. The closure last year of more than 30 Stop & Shop stores held back Ahold Delhaize's sales during Q1 by about 100 basis points, but the chain has shown signs of improvement, executives said Wednesday during an earnings call. Volumes have been trending upward at the more than 40 Stop & Shop locations where the company has taken steps to bring down prices, a sign that the grocer's efforts to revitalize the Northeast chain are beginning to bear fruit, Ahold Delhaize President and CEO Frans Muller said during the earnings call. Stop & Shop has also made significant progress in renovating its store fleet and has completed remodeling projects at about 200 of the chain's approximately 360 locations, Muller said. The company completed renovations of four stores during the first quarter, he said. Muller added that the company has shifted to a less capital-intensive strategy for renovating additional locations. 'Going forward, remodels are focused on making investments that will have the greatest impact on the in-store shopping experience and [are] combined with enhancements to the customer value proposition,' Muller said. Ahold Delhaize has stepped up price investments at Stop & Shop because stores are mostly in good condition, CFO Jolanda Poots-Bijl said during the call. According to Muller, the company has benefited from its decision to concentrate its online fulfillment operations in its stores. 'The full store is at your disposal, which is rather unique for online. And it's your own full store, with your own cultural and ethnic assortment,' he said. Muller added that Ahold Delhaize has not yet seen a significant impact on discretionary and non-food spending from the tariffs the U.S. government has recently imposed, noting that most of the food it sells is sourced locally. 'I think, therefore, [we're] less vulnerable,' Muller said. 'And at the same time, we do not see that customers are stocking up [on] food products because they are afraid [of] tariffs or increases there.' Food Lion remained Ahold Delhaize's best-performing banner in the U.S. during Q1, Poots-Bijl said. The chain has now posted 50 straight quarters of comparable sales growth and saw digital sales rise during the quarter by almost 40%, she added. Food Lion opened one new store this past quarter and has five additional locations in the pipeline for 2025. Hannaford, meanwhile, turned in its 15th consecutive quarter of comparable-store sales growth. Recommended Reading Ahold Delhaize confirms data stolen after threat group claims credit for November attack Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Reuters
07-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Dutch supermarket Ahold hits record high as sales growth beats estimates
May 7 (Reuters) - Retailer Ahold Delhaize ( opens new tab posted higher-than-expected first-quarter sales growth on Wednesday, buoyed by higher volumes in both the U.S. and Europe, sending its shares to a record high. In the U.S., where the Dutch supermarket group generates more than half of its revenue, comparable sales grew 3.1%, above the 1.9% expected by analysts, driven by growth in online and pharmacy sales. The Reuters Tariff Watch newsletter is your daily guide to the latest global trade and tariff news. Sign up here. Ahold, which owns supermarket chains Food Lion and Stop & Shop, implemented further price investments in the U.S., which were welcomed positively by more value-focused customers in an uncertain environment, group CEO Frans Muller said during a call with analysts. During negotiations with suppliers, the retailer faced increased requests to consider price hikes, CFO Jolanda Poots-Bijl told Reuters, adding that it "does not expect unwarranted price increases". "We expect our suppliers to protect consumers, just as we are doing, and also to look at their costs." Degroof Petercam analysts said that thanks to a consistent balancing of top line growth, margins, cash generation and shareholder remuneration, "AD clearly outperformed the Benelux consumer goods sector, despite operating in mature and very competitive markets". Jefferies said Ahold's core profit beat estimates on volume improvements in the U.S. and Europe, as the group gains market share, and expects this trend to have continued into Easter. The expansion of Ahold's omnichannel infrastructure and digital loyalty programs supported "strong results in both regions", with a double-digit growth in online retail, group CEO Frans Muller said in a statement. Ahold had said its omnichannel approach, which integrates physical shops, apps, and websites, results in shoppers spending between 1.5 times and 3 times more in its most mature markets. The group confirmed its outlook for 2025, while warning of a potential earnings impact due to currency translation. Shares in the company rose as much as 6% to an all-time high of 38.76 euros. ($1 = 0.8807 euros)
Bloomberg
07-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Bloomberg Daybreak: Europe 05/07/2025
Bloomberg Daybreak Europe is your essential morning viewing to stay ahead. Live from London, we set the agenda for your day, catching you up with overnight markets news from the US and Asia. And we'll tell you what matters for investors in Europe, giving you insight before trading begins. Today's Guests: Hensoldt CEO Oliver Dörre & Ahold Delhaize CEO Frans Muller (Source: Bloomberg)
