Dick Boer wants to continue the American growth after Ahold and Delhaize merge into one company, but stated he mainly seeks additional growth in regions where the Dutch-Belgian combination already has a sizeable market share, rather than in new states.
American division will not spin off
“I feel it is much more important to consider and expand our market share in states where we are already present. We are on the East Coast and want to become number 1 or 2 in those states“, he said in an interview with Dutch newspaper FD. However, this does not imply Dick Boer sees no growth opportunities on the West Coast, only that his focus is mainly on the opportunities on the East Coast.
Boer also says the new merger company’s American division will not spin off, like some analysts have predicted. “It is quite the opposite. Ever since 2006, we have increasingly realigned both the American and European divisions. We have to create a clear strategy to strengthen our position on both sides of the ocean and we are currently preparing such a strategy for the merger company.”
Ahold’s CEO does see opportunities for European brands in the United States as the market is evolving. “Smaller supermarkets are the talk of the day and that is a European expertise. Local brands in local supermarkets are very important to us, while Americans are experts in using data and loyalty programs. This combination of expertise can be of use to us worldwide.”
