In March 2021, Albert Heijn is celebrating ten years of presence in Belgium with the opening on Wednesday of a 60th supermarket. Like all the others so far, it is located in Flanders, in Merchtem (Flemish Brabant). The Dutch chain plans to have 100 stores in the north of the country. A foray into Wallonia “is not on the horizon”, said a spokesperson.
The first store opened on March 16, 2011 in Brasschaat (province of Antwerp). Since then, the retail landscape has evolved somewhat in Belgium, notably with the merger of Albert Heijn’s parent company, Ahold, with the Belgian group Delhaize in 2016. Another Dutch player, Jumbo, also crossed the line. border to open a first store in Belgium at the end of 2019.
Albert Heijn plans to open his first XL supermarket in our country this year, a store that doubles as a classic version. The chain intends to meet its objective of 100 brands in Belgium in the coming years, but only in Flanders. “There is no opening in Wallonia on the horizon. Even if nothing is completely excluded, we are concentrating on Flanders and are also strengthening our presence on the outskirts of Brussels”, explains a spokesperson.
Some 2,400 people work for Albert Heijn who intends to hire 500 more this year.