Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn B.V. is the biggest Dutch supermarket chain, founded in 1887 in Oostzaan, The Netherlands. It is named after Albert Heijn, Sr., the founder of the first store in Oostzaan.

Albert Heijn is the oldest organization owned and operated by the Dutch supermarket operator Ahold. The founder of the company (Albert Heijn) was born in 1865. In fact, the name "Ahold" is short for Albert Heijn Holding. The stores are full service markets (as opposed to discounters) known for their focus on quality stores and products. This focus on superior products is part of the reason that Albert Heijn is regarded as one of the more expensive supermarkets in the Netherlands, Belgium and Curaçao. However, after a recent price war - initiated by Albert Heijn itself and involving nearly all Dutch supermarket chains from late 2003 all the way into 2006 - the prices are now at a more normal level.

At the moment, Albert Heijn's market share is around 30%. The company's logo consists of a stylized "ah" beside a white swoosh.

Albert Heijn (born 1927)

Albert Heijn (Zaandam, 25 January 1927 – Hereford, 13 January 2011) was a Dutch entrepreneur, major stock holder and founder and chairman of the board of Ahold.

Albert was the grandson of his namesake Albert Heijn (1865–1945), who began the family business with a single grocery store in Oostzaan and after extending to multiple stores laid the foundation of the same named leading Dutch retail chain, which was expanded by Albert into a multinational company. Albert introduced the supermarket store model in the Netherlands and was instrumental behind several innovations in the retail industry such as the passing of an international standard for bar codes in 1974. He was CEO of Ahold until 1989.

His brother and business partner Gerrit Jan Heijn was murdered after being kidnapped in September 1987.

In 1989 he was honored with the Sydney R. Rabb Award by the Food Marketing Institute making him the first non-American to win this prestigious award.

Albert Heijn had lived at Pudleston Court in Herefordshire, England for many years when he died, and was in no way formally involved with Ahold at the time of his death, although he at times commented upon the state of the company. In Hereford he founded a new company called Eign Enterprises (named after the English pronunciation of his surname) which established shops, restaurants, hotels and other enterprises in the local region. For this he was named Honorary Freeman of the City of Hereford in 2002.

Albert Heijn (born 1865)

Albert Heijn (October 15, 1865, Oostzaan, North Holland – November 13, 1945, Amsterdam) was the original founder of what now is the largest food retailer in the Netherlands. On his wedding day in 1887 he took over the grocery store of his father, Jan Simonsz Heijn and the supermarket chain founded by his grandson carries the name Albert Heijn to this day.

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