Ahold USA posts $26.4 billion in 2015 sales
ZAANDAM, The Netherlands - Ahold USA today announced strong financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2015, reflecting good performances across its key markets and multiple formats. This included net annual sales of $26.4 billion, up 1.4% as compared to the year-ago period, a comparison that includes revenue from gas and an additional week in 2015. Comparable sales, excluding gas, were up 1.1%.
“With a sharp focus on supporting our great local brands and investing to serve the rapidly changing interests and needs of our customers, we have made very good progress and achieved strong operating and financial results for the fourth quarter and the year," stated Dick Boer, Ahold CEO. "We challenged ourselves to innovate faster, to bring our customers fresher products in new and different ways, and to deliver greater value. This progress was supported by reinvesting the substantial savings achieved through our company-wide Simplicity program. We are pleased with the response from our customers and appreciate the continued great work of our associates, which led to robust sales performance, market share gains and an increase in Group operating income for the year," he said.
"In the United States, we grew sales excluding gas by 4.1%, adjusted for an additional week. We continue to make good progress with our investments in quality and price, highlighted by growth in identical sales and market share gains, primarily in the New York Metro market where we further strengthened our position with the successful conversion of 25 former A&P stores," Boer added.
Ahold's online performance was also strong with a nearly 30% increase in consumer sales in the fourth quarter. Bol.com maintained its position as the No. 1 online retail destination in the Netherlands and had a particularly strong December. In addition, Peapod and ah.nl remain leading online grocers in their respective markets.
Finally, the proposed merger between Ahold and Delhaize continues to progress on schedule, Boer said. "The combination of Ahold and Delhaize will create an even better retail leader for customers and associates and will enable us to further build on the position of our respected and popular local brands in the communities we serve.”