Albert Heijn’s parent company, Ahold Delhaize, reported a major cybersecurity incident to the Dutch police on Monday after experiencing disruptions for over a week, the retail group confirmed on its website. The company said it detected suspicious activity in its IT infrastructure and hired external cybersecurity experts to investigate. The investigation confirmed that malicious third parties caused the activity.
Ahold Delhaize said it will continue working closely with relevant authorities to support their investigations while working to restore normal service as quickly as possible. The group previously reported the incident to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
As a precaution, Ahold Delhaize took several internal systems offline, temporarily making its brands’ websites and mobile applications unavailable. Alongside Albert Heijn, the company owns Dutch chains Etos and Gall & Gall, as well as US supermarket brands including Food Lion and Stop & Shop. Chief Executive Frans Muller said investigations confirmed that taking the systems offline was the right decision.
The formal police report follows an invitation from Dutch authorities last week urging the company to file an official complaint.
Websites for Albert Heijn, Etos, and Gall & Gall are back online, along with the main Albert Heijn mobile app. Albert Heijn confirmed that customers can access their personal accounts again and use most digital features.
The IT disruption previously affected store supply chains, leaving several Dutch supermarkets with empty shelves last week. Albert Heijn reported that store deliveries have now fully resumed. However, home delivery and online ordering remain unavailable, with the supermarket expecting delivery services to restart on Friday. Customer service channels also remain offline, while online services for US brands are expected to recover over the coming days.
Ahold Delhaize said ongoing investigations have found no evidence that sensitive customer, employee, or business partner data was compromised.
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