Ahold Delhaize a multinational with an extensive presence in the U.S. has announced that it will acquire Fresh Direct located in New York. Centerbridge Partners will be a 20 percent minority investor. It is anticipated that FreshDirect will retain its image and brand name and will now be in position to expand. The company is unique in that fresh food represents 60 percent of sales and it deals directly with farmers to source products. In operation for over 20 years, FreshDirect has developed unique systems to provide service to consumers including rush and same-day delivery. Ahold Delhaize is rapidly developing an omnichannel approach to grocery sales and recognizes the scalability of the FreshDirect model.
Frans Muller, CEO of Ahold Delhaize stated, “FreshDirect is a leading local brand of the fast-growing online grocery sector in the New York City metro area. One of the most important E-commerce food markets in the United States.” He continued, “It is a great addition and fit for our portfolio of leading local brands. The deal allows us to reach additional customers in the New York trade area and therefore will add incremental sales to the business.”
Ahold Delhaize operates the Food Lion, Giant Food, Hannaford and Stop & Shop banners in the U.S. It operates 2,000 stores in 23 states in addition to Peapod home delivery.
For the most recently completed fiscal year, comparative store sales for Ahold Delhaize in the U.S. increased by 12 percent with 115 percent growth in online sales for the third quarter.