I am a fan of the Albert Heijn supermarket, not because of the service, the pricing (relatively expensive compared to other local Dutch supermarkets), or the products, no it is the company’s place in my memories. From my childhood shopping for groceries, Chocomel, Ola ice Cream, and Verkade Chocolate with Grandma, meeting a few girlfriends in the actual aisles of the Albert Heijn, the brand’s magazine allowed me to cook up some impressive dishes, to almost always finding what I want and did not know that I wanted.
The company was founded in 1887 by Albert Heijn, and its first store was located in Oostzaan, a village near Zaandam and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The parent company of Albert Heijn is Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (Royal Ahold Delhaize). Based on a merger between Albert Heijn and the Belgian retail company Delhaize Group in 2016. Ahold Delhaize is a multinational retail company owning retail groups globally such as retail brands Albert Heijn, Delhaize, Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Hannaford, Image, Albert, Peapod (online grocery delivery), bol.com (an online retailer), Etos (a drugstore chain) and Gall & Gall (a Dutch liquor store chain).
In Albert Heijn I can always discover new products. The variety, especially at the Zaandam XL store is outstanding. Albert Heijn’s own branded products are very good and cover most food, drink, and household items. The company’s loyalty scheme “The Bonus” is great as it provides you with discounts and therefore savings on the bill. A lot of students do shop at the store and therefore the company offers some reduced pricing on its own branded Albert Heijn products. It is surprising that at most Albert Heijn stores credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX) are not welcome, read our latest article. This might be because many Dutch do not use credit cards, but tourists do and at times in Amsterdam, it can cause challenges.
The Albert Heijn brand reflects the Dutch culture, like KLM (blue), the company is corporate, with good products that are efficiently and effectively presented and delivered. However, do not expect the best customer service or quality for other brands in this category.
Am I a loyal customer in the truest sense of the word? For sure, I am! Whenever I shop for my daily needs and groceries, I am still happy to see the blue and white logo, the entrance of the supermarket, buy my groceries, and meet the neighbors and odd tourists. The Albert Heijn brand is still creating memories for me.
Do you have a brand that you’re truly loyal to and passionate about? We’d love to hear from you!
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