Albert Heijn B.V. is a supermarket chain founded in 1887 in Oostzaan, Netherlands. It is named after Albert Heijn, Sr., the founder of the first store in Oostzaan.
Albert Heijn is the oldest part of Ahold, and still has the largest market share in the Netherlands. The stores are full service supermarkets (as opposed to discounters) known for their focus on quality stores and products. This focus on quality is part of the reason that Albert Heijn is regarded as one of the more expensive supermarkets. However, after the 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 normal level. [1] Also, Albert Heijn uses three distinct price levels at which the products are priced. These are: the 'A-brands', a Store brand and a discount brand named Euro Shopper. Their store brand is considered to be near as good as the a-brand products, but at a lower price. Euro Shopper products mostly include commodities with long shelf life. These products share the same simple packaging art to uphold the image of a no-nonsense, low price brand.
At the moment, its market share is around 30 per cent. Prices can be further discounted by using a customer discount card, called "Bonuskaart" in Dutch. Their logo is a stylised "ah".
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Albert Heijn (1865-1945) was the original founder of Albert Heijn stores, what now is the largest food retailer in the Netherlands. His grandson, Albert Heijn (1927-2011), was the founder of Ahold. Albert's brother, Gerrit Jan Heijn (1931-1987), also a top manager at Ahold, was kidnapped and murdered in 1987.