As we continue to face the hurdles and demands the pandemic has given rise to, the industry has pivoted on a dime to adapt and grow. Online operations and platforms have been brought to life, and we here at Deli Market News have seen the positive effects it has had on retailers. Ahold Delhaize is one grocer which has seen its sales outpace its pre-pandemic sales so far in 2021, reporting over $21 billion in growth.
“While communities across our markets reopened during Q2, food-at-home demand remained very resilient,” said Frans Muller, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Many of the habits formed by consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 are proving sticky, aided by our initiatives to improve our omnichannel offerings for consumers. This drove group net sales of €18.6 billion [$21.84 billion] in the quarter and was exemplified by the acceleration in the group two-year comparable sales stack in Q2 to 16.4 percent, versus growth of 14.4 percent in full year 2020. The two-year comparable sales stack growth rates were strong in both of our regions, but particularly in the U.S.”
Ahold Delhaize outlined its growth in its recent second quarter results report, with the move to online operations serving as a key driver.
According to the official report, this impressive jump in online sales points toward a longer-term evolution toward online-focused operations.
“We continue to be in a strategically stronger position in 2021 relative to the time before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Our investments in our online proposition continue to serve us well. In Q2, net consumer online sales continued to grow, coming on top of the very robust growth profile from the same quarter last year. During the quarter, we added 86 new click-and-collect locations in the U.S.,” Muller continued.
Below is a more in-depth breakdown of the report, as outlined in the company release:
Another point of growth for the company was realized through its sustainability efforts, as Muller outlined in the report.
“We continue to make progress in elevating our Healthy and Sustainable strategy,” he said. “We are proud to be one of the leading signers of the EU Code of Conduct for Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices, as part of the European Green Deal, committed to shifting to a sustainable food system. As part of the pact, we have made commitments in the areas of healthier choices, product transparency, waste reduction, and climate impact.”
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