Ahold To Shed 210 Jobs At Head Office

Dutch retailer Royal Ahold NV said today it will cut 210 posts to streamline the functions at its he…

Dutch retailer Royal Ahold NV said today it will cut 210 posts to streamline the functions at its head office as part of what it described as its "simplicity program".

"After a detailed review, a number of head office support roles will be made more efficient, and the commercial activities at Albert Heijn will be streamlined," it said.

As a result 130 people will have to leave the company in the Netherlands. The remaining 80 of the 210 job cuts will " include vacancies, temporary contracts, and natural attrition," the company said.

Ahold announced in January that Ahold Europe would no longer exist as a separate business division, a move it said was to allow management to focus on the Albert Heijn business. The company also said it would continue to look for ways to streamline the organization's head office functions as part of its simplicity program, a three-year cost savings plan to create value for its customers.

Ahold currently employs 222,000 people globally, of which 94,000 are based in the Netherlands, with 1,500 associates working at its Zaandam head office.