Ahold to Explore Strategic Alternatives for ICA Stake

Ahold presented a new growth strategy last year, and aims to focus the execution of this strategy on businesses it controls, in order to create value.

4 Sep 2012 --- Ahold has announced that it is exploring strategic options regarding its 60% holding in ICA, the Scandinavian retailer. An IPO on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm in Sweden is one of the alternatives being considered.

Ahold presented a new growth strategy last year, and aims to focus the execution of this strategy on businesses it controls, in order to create value.

Ahold and Hakon Invest AB of Sweden jointly share controlling interest over ICA. During the review, which is expected to take 6-12 months, Ahold will continue to work closely with Hakon in order to create the best conditions for ICA to continue to grow and achieve its goals.

ICA is the market-leading food retailer in Sweden. It also operates ICA and Rimi stores in Norway, and Rimi stores in the Baltics. ICA operates 2,215 retailer-owned and company-operated retail food stores and had SEK 95,179 million in sales in 2011.