Belgian-Dutch supermarket group Ahold Delhaize has lowered its financial outlook for 2026 after a recent cyberattack disrupted operations at several of its retail chains, with fourth-quarter sales expected to fall by up to €250 million.
The group, which owns Delhaize, Albert Heijn and online retailer Bol, announced the revised forecasts on Wednesday alongside its third-quarter financial results.
The cyberattack in October caused significant disruption to Albert Heijn and Delhaize, temporarily paralysing supermarket supply chains and leaving shelves empty in some stores.
Home grocery deliveries were also temporarily suspended, while online orders were disrupted at the group’s US subsidiaries Food Lion and Giant Food.
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Ahold Delhaize expects the incident to reduce fourth-quarter sales by between €200 million and €250 million.
Underlying operating profit is also expected to fall by €75 million to €100 million, excluding additional costs incurred to respond to the attack and restore affected systems.
As a result, the retailer has revised its full-year earnings forecast downwards. Underlying earnings per share, at constant exchange rates, are now expected to grow by between 1% and 3%, compared with its previous forecast of 4% to 9%.
Strong third-quarter performance despite disruption
Despite the cyberattack, Ahold Delhaize reported stronger-than-expected results for the third quarter. Group sales reached €23.1 billion, an increase of 1.9% at constant exchange rates, while underlying operating profit stood at €946 million.
In Europe, sales rose by 3.1% to €9.82 billion, with underlying operating profit increasing by 4% to €389 million.
Chief executive Frans Muller praised the performance of Delhaize in Belgium. “Delhaize continued to deliver outstanding performance in Belgium, supported by compelling summer campaigns, a strong seasonal assortment and a customer-focused offering,” he said.
