Websites, mobile applications, and online grocery delivery services across Ahold Delhaize’s supermarket brands remained unavailable for a fifth day on Friday. The disruption followed a cybersecurity incident that prompted the Dutch retailer to take parts of its IT systems offline as a precaution.
The incident began on October 11. Ahold Delhaize said it detected a security issue within its network and shut down selected systems to prevent further disruption while its teams investigated.
Online Services Stay Down
Customers cannot place new orders through the affected websites or apps. Existing online orders have been cancelled in some markets, while unfulfilled orders are being refunded automatically.
The outage affects brands including Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, Delhaize in Belgium, and Stop & Shop, Food Lion, Giant, and Hannaford in the United States. Ahold said the impact varies by chain.
Physical stores, pharmacies, and fuel stations remain open. Some US chains are directing customers to third-party delivery platforms such as Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats.
Supply Operations Affected
The incident also disrupted Albert Heijn’s distribution operations in the Netherlands. Several distribution centres suspended work, contributing to empty shelves for some fruit and vegetable products in stores. Bloomberg reported that Albert Heijn resumed product deliveries to stores, but the retailer does not expect online delivery services to return before Sunday.
The company did not disclose technical details, citing the ongoing investigation and security considerations. The retailer said it found no evidence that customer, employee, or partner data was stolen. It has also not described the event as a hacking attack.
Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel called on Ahold to file a criminal complaint in connection with the incident. The company has not confirmed whether it will do so. The prolonged outage highlights the operational risk of cyber incidents across large retail networks. Digital ordering, loyalty program, distribution, and store replenishment increasingly depend on interconnected IT systems.
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