Dutch retailer Albert Heijn has completed the conversion of 44 Jan Linders stores to the Albert Heijn banner with the opening of the renovated store in Tegelen.
The rebranding follows a partnership between the companies, announced last December, involving Jan Linders operating as a franchisee of the supermarket giant.
Ferry Moolenschot, general manager of Jan Linders said the the opening of the store in Tegelen marks the "successful conversion" of no fewer than 44 Jan Linders stores to the Albert Heijn formula.
"Our store in Tegelen had the honour of marking this beautiful milestone. I look forward to fulfilling this new chapter in the rich history of our beautiful family business together with all colleagues.”
The Partnership
Albert Heijn has also taken over Jan Linders' distribution centre in Nieuw Bergen, which will open as a regional distribution centre in mid-2024.
Jan Linders has also taken over ten supermarkets from Albert Heijn in the south of the Netherlands, the retailer added.
Marit van Egmond, CEO of Albert Heijn said, “In less than four months we have added 44 beautiful Albert Heijn stores in the south of the Netherlands. It's nice to see that customers feel at home with us so quickly.
“We see this reflected in the results of the stores, but also in all the nice reactions from customers who are happy with our extensive range and our service. I would like to thank everyone who has worked hard in recent months to make this happen.”
The first rebranded Albert Heijn store opened its doors in Venlo in August of this year.
Eleven Jan Linders supermarkets are not part of the new franchise organisation, and new owners (including Jumbo, Plus, and Aldi) have been found for ten of them.
The winding down of the Jan Linders brand is the latest in a series of M&A operations that have seen local and regional supermarkets in the Netherlands snapped up by large national chains.
Family-owned supermarket chains Nettorama and Boni also announced they would merge under the name Nettorama.
