By Razak Musah Baba
Dutch retailer Royal Ahold NV said Thursday 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
[supermarket chain] 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.
-Write to Razak Musah Baba at razak.baba@wsj.com; Twitter:
@Raztweet
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