Albert Heijn Cyberattack Disrupts Online Grocery Services at Ahold Delhaize

Online Services Taken Offline

Albert Heijn, one of the Netherlands' largest supermarket chains, has taken its online services offline after its parent company, Ahold Delhaize, confirmed a cybersecurity incident. The disruption began on Sunday afternoon and left the retailer's website, mobile app, and customer service systems unavailable by Monday. Online grocery deliveries have been suspended, with no indication of when services will resume.

In a statement issued Monday, Ahold Delhaize confirmed a security issue within its network and said it had taken precautionary measures, including temporarily shutting down affected systems. "Our teams are taking steps to assess and mitigate the issue. This includes taking some systems offline to help protect them," the company informed customers.

Physical Stores Stay Open

According to Dutch News, Albert Heijn's physical supermarkets remain open and checkout systems continue to function. However, the retailer cautioned that customers may encounter problems with personalized discounts, loyalty programs, and app-linked savings schemes, which are temporarily unavailable. Electronic shelf labels may also display outdated promotional prices from the previous week, potentially resulting in differences between prices shown on shelves and those charged at checkout.

The supermarket chain's website was not working at the time of writing, and customer service and logistics systems have been taken offline as a precaution, preventing online grocery orders from being delivered.

Sister Chains Also Affected

The incident is also affecting Dutch retail chains Etos, a drugstore, and Gall & Gall, a liquor store, both owned by the Dutch-Belgian retail group Ahold Delhaize. The Belgian supermarket chain Delhaize, part of the same company, is also experiencing difficulties, according to VRT.News. Customers there cannot place new orders for this week and customer service is unavailable, although the app and website remain accessible in Belgium.

Cause and Data Impact Unknown

Neither Albert Heijn nor Ahold Delhaize has disclosed the cause or the full extent of the incident, and it remains unclear whether customer or employee data has been compromised. Albert Heijn said it is investigating the disruption and working to restore services, adding that protecting the data of customers, employees, and partners remains a priority. "We cannot yet indicate when our services will be available again," the retailer noted, adding that it will share an update when there is more clarity. No timeline for restoring affected systems has been provided.

The incident follows a wave of cyberattacks that hit major UK retailers in 2025, including Marks & Spencer and Co-op. While M&S suffered prolonged disruption, Co-op recovered more quickly after swiftly taking systems offline to contain the attack, reportedly preventing hackers from deploying ransomware.

Muhammad Yahya Patel, a cybersecurity advisor for Huntress, said food retailers are particularly attractive targets because of their time-sensitive operations and immediate impact on customers. He added that the pressure to restore services quickly can work in the attackers' favor, making precautionary shutdowns an important defense measure. "The short-term pain of a planned shutdown is almost always preferable to an uncontrolled one. An uncontrolled compromise can mean weeks of disruption and a far messier recovery," Patel told Cybernews.

Sources: Cybernews