Ahold Delhaize cybersecurity incident knocks out Delhaize and Albert Heijn services

Dutch-Belgian retail group Ahold Delhaize has been dealing with an IT security incident since the afternoon of Sunday, October 11, 2026. In a statement, it said it is experiencing a “security issue” on its network and has taken some systems offline as a precaution. According to the group, its stores remain open and continue to serve customers.

Disruptions on both sides of the Atlantic

In the Netherlands, the Albert Heijn chain speaks of an “IT incident,” while the parent company uses the term “cybersecurity incident,” according to Dutch public broadcaster NOS. Albert Heijn's websites, apps and customer service are unavailable, and online orders cannot be delivered. Loyalty programs no longer work. In some aisles, electronic shelf labels still show the previous week's promotions. The Etos and Gall & Gall chains, which belong to the same group, are also affected.

In Belgium, Delhaize could no longer take new orders for the week and its customer service could not be reached, also according to NOS. The website and app remained accessible.

In the United States, the websites of the Hannaford, Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Food Lion and The Giant Company banners were down on the morning of Monday, October 12, according to trade outlet Cybersecurity Dive.

What is still unknown

The group has not specified the nature of the incident. It has not said whether it is ransomware, whether customer or employee data was affected, or when services will be restored. Asked by BleepingComputer, a spokesperson simply referred to the statement. Articles published on October 12 reported no claim of responsibility.

Albert Heijn, for its part, says that protecting the data of its customers, employees and partners is its priority and that an investigation is under way.

This is not the first time the group has been targeted. In November 2024, an attack on its U.S. subsidiary exposed the data of more than 2.2 million people, mostly current and former employees. The INC Ransom ransomware group later claimed it. At this stage, nothing links the current incident to that attack or to the hacking of French supermarket refrigeration systems that occurred the same weekend.

Best practices for customers

• Be wary of emails, text messages or calls that claim to come from Delhaize or Albert Heijn and mention a refund, compensation or an account problem. Scammers often exploit this type of incident.
• Never share your bank details or passwords in response to such messages. Use the official website or app once they are restored.
• If you reuse your customer account password on other services, change it as a precaution.

For businesses, this episode is a reminder of the value of being able to quickly isolate systems and of having a degraded mode for stores and logistics.

Update of October 14, 2026

Dutch-Belgian group Ahold Delhaize took part of its systems offline on October 11 after a cybersecurity incident. It published a new status update on Tuesday, October 13, reported by Insurance Journal. The group says it has so far found no evidence of theft of customer or employee data. It has begun bringing some systems back online in a controlled manner and will refund online orders that were not fulfilled. Its stores and pharmacies remain open.

Ahold Delhaize also presents the attack on French supermarket refrigeration systems as a separate matter. The group still does not say what type of incident it is and gives no date for a return to normal. No claim of responsibility has been made public. In the Netherlands, Albert Heijn warned as early as October 12, according to regional broadcaster NH Nieuws, that shelves could be empty in the coming days: several distribution centers were shut down, and fresh products were the most affected.