STRONG RESULTS FOR AHOLD IN THE US

The Dutch retailer announced that in the first quarter of 2011 its sales climbed up 5.9% on the same period of 2010, coming in at $13.6 billion, or growth of 6% at constant exchange rates.

In the US, sales were up 7.4% to $7.6 billion, with identical sales up 5%t and operating income standing at US$350 million. The company’s operating margins in the US rose 40 basis points, to 4.6%.

"In the US we had particularly strong sales and margins, partially due to the timing of Easter. In the Netherlands margins were impacted by increasing inflation which was not fully passed on to customers. We will continue to manage the balance between sales and margins in a challenging environment of inflation and intense promotional activity, especially in the United States," noted CEO Dick Boer.