Did you know that there are over 1,100 Albert Heijn branches in the Netherlands and Belgium? Add to that another 1 000+ Etos and Gall & Gall stores, and you have an idea of Ahold Delhaize’s extensive real estate portfolio. As the Real Estate department, we are responsible for all our physical stores as well as the distribution centers and Home Shop Centers (HSCs) that house our online shopping products. We aim to improve our shops and the overall logistical network of Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall, and in doing so, contribute to the sustainable growth of our organization. We source locations for new stores, and expand, relocate and optimize existing ones. Our primary goal is to ensure that all our stores are appealing for our customers, inspiring them to shop easily and efficiently in the best locations. Wherever possible, we aim to be easily accessible to our shoppers.  

In the Real Estate team, we wear many hats. As real estate investors, we lease a portion of our properties to third-party tenants and make sure our buildings are always in top condition. We evaluate other, potentially interesting real estate and are involved in how our stores, distribution centers and HSCs are designed. Lastly, we wear the hat of tenants too, as many of our stores are located in buildings that aren’t part of our portfolio.  

Comprising three subteams – Expansion Management; Portfolio Management; and Asset Management – we’re a team of 40 talented and highly dedicated professionals, most with a real estate or legal background. What binds us is our passion for real estate and retail. Our work is complex and extremely diverse, from taking on the roles of retailer leasing out a property or an investor scouting for new assets, to meeting with a group of residents who may find the daily loading and unloading of our trucks a nuisance. One thing is for sure: in our team, no day is the same. If you enjoy working hard in a challenging and complex environment, this is the place for you!

Forge your own path

Our team is a solid mix of junior, mid-level and senior professionals. Like any successful soccer club, we invest in our people so they can flourish and grow within the organization. We have a ‘buddy’ system, in which our senior team members – often professionals who’ve been with the company for decades – mentor and coach our juniors. Learning on the job is a given (and the curve can be steep!) especially as we believe in giving our people the freedom and opportunity to take ownership of their work. Ultimately, our goal is for you to decide on the best way to get there. If you drift off course or miss a few turns, we’ll guide you back on the right path.  

“In our team, we look after one another and are always willing to step in where needed. If, on occasion, there’s some work overload, or someone needs advice, they don’t even need to ask: a team member’s already noticed it and has offered their help.” 

Alica van der Duin, Vice President Real Estate, Albert Heijn

Sustainability: our linchpin

Sustainability is a core consideration in everything we do and every decision we make. Not only do we strive for the most sustainable solutions within our own organization and real estate portfolio, but we also encourage our tenants and any other parties we work with to do so too. Over the past decade, we’ve implemented numerous innovations in and around our locations, such as solar panels on our stores’ roofs, greener parking lots and a radical increase in the number of electric-car charging stations (within these parking lots). Currently, we’re running a pilot in which excess energy that we’ve generated ourselves is stored and used to power generators. This energy can be distributed whenever there’s too much pressure on the grid, as often happens in winter. Such energy-efficient solutions are the way forward.