Ahold Delhaize USA stores crippled by cybersecurity issues

Ahold Delhaize USA grocery stores, including Stop & Shop and Hannaford locations, were hit with a cybersecurity breach on Nov. 8.

Local media outlets in Maine and Connecticut reported that some Stop & Shops had run low on products because the issue disrupted deliveries, and pharmacies could not process debit and gift cards.

Hannaford’s website remained down on Tuesday, while Stop & Shop’s was up and running.

Ahold Delhaize, the parent company of Ahold Delhaize USA, said in a press release that its security teams launched an investigation into the cybersecurity issue with the help of external cybersecurity experts. Law enforcement was also notified.

The company stated that several Ahold Delhaize USA brands and services, including some pharmacies and certain ecommerce operations, were affected.

“Our teams are taking steps to assess and mitigate the issue,” the company said in a press release. “This includes taking some systems offline to help protect them.”

Ahold Delhaize USA did not respond to a request for an update on the cybersecurity issue.

The breach occurred just one day after Ahold Delhaize reported disappointing third-quarter earnings.

The grocer explained that the sale of its online grocery delivery service FreshDirect, store closures, and the Boar’s Head deli meat recall had all impacted earnings.

FreshDirect was sold in late 2023, and the first of 32 Stop & Shop stores closed during the first week of November.

Boar’s Head deli products were linked to a deadly Listeria outbreak that killed 10 people over the summer.

In the U.S., Ahold net sales totaled $14.49 billion, a year-over-year decrease of 0.1% at constant exchange rates and a drop of 1% at actual exchange rates.

Comparable sales, excluding gasoline, rose by 1.2% year-over-year.

Frans Muller, president and CEO of Ahold Delhaize, stated during the earnings call that the Stop & Shop closures and the Boar’s Head deli recall negatively affected comparable sales in the U.S. by about $70 million in the third quarter.