Albert Heijn Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Albert Heijn
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Albert (r.) and Gerrit-Jan Heijn (l.) in front of the Albert Heijn museum (1987)
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| Born |
Albert Heijn
25 January 1927 Zaandam, Netherlands
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| Died | 13 January 2011 (aged 83) Hereford, England, UK
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| Occupation | Grocer |
| Known for | Founding Ahold and expanding Albert Heijn |
| Title | Founder and Chairman of Ahold |
| Spouse(s) |
Herma Maria Schipper
(m. 1951)Louise Maria Keller
(m. 1974; died 1982)Olga Sophia Catharina van der Poel
(m. 1984; died 1990)Monique Marcella Frédérique Everwijn Lange
(m. 1992) |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Gerrit Jan Heijn (brother) Albert Heijn Sr. (grandfather) Ronald Jan Heijn (nephew) |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion |
Albert Heijn (born January 25, 1927, in Zaandam, Netherlands – died January 13, 2011, in Hereford, England) was a famous Dutch businessman. He was a major owner and the founder of a big company called Ahold.
Albert Heijn helped turn his family's grocery business into a huge international company. He was known for bringing new ideas to how people shop for food.
Contents
A Family Business Story
Albert Heijn's grandfather, also named Albert Heijn, started the family business. He opened a single grocery store in a town called Oostzaan. Over time, this small store grew into many stores. This was the beginning of the well-known Dutch supermarket chain, also named Albert Heijn.
Expanding the Supermarket Chain
Young Albert Heijn took this family business and made it much bigger. He helped it become a multinational company, meaning it operated in many countries.
New Shopping Ideas
Albert Heijn brought the idea of the supermarket to the Netherlands. Supermarkets are large self-service stores where you can buy many different kinds of food and household items. He also helped create new ways to make shopping easier. For example, he played a big part in setting up an international standard for bar codes in 1974. Bar codes are those black and white lines on products that stores scan to quickly find prices.
Leading Ahold
Albert Heijn was the main leader, or CEO, of Ahold until 1989. Under his leadership, the company grew a lot.
Family and Recognition
Albert Heijn had a brother and business partner named Gerrit Jan Heijn. Sadly, Gerrit Jan Heijn passed away in 1987.
In 1989, Albert Heijn received a special award called the Sidney R. Rabb Award. This award is given by the Food Marketing Institute. He was the first person from outside America to win it.
Life in England
For many years, Albert Heijn lived in Herefordshire, England, at a place called Pudleston Court. Even though he was no longer officially working with Ahold when he died, he sometimes shared his thoughts about the company.
In Hereford, he started a new company called Eign Enterprises. This company opened shops, restaurants, and hotels in the local area. Because of his contributions to the city, he was named Honorary Freeman of the City of Hereford in 2002. This is a special title given to people who have done a lot for a city.
Proud of His Work
Albert Heijn once said he was very proud that he helped shoppers buy more things for less money. He believed in helping customers get good deals. He said, "I may be a born businessman, but I still feel more empathy for the shopper than for businesses who are only concerned with their stock price and their latest takeover bid. I’m proud that my passport lists my profession as 'grocer'. It’s one of the finest professions in the world." This shows how much he cared about his work and the people he served.
