Grocery giant Ahold Delhaize confirms cyberattack forced US and European systems offline

What happened

Ahold Delhaize shut down some computer systems, including websites and apps, to protect them after a cyberattack. This affected most of its brands in Europe and the United States. The company first reported the problem on October 12, and confirmed the details on October 19, 2026.

Key facts

• Brands affected include Food Lion, Giant Food, and Stop & Shop in the US, and Albert Heijn in the Netherlands.
• All physical stores were still open at the time of the statement.
• The company reported the incident to the Dutch National Cyber Security Centre last week and to Dutch police on Monday.
• Albert Heijn's website and app are back online. Home deliveries are expected to restart on Friday.
• This is the company's second cyberattack in two years.

Earlier attack and a related case

In November 2024, a hacking group called INC Ransom broke into the company's systems and leaked some stolen files. The company later found that data from more than 2.2 million people had been stolen, including personal, financial, and health details. The company has not said whether the new attack is linked to attacks on refrigeration controllers at hundreds of French supermarkets that started on October 11.

Why it matters

Grocery stores depend on computers for deliveries, online orders, and prescriptions. When these systems go down, customers and workers can be affected. Because this is the second big attack in two years, people will want to know whether the company has made its defenses stronger.

What to watch

• Whether online shopping and deliveries return on schedule in the US and Belgium.
• Whether the investigation finds any stolen customer, worker, or partner data.
• Whether the company links this attack to the attacks on French supermarket refrigerators.