Chantilly, United States / Zaandam, The Netherlands, May 29, 2001 - Royal Ahold, the international food retail and foodservice company, today announced it has formed a strategic alliance to offer electronic banking services to its U.S. customers. The partnership with Amicus Financial, the U.S. division of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), will offer a range of financial services to Ahold's 15 million weekly customers in the USA. The services, in several of Ahold's trade areas along the U.S. eastern seaboard, will start in the fall of 2001.
Amicus Financial, the largest internet bank in North America, will offer financial services in selected Ahold stores through telephone call centers, ATM's and the internet. The services offer excellent conditions for customers.
The initiative at Ahold USA is in line with similar activities of Ahold in stores around the world. In The Netherlands, Ahold's flagship Dutch chain Albert Heijn has set up a savings account facility with insurance bank Aegon. Ahold's Brazilian operation Bompreço runs a successful credit card service - the Hipercard, highly popular among local customers.