Ahold 1999 First-quarter Sales Up 27.2% to Euro 9.3 Billion -NLG 20.5 Billion-.

ZAANDAM, The Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 10, 1999--

Royal Ahold (NYSE: AHO), the leading international food retailer, achieved 1999 first-quarter (16 weeks) consolidated sales (excluding VAT) of Euro 9.3 billion (NLG 20.5 billion), an increase of 27.2% over the first-quarter of 1998. At constant exchange rates, sales would have risen 31.7%.

In the US, sales rose 36.7% to $6.1 billion, reflecting in large part the acquisition of Giant-Landover in October 1998. Excluding Giant-Landover, sales would have risen 6.3%.

In The Netherlands,on (NLG 1.1 billion). All countries (Poland, Poron of Disco in Argentina and Santa Isabel in Chile. Bompreco in Brazil also achieved a clear improvement in sales, expressed in local currency. Sales in Asia rose 28.6% to Euro 132 million (NLG 290 million). Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and China all contributed to the improved salesrove in all regions. Excluding currency fluctuan June 10, 1999.

Royal Ahold is a rapidly In addition to its listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: AHO), Ahold's shares are trading on the Amsterdam Exchanges and on the Swiss Exchange, and Ahold options are also traded on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX). Ahold common shares may be accessed on the Reuter Equities 2000 Service under the symbol AHLN.AS and on Quotron under the symbol AHOLN.EU. Additional information is available on Ahold's home page: http://www.ahold.nl.

Royal Ahold press releases may contain `forward-looking statements'. Actual results may differ from such statements as they may have been influenced by factors beyond the company's ability to control.