RICHMOND, VA - Ahold may be pulling ownership of its Martin’s banner out of the Richmond, VA-area as part of it’s impending merger with Delhaize, sources say. This will entail selling 20 locations, nearly all of those acquired in its 2010 acquisition of Ukrop’s Super Markets for $140 million. 

Earlier this month, the Ahold Delhaize merger gained both shareholder approval, and approval from the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA)—that is if they agree to divest 13 existing stores, 8 Albert Heijn stores and 5 Delhaize franchised stores.

While the companies themselves have yet to confirm the accuracy of the sale, reports from local Virginia news source, Food World, are suggesting that in order to gain approval by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Ahold will be pulling ownership of 20 of its Richmond-area Martin’s.

"The companies have apparently decided to sell 20 Martin’s units in the Richmond area and will keep about 45 Food Lion stores open in that market…” Food World reported. "Those stores would seemingly represent an overlap issue for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) which has yet to make its divestiture list public before we went to press."

The list of twenty Martin’s stores Food World believes will be part of that overlap include:

• 253 N. Washington Hwy Ashland, VA
• 12601 Jefferson Davis Hwy Chester, VA
• 6401 Centralia Rd. Chesterfield, VA
• 3107 Boulevard #15 Colonial Heights, VA
• 10150 Brook Rd Glen Allen, VA
• 9645 W. Broad Glen Allen, VA
• 10250 Staple Mill Rd Glen Allen, VA
• 13700 Hull Street Rd. Midlothian, VA
• 200 Charter Colony Pkwy Midlothian, VA
• 3522 W Cary St, Richmond, VA
• 10001 Hull St. Rd. Richmond, VA
• 3460 Pump Rd Richmond, VA
• 2250 John Rolfe Pkwy Richmond, VA
• 7045 Forest Hill Ave Richmond, VA
• 5700 Brook Rd Richmond, VA
• 7055 Three Chopt Richmond, VA
• 11361 Midlothian Tpke Richmond, VA
• 4591 South Laburnum Ave Richmond, VA
• 5201 Chippenham Crossing Ctr. Richmond, VA
• 1015 Richmond Ave. Staunton, VA

Ahold Delhaize gave us the following statement on the validity of the report:

“Ahold USA, Inc., parent company of the GIANT/MARTIN’S divisions in the U.S., continues to work toward the successful completion of the proposed merger between Ahold and the Delhaize Group. The merger is currently under review by regulatory and competition authorities, including by the Federal Trade Commission in the U.S.  The merger remains on track for completion in mid-2016. We do not anticipate any store closures as part of the FTC merger approval process.”

AndNowUKnow will continue to update you on the possible divestitures as more information is revealed, so stay tuned.

Ahold Delhaize