Ahold commences €1 billion share buyback program

7 maart 2011 Amsterdam, the Netherlands, March 7, 2011 - Ahold today commenced the € 1 billion share buyback program announced on March 3, 2011 and expected to be finalized within 18 months. The purpose of the share buyback program is to return value to shareholders. The program will be executed by intermediaries allowing the execution of share repurchases in the open market during open and closed periods. The program will be executed within the limitations of the existing authority granted at Ahold's 2010 annual General Meeting of Shareholders and, if granted, the authority proposed to shareholders at Ahold's 2011 annual General Meeting of Shareholders on April 20, 2011. Ahold may cancel all or part of the common shares acquired through the program. Ahold will provide updates on the progress of the program by means of weekly press releases. Ahold Press Office: +31 20 509 5343 Ahold Investor Relations: +31 20 509 5213 Forward-looking statements notice Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, the execution and duration of the share buyback program and the use of treasury shares, for employee share-based compensation and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond Ahold's ability to control or estimate precisely, as mostly detailed in Ahold's public filings and other disclosures. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward- looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Ahold does not undertake any obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release, except as may be required by applicable laws. Outside the Netherlands, Koninklijke Ahold N.V., being its registered name, also presents itself under the name of "Royal Ahold" or "Ahold". This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Ahold via Thomson Reuters ONE [HUG#1494901]