Zaandam, The Netherlands, April 3, 2001 - Royal Ahold, the international food retail and foodservice company, today announced that its Thai supermarket operation TOPS has signed a strategic alliance with Conoco, a gas station operator with 120 outlets throughout Thailand. The partnership enables Conoco to procure dry grocery items for its roadside convenience stores through the TOPS distribution center outside the capital Bangkok. Tops will supply these dry groceries to all 120 Conoco outlets in Thailand.
TOPS, with sales of approximately Euro 300 million, currently operates 40 full-service supermarkets in Thailand. This alliance enables Ahold to strengthen its sourcing position in Thailand considerably. It also enlarges the scale of Ahold’s Thai operation while making optimal use of its existing logistics and distribution infrastructure.
The partnership between Conoco and the profitable Ahold subsidiary will also involve as of mid-year the joint development and marketing of a unique fresh food concept, assortment and presentation. These will be rolled out gradually and, following a trial period, ultimately to all 120 forecourt convenience stores.
The new TOPS-Conoco partnership will be known as “Jiffy Kitchen by TOPS”, and the food brand will offer a full range of fresh meals and sandwiches, bakery products, fruit and drinks. It is expected that the new offering will be rolled out in May at two test Jiffy outlets with two more to be tested in July.
Ahold is developing considerable experience in the gasoline station and convenience store business around its global network. In 2000, the company operated over 1,700 gas stations with convenience stores in the United States, Scandinavia and the Czech Republic. It is expected that Ahold will expand these activities into other trade areas.