Albert Heijn XL Hulst

What Albert Heijn XL Hulst does

Albert Heijn XL Hulst is a single-store, family-owned franchise supermarket operated by the Mattheeuws family across four generations. The business trades under the Albert Heijn (Ahold Delhaize) brand and operates an XL-format store at Stationsplein 17, Hulst, Zeeland, Netherlands, spanning more than 3,000 m2 and carrying over 30,000 food and non-food SKUs. Founded as a Mattheeuws dairy route in 1945 and converted to an Albert Heijn franchise in 1986, the Hulst location has been operating since October 1990 (relocated to the current site on 21 September 2011 and subsequently reformatted as Albert Heijn XL). The store features a full fresh market (vershal) with rotisserie, sushi counter, and live cooking stations, supplemented by an in-store Gall & Gall liquor outlet and a Retourette returns point. Adjacent properties include guarantees branded as 'Vers = Vers' freshness guarantee, 'Onvoorwaardelijke Kwaliteit Garantie', and 'Onvoorwaardelijke Actieprijsgarantie', plus the AH Hulst Academy as an internal training sub-brand. Energy-efficiency infrastructure (roof solar, motion-sensor lighting, refrigeration heat recovery, night covers on refrigeration, vegetable mist installation) is highlighted as a differentiator.

The company serves two primary consumer segments: local Dutch shoppers in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen (19,000+ weekly customers) and Belgian cross-border shoppers (6,000+ weekly customers) attracted by pricing and assortment. It also operates an educational partnership pipeline (Scalda BBL Detailhandel, SVO BBL Foodservice, Avans Hogeschool dual HBO Retailmanagement) that funnels trained retail and foodservice personnel into the workforce. Business model is a B2C one-time retail transaction model with marketing channel integration to the parent Albert Heijn platform (ah.nl bonus promotions, Allerhande recipes) and direct organic social channels (Facebook, YouTube, local website, email newsletter).

Technically and commercially, the store is positioned as the largest Albert Heijn XL-format store, operating extended hours (8:00-22:00, Sunday until 20:00) with free parking. Customer guarantee programs (freshness, quality, lowest promotional price) and award recognition (best vegetable department of the Netherlands, Gall & Gall national champions) are central to the value proposition. Revenue model is straightforward retail grocery sales; no online ordering, delivery, or digital storefront is operated by the franchise itself, and no AI, data, or platform technology stack is publicly disclosed.

Name

Albert Heijn XL Hulst

Legal name

Albert Heijn Hulst

Website

https://albertheijnhulst.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Albert Heijn XL Hulst is a family-owned Albert Heijn XL-format franchise supermarket in Hulst, Zeeland, serving 19,000+ Dutch and 6,000+ Belgian cross-border weekly shoppers from a 3,000+ m2 store with 30,000+ products and an on-site fresh market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supermarket Retail

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Hot Hold & Ready-to-Eat Meals (Rotisserie, Hot Bar, Entrées) (CRAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Supermarket retail
• Fresh grocery
• Food retail
• Franchise grocery
• Fresh produce

Headquarters

HQ city

Hulst

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail grocery sales: Revenue generated from direct sales of food and non-food products to consumers. The store offers more than 30,000 products across food and non-food categories, including extensive fresh produce, prepared foods, and specialty items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Albert Heijn XL Hulst operates an XL-format Albert Heijn franchise supermarket in Hulst, Netherlands, selling more than 30,000 food and non-food products across over 3,000 m² of retail space. The store's anchor is a comprehensive fresh market with rotisserie, sushi counter, and live cooking stations, complemented by an adjacent Gall & Gall liquor store. It also runs the AH Hulst Academy as an internal training sub-brand for employees.

Product overview

Albert Heijn XL Hulst is a franchise supermarket operating under the Albert Heijn (AH) chain, the largest Dutch supermarket group. The company operates a single Albert Heijn XL-format store at Stationsplein 17 in Hulst, Netherlands, along with adjacent specialty sections including Gall & Gall (alcoholic beverages) and a Retourette recycling point. The core XL store spans over 3,000 m² and carries more than 30,000 products across food and non-food categories, anchored by a comprehensive vershal (fresh market) with rotisserie, sushi, and live cooking services. The AH Hulst Academy functions as an internal training sub-brand offering structured education programs. The company also markets several branded guarantee programs (Onvoorwaardelijke Kwaliteit Garantie, Vers = Vers, Actieprijsgarantie) as part of its customer value proposition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Albert Heijn XL Hulst Supermarket XL-format Albert Heijn franchise supermarket in Hulst, Netherlands, spanning over 3,000 m² of retail floor space with an assortment of more than 30,000 food and non-food products. Features a full fresh market (vershal) including a rotisserie, sushi counter, and live cooking stations, with extended opening hours until 22:00 and free on-site parking. Targeted at local Dutch households in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and Belgian cross-border shoppers.
• Gall & Gall Hulst Adjacent Gall & Gall alcoholic beverage store co-located at the Hulst site, operating under the Dutch national liquor retail brand. The Hulst location's Gall & Gall team was recognized as national champions of the Netherlands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 10% or more annual revenue growth since opening in 1990
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Albert Heijn (Franchisor)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFranchise relationship established in 1986 between Mattheeuws brothers (Theo and Paul) and Albert Heijn. The partnership provides access to Albert Heijn's expertise in assortment, marketing, and national branding while maintaining local ownership. The franchise enabled significant growth in the Zeeland region.
• Get a GripminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline marketing agency that assists AH Hulst with content marketing strategy, social media management, and online advertising. Collaboration on marketing execution and analysis.
• ScaldaminorOthersVocational school providing BBL (work-learning) trajectories for retail, specifically BBL Detailhandel niveau 4. Employees pursue education while working at AH Hulst.
• SVO (Stichting Vakexamen Organisatie)minorOthersVocational training organization providing BBL Foodservice/Traiteur niveau 3 certification. Employees develop skills in delicatessen operations.
• Avans HogeschoolminorOthersUniversity of applied sciences offering dual HBO Retailmanagement trajectory in collaboration with AH Hulst. Students combine theoretical education with practical retail experience.
• Cok KapelleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHistorical main supplier for Mattheeuws supermarkets, providing supply chain support for the 'Versmannen van Mattheeuws' concept focusing on fresh products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aldi Nederland: Hard-discount supermarket chain operating across the Netherlands with focus on private label and fresh. Overlaps with AH XL Hulst on value-oriented grocery and fresh categories within Dutch regional trade areas.
• Jumbo Supermarkten: Largest Dutch supermarket chain by market share and direct head-to-head competitor to Albert Heijn across Dutch catchments. Compares to AH XL Hulst on grocery assortment, fresh-market positioning, and price competitiveness in the Zeeuws-Vlaanderen region.
• Lidl Nederland: Hard-discount competitor with expanding fresh and prepared food offerings in the Netherlands. Competes with AH XL Hulst on price-sensitive basket share within the same regional catchment.
• SPAR Nederland: International franchise supermarket brand with a strong Dutch store network. Closely comparable to AH XL Hulst on franchise model, neighborhood/regional positioning, and fresh assortment.
• Dirk van den Broek Supermarkten: Dutch family-owned supermarket chain known for sharp pricing and broad assortment. Compares to AH XL Hulst on competitive positioning within Dutch regional grocery markets.
• Coop Supermarkten: Dutch supermarket cooperative/franchise serving regional Dutch catchments. Comparable to AH XL Hulst on franchise-led local store operations and fresh-market emphasis.
• Plus Supermarkt: Dutch supermarket franchise chain operating under a similar franchisee model to Albert Heijn. Directly comparable on cooperative/franchise structure, regional supermarket positioning, and family-operator dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• Ahold Delhaize: Parent company of Albert Heijn and a global retail incumbent. Compares to AH XL Hulst as the broad incumbent/franchisor defining assortment, marketing, and supply chain terms that govern the Hulst store's operations.

Regional players

• Carrefour Belgium: Belgian arm of the global Carrefour group with hypermarkets and supermarkets across Belgium. Comparable to AH XL Hulst as a cross-border retail competitor for Belgian shopper traffic into Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.
• Colruyt Group: Belgian retail group operating Colruyt, OKay, and Cru supermarkets across Belgium, including border regions proximate to AH XL Hulst. Compares as a cross-border competitor for the ~6,000 weekly Belgian shoppers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXQsvui92QeilN2s-jAldqQ?guided_help_flow=3
• Facebookfacebook.com/ahhulst
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/albert-heijn-xl-hulst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Albert Heijn XL Hulst