Ahold Receives Royal Decree Allowing It To Refer To Itself As Royal

Ahold said that the Netherlands’ king has approved the retailer’s request to use the term “Koninklijke,” or “Royal,” as part of its corporate name after its planned merger with Delhaize Group. Upon completion of the merger deal, the corporate name of the combined company will be Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V., the retailer said. Combined, the merger partners will feature a portfolio of strong local brands and account for more than 375,000 associates. With more than 6,500 stores, the combined company is expected to serve more than 50 million customers in Europe and the United States.