Albert Heijn, father of the Dutch supermarket, dies at 83

Albert Heijn, grandson of the founder of the Dutch supermarket group that bears his name, has died at home in England at the age of 83.

Heijn started working for the company in 1949 when it was still run by his grandfather in Zaandam and two years later set up the country's first self-service store.

He was chairman of the board from 1963 to 1989 and is largely credited with turning the supermarket group into a nationwide and international success.

Albert Heijn is the oldest part of Ahold, and still has the largest market share in the Netherlands The stores are full service supermarkets (as opposed to discounters) known for their focus on quality stores and products. This focus on quality is part of the reason that Albert Heijn is regarded as one of the more expensive supermarkets. However, after the recent price war - initiated by Albert Heijn itself and involving nearly all Dutch supermarket chains - the prices are now at a normal level