Albert Heijn hack: what it means for your groceries, Bonus card, and home delivery as outage drags on

If you’ve tried to order groceries from Albert Heijn this week, or hoped to cash in your Bonuskaart points, you’ve probably noticed things aren’t working. The supermarket chain, along with its sister brands Etos and Gall & Gall, has been offline since Sunday 11 October after what parent company Ahold Delhaize calls a “cybersecurity incident.” Sources have confirmed to NOS that it was a cyberattack — and the disruption is far from over.

What happened? On Sunday evening, Albert Heijn’s IT security team spotted suspicious traffic hitting its systems. They made a call: shut everything down to stop attackers from burrowing deeper. That decision took the websites, app, online ordering, and even some distribution centre operations offline. The attack appears to have used servers in the United States, Poland, Moldova, and Turkey, according to security sources cited by NOS. There is also evidence that servers belonging to Ahold Delhaize’s US arm may have been used. Cybersecurity expert Pim Takkenberg told NOS”that’s a common tactic to hide the real location of the attackers.

Ahold Delhaize says it has found no evidence so far that customer, employee, or third-party data was stolen. The investigation continues, and the company is working with external experts and the relevant authorities.

What does this mean for you?

Home delivery: still suspended until at least Tuesday 20 October. Albert Heijn originally said deliveries would resume after Sunday 18 October, but on Saturday it extended the halt. If you have an existing order, it has been cancelled — and if you already paid, you will get a refund directly to your bank account. The chain now says it hopes to restart deliveries “from the second half of the week” — so likely Wednesday or later.

Online ordering: impossible. You cannot place a order on the website or through the app. Both are still down. Customer service is also unreachable.

In-store: Bonus card and promotions still offline. You won’t get your personal discounts or save up Bonus points. Electronic price tags may still show last week’s offers, but the till rings up the current price. The chain says it is “doing everything” to bring promotions back, but no timeline is given.

Store shelves: better than Monday, but not fully stocked. After a chaotic Monday when distribution centres stopped working, Albert Heijn says all six distribution centres were operational again by Wednesday 14 October. Stores are now being restocked multiple times a day. Still, reporters from ANP noticed gaps especially in fruit and vegetable aisles on Wednesday. If you need fresh produce, check early or be prepared to shop at a competitor.

Any data concerns? Ahold Delhaize says no evidence of data theft has been found. But cybersecurity experts warn that it is still possible. Joey Fennis told NOS that “if malicious actors have turned the key in the front door lock, they may well have looked inside and accessed or stolen data.” The company is continuing to investigate.

How long will this last? Albert Heijn has been cautious. The outage is already the longest in recent Dutch retail memory. Experts estimate the damage so far at over €10 million — and that does not include the cost of IT consultants. The app, online ordering, and promotions are still not fully functional as of Saturday 17 October. Ahold Delhaize has not said when everything will be back to normal.

What about Etos and Gall & Gall? Same issues — websites and online orders are down. In-store operations seem less affected because those chains rely less on complex supply chain IT.

What to do in the meantime

• If you need groceries delivered, consider alternatives like Jumbo, Picnic, or Crisp. Jumbo has its own delivery network; Picnic is app-only but active.
• For in-store shopping, bring cash or a bank card that works without issues — contactless should be fine since Albert Heijn’s payment terminals are separate from the affected systems.
• If you have a Bonus card with accumulated points, don’t worry — points are stored on the card, not online, and will be available once systems are restored.
• Follow Albert Heijn’s official social media or the NL Times for updates.

The outage is a stark reminder how dependent Dutch supermarkets are on centralised IT systems. For expats who rely on home delivery or the app for convenience, this is frustrating. But for now, the safest bet is to shop in person and accept that some items may be missing. The chain says it “sincerely apologises” and is working around the clock. Whether that’s enough for customers who have already switched to competitors remains to be seen.