[Graphic omitted] Ahold

                                             Press Release

                                             Royal Ahold
                                             Corporate Communications


                                      Date:  March 23, 2005
                      For more information:  +31 75 659 57 20



Ahold receives payment for the transferred Disco shares

Zaandam, The Netherlands, March 23, 2005 - Ahold today announced that it has
received from escrow the final purchase amount for the approximately 85% of the
shares of Disco S.A., which it transferred on November 1, 2004 to the Chilean
retailer Cencosud S.A., after reaching an agreement with Cencosud on the final
purchase price adjustment resulting from the closing balance sheet of Disco.

The transaction, which Ahold and Cencosud entered into on March 5, 2004, still
requires Argentine antitrust approval, although this will not affect Ahold's
retention of the purchase amount. Ahold and Cencosud are committed to bringing
this process to a successful conclusion and they believe that antitrust approval
will be obtained in due course.

The purchase amount for the remaining approximately 15% of the Disco shares that
currently have not been transferred by Ahold to Cencosud remains in escrow until
such shares can legally be transferred to Cencosud. As explained before, these
shares are subject to certain Uruguayan court orders processed and executed in
Argentina.


Ahold Corporate Communications: +31.75.659.5720


                                                  Albert Heijnweg 1, Zaandam
                                                  P.O. Box 3050, 1500 HB Zaandam
                                                  The Netherlands
                                                  Phone: +31 (0)75 659 5720
http://www.ahold.com                              Fax:   +31 (0)75 659 8302

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Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Ahold's and Cencosud's
commitment to the successful completion of the process and their ability to
obtain antitrust approval. These forward-looking statements are subject to
risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the information set forth in these forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, any inability to obtain, or delays in
obtaining, antitrust approval, any unwinding of the transaction, any inability
to transfer, or delay in transferring, the remaining approximately 15% of the
Disco shares, the inability to address, or delays in addressing, court orders in
effect currently or in the future that may affect the sale or transfer of all or
part of Disco shares and other legal obstacles to the completion of the
transaction, the actions of courts, government regulators and law enforcement
agencies and other factors some of which are discussed in Ahold's public
filings. Many of these factors are beyond Ahold's ability to control or predict.
Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on
the forward-looking statements, which only speak as of the date of this press
release. Ahold does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any
revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances
after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events or circumstances, except as may be required under
applicable securities laws. Outside The Netherlands, Koninklijke Ahold N.V.,
being its registered name, presents itself under the name of "Royal Ahold" or
simply "Ahold."
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