Press Release
[Graphic Omitted] Ahold
                                                        Royal Ahold
                                                        Corporate Communications

                                                  Date: November 21, 2003
                                  For more information: +31 75 659 57 20

Ahold confirms limited use of
shareholder authorizations

Zaandam, The Netherlands, November 21, 2003 -- Ahold today confirmed that it
will use the authorizations requested under Item 6 of the agenda for the
forthcoming shareholders' meeting on November 26, 2003, to issue no more than
625 million common shares and 175 million cumulative preferred financing
shares.(*)

Any further issue of common shares and cumulative preferred financing shares
will be subject to separate shareholder authorization.

The authorization requested for the issue of cumulative preferred shares, which
may only be used for protection purposes, extends to all such unissued shares as
in previous years.

Ahold also confirms that it will not use the authorization requested from
shareholders under Item 7 of the agenda to acquire common shares, or depository
receipts of such shares, other than to cover its obligations under stock option
plans.

(*) The maximum 175 million cumulative preferred financing shares represents the
number of such shares required to ensure the percentage interest represented by
the cumulative preferred financing shares would remain unchanged after giving
effect to the previously announced proposed rights offering.

Editors' note:
Set forth below is the full text of Items 6 and 7 of the agenda for the Ahold
AGM as published on November 7, 2003:

Item 6
Authorization of the Executive Board for a period of 18 months, i.e. up to May
26, 2005, empowering the Executive Board, subject to the approval of the
Supervisory Board, to adopt resolutions:
a.   - to issue any of the shares of common stock remaining unissued for the
       time being;
     - to issue any of the shares of cumulative preferred stock remaining
       unissued for the time being;
     - to issue any of the shares of cumulative preferred financing stock
       remaining unissued for the time being;

                                                  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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such authorization including the power to grant rights to subscribe for such
shares, all this within the limits of the authorized capital as it will stand
upon effectuation of the proposed amendment of the Articles of Association.
b.   - to restrict or eliminate the pre-emptive rights of holders of shares of
     common stock when issuing shares of common stock and/or when granting
     rights to subscribe for shares of common stock.

Item 7
Proposal to authorize the Corporate Executive Board for a period of 18 months,
i.e. up to May 26, 2005, and subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board,
to acquire for valuable consideration, whether by private transaction or at the
Stock Exchange, as many (depository receipts of) ordinary shares of the Company
as shall be permitted within the limits of the law and the Articles of
Association , at a price which may not be lower than one eurocent and may not be
higher than 105% of the average closing price of such shares at the Amsterdam
Stock Exchange calculated over the five stock exchange days immediately
preceding the date of acquisition.

Ahold Corporate Communications: +31.75.659.57.20

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Legal Notice

This press release is for information only and does not constitute an offer to
issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire or buy, shares and
rights to subscribe for shares to any person in any jurisdiction. It is expected
that the prospectus regarding the offering and the offering of the cumulative
preferred financing shares will be made available at the offices of Ahold and
the Joint Bookrunners at the time of launch of the offering.

Members of the general public in Ireland are not eligible to take part in these
offerings. In Ireland, this announcement, in so far as it constitutes an
invitation or inducement to participate in the offering, is directed exclusively
at persons who fall within Article 2(1)(a) of Council Directive No. 89/298/EEC
of 17th April 1989 (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant
persons"). This announcement, in so far as it constitutes an invitation or
inducement to participate in the offering, must not be acted on or relied on by
persons who are not relevant persons.

The material set forth herein is for information purposes only and is not
intended, and should not be construed, as an offer to sell, or as a solicitation
of an offer to purchase, any securities. The securities of the company described
herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or the laws of any state, and may not
by offered or sold within the United States, except pursuant to an exemption
from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the
Securities Act and applicable state laws.

The information contained in this communication does not constitute an offer of
securities to the public in the United Kingdom within the meaning of the Public
Offers of Securities Regulations 1995. No prospectus offering securities to the
public will be published in the United Kingdom. Persons receiving this
communication in the United Kingdom should not rely on it or act on it in any
way.

This press release does not constitute an offer of rights or shares for sale or
a solicitation of an offer to purchase rights or shares in Germany and is for
information purposes only. Readers of this press release are requested to inform
themselves about and to observe any such restrictions. No public offering of the
rights or shares is being conducted in Germany. Any offer or sale of rights or
shares in Germany may only be made in compliance with the German Securities
Prospectus Act (Wertpapier-Verkaufsprospektgesetz). No sales prospectus
(Verkaufsprospekt) under the German Securities Sales Prospectus Act has been, or
will be, published with respect to the rights of the shares.

The offering may be restricted in certain other countries and such restriction,
if any, will be included in the prospectus.
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