Ahold Delhaize has lowered its annual profit forecast after a major cyberattack disrupted operations across Europe and the US, expecting to lose up to €250m in fourth-quarter sales.

The Dutch supermarket group, which owns Albert Heijn, Delhaize, Food Lion and Stop & Shop, revealed that October’s cyberattack is expected to reduce net sales by between €200m and €250m, while operating profit could fall by €75m to €100m.

The incident, first disclosed on 12 October, forced the retailer to temporarily shut down websites, apps and other IT systems to prevent further disruption.

Operations in the Netherlands and Belgium were particularly affected, with supply chain interruptions and suspended online grocery deliveries. Digital services across several US supermarket brands were also disrupted.

Despite the widespread impact, Ahold Delhaize confirmed that its physical stores remained open throughout the incident.

It has subsequently reduced its full-year earnings expectations, forecasting low-single-digit underlying earnings per share growth, compared with its previous projection of mid-to-high single-digit growth.

Its free cash flow forecast has also been lowered to approximately €2.1bn, down from at least €2.3bn, reflecting the cyberattack alongside changes to supplier payment regulations in Serbia.

Chief executive Frans Muller acknowledged that the disruption had prevented the retailer from delivering its usual level of customer service, apologising to shoppers affected by the incident.

The group said it had made significant progress restoring its systems, although recovery work was continuing.

Ahold Delhaize also reported third-quarter sales of €23.1bn, representing a 1.9 per cent increase at constant exchange rates, supported by growth across its European operations.

There are growing concerns in the industry over cybersecurity vulnerabilities across Europe’s grocery sector.

Earlier this week, supermarkets across several European countries were hit by separate cyberattacks targeting refrigeration systems, forcing retailers to dispose of substantial quantities of chilled and frozen food.

Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium were reportedly affected by the latest refrigeration incidents.

However, no confirmed connection has been established between those attacks and the October incident affecting Ahold Delhaize’s wider IT network.

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