© JAA
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Not Media Markt or Jumbo, but Albert Heijn will relieve Carrefour Market at Schilmart. “The people in Schilde have been begging for our arrival for years. At the end of this year or early next year the time has come and we will open our 66th store in Flanders on the Turnhoutsebaan”, Ann Maes, spokesperson for the Dutch supermarket chain proudly announces.
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The Carrefour Market near the border with Zoersel will close its doors for good on October 18. It now appears why the large French chain is leaving its popular location after 27 years. Dutch competitor Alert Heijn (AH) has ‘grabbed’ the expiring lease for the 1,400 square meter building.
–In May, an Albert Heijn opened in Ingelmunster. At the end of this or early next year, Schilde will finally follow, where the Dutch supermarket chain has finally found a suitable location after a long search. — © RR
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“That all went well,” says Ann Maes. “We also have all the permits. Unfortunately I can’t give an exact opening date yet. We will first completely customize the store and will also have to recruit forty employees. Whether we can cut a ribbon this year, I dare not say. But we’re going to speed it up. We have searched for a long time for a suitable place in Schilde and are just as enthusiastic as the residents here that we have finally succeeded.”
Maes refers to AH’s attempts five years ago to open a shop across the street from the future location in the former furniture store Van Ende. The council of aldermen put a stop to this because of the expected mobility problems. Later, another failed attempt on the site of dancing De Toverfluit.
–A thousand Dutch people live in Schilde, but the Flemish also like to shop at Albert Heijn for the ‘surprising range, Dutch prices and personal service’. — © RR
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A thousand Dutch people
“On social media, but also at the cash registers of our other stores in the region, such as Wijnegem Shoppingcenter, Brasschaat and Malle, we regularly get the question from Schildenaren when we will finally come to their municipality. That is not so much because there are so many Dutch people living there. (thousand, ed.) We have a strong brand range that differs from the competitors and is very popular,” says Ann Maes.
“People like our real grocery mentality. We are champions of all things vegetarian and even vegan and lovers of international flavors will find what they are looking for at AH. These are just a few of the advantages why there is so much shopping at AH. From the Netherlands we may have imported the pleasure of a drink to Flanders. In our stores you will find many and various snacks to make it cozy together around a drink.”
–One of the already 64 AH stores in Flanders. Schilde’s will have the same look & feel. — © RR
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New buildings
The fact that there is already a large Delhaize in Zoersel is apparently no problem for opening an AH from the same Ahold holding barely one kilometer away. According to Maes, this is because people now do their shopping in different stores more than in the past. “We are going to use the old Carrefour building for the time being, but within two to three years there will be a completely new building with a brand new store. Of course, just like Carrefour, we will be open on Sundays, at least in the morning,” said the AH spokesperson.
The latter is confirmed by Jo De Bie, CEO of ‘landlord’ and real estate group BIMMO. “And the supermarket is not the only building that we want to demolish and replace with new construction,” says De Bie. “Our seven large stores at Schilmart all date from the 1970s and 1980s. We have wanted to renew them for a long time, but we have to wait until the municipality has a spatial implementation plan for this. It has been there since the end of June. Hopefully it will be in place next year so that we can finally step-by-step our master plan for the complete modernization of the eight-acre Schilmart.”
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