Ahold to sell 13 hypermarkets in Poland to Carrefour

AMSTERDAM (AFP) - Dutch retailer Royal Ahold said it had agreed to sell 13 large hypermarkets in Poland to French retailer Carrefour for an undisclosed sum.
The hypermarkets trade under the Hypernova banner and are located in major Polish cities.
The closing of the transaction was expected in the first quarter of 2005, pending regulatory approval.
"In Poland, we have decided to fully focus on the further development of the supermarket and compact hyper formats," Ahold chief executive Anders Moberg said in a statement Monday.
"Moreover, the divestment of all the larger hypermarkets contributes to reduction of our debt."
Ahold would still operate in Poland with 170 Albert supermarkets and 12 Hypernova compact hypers. The company has been active in Poland since 1995.

11/15/2004 - 11:15 GMT - AFP