Read the full article here: https://readnews.io/6rho0b

The two companies announced the agreement on Wednesday, but did not disclose the terms of the transaction. The deal is expected to close next year. FreshDirect will retain its name and continue to operate from New York City, where it launched in 2002. , which was created in 2016 from a merger of Ahold and Delhaize Group, is one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States. It says FreshDirect will help it reach new customers and boost sales in the lucrative New York market. FreshDirect said gaining access to the size and scale of the Dutch business will enable the company to grow. ,/” wrote Jon Springer, editor-in-chief of Winsight Grocery Business, an industry publication, in an email. /'FreshDirect will have a parent company with real purchasing power and the resources to expand further in East Coast markets. /"/"Ahold is determined to get bigger to compete with heavyweights like The deal comes as the pandemic has reshaped the grocery industry. Ahold's U.S. sales at stores open at least a year grew 12.4%, excluding gasoline, during the most recent quarter compared to the same period last year, the company said earlier this month. Online turnover increased by 114.7%. The company said the growth was largely due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Online shopping for groceries had been slower to develop in the United States than buying electronics, clothing and other goods, but the coronavirus has led to a surge in new customers with shoppers looking to limit their trips to brick-and-mortar stores. Brick-and-mortar grocers and online delivery services have scrambled to keep up with demand, leading to canceled orders and lengthy delays for customers. FreshDirect was not staffed to handle the flood of orders from existing customers and shoppers when the pandemic first hit, CEO David McInerney told CNN Business in an interview last month. /"The barriers to online grocery have been absolutely wiped out/" in March, he said. /"We couldn't handle/"the surge in demand.

Please take the opportunity to connect and share this video with your friends and family if you find it helpful.