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Muller said he saw food inflation slowing in the second half, with prices for sunflower oil and eggs likely to fall back slightly.
Ahold, which operates Stop & Shop, Giant, Food Lion and Hannaford in the U.S. and Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, posted quarterly sales of 21.62 billion euros ($23.80 billion) to beat a 21.5 billion euro consensus from analyst forecasts compiled by the company.
The retailer, which makes more than half its revenues in the U.S., saw its underlying operating margin rise to 4.8% in the U.S. while in Europe it fell to 2.8%, hit by higher energy costs and a strike at Delhaize Belgium. Ahold also has supermarkets in Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, Romania, and Serbia, as well as Indonesia.
Online sales in the U.S. jumped by 11.9% compared to a year ago, helping overall online sales grow by 5.9%. Ahold said its loyalty programs were helping to draw shoppers with personalised discounts.
Quarterly operating income was 822 million euros, in line with expectations of 823 million euros.
($1 = 0.9084 euros)
