Albert Heijn, abbreviated AH, is the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands, founded in 1887, and has been part of Ahold Delhaize since 2016. The chain was founded on 27 May 1887, when Albert HEIJN (1865 – 1945), a Dutch entrepreneur, bought a grocery store from his father Jan HEIJN in Oostzaan. In the following years, HEIJN opened other locations in several cities and in 1899, he opened a central warehouse in Zaandam. The chain went public in 1948, and underwent two major changes in the 1950s. The first change was in 1952, with the introduction of their first self-service store and the second change was in 1955, with the opening of their first supermarket.