Ahold is scrapping its 24 strong Primarkt regional supermarket chain in the Netherlands and rebranding the portfolio as Albert Heijn. Stores that cannot be remodelled will be sold. "Primarkt is a very small and very successful family owned chain acquired by Albert Heijn in the mid-90s," a spokesman explained. "The stores are being remodelled to avoid confusion because Albert Heijn stores are now being built in the same region as Primarkt stores." Remodelled stores will have a wider range of goods with a greater emphasis on fresh food. He declined to comment on reports that Ahold's Argentinian joint venture Disco was facing bankruptcy after failing to pay a major supplier called Ensport. According to local press reports, Ensport has filed bankruptcy charges on account of unpaid invoices on goods sold to Disco branches in the Mendoza province. Four years after launching its Disco Virtual online grocery shopping service in Argentina, Disco's web arm now generates annual sales of $40m. "Home shopping has really taken off in Buenos Aires," he added. "A lot of people also order at the stores on the way to work and get their goods delivered on the same day." More than 50% of sales at some outlets are generated through internet or store ordering for home delivery. With a 17.2% share of the market, Disco is Argentina's second largest supermarket chain with 237 stores. Plans are now afoot to expand its Plaza Vea discount format with a further 12 stores in Argentina over the next two years. Expansion of the format into Brazil and Peru is "under review". {{NEWS }}