Royal Ahold, the Dutch food retailing group, has launched a €2.2bn ($1.9bn) accelerated bookbuild, in the largest equity offering in the Dutch market this year.

ABN Amro Rothschild, Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs are joint global co-ordinators and bookrunners. The same banks teamed up to lead Ahold's combined €3bn equity and convertible offering in May last year.