Ahold today (4 September) admitted it is weighing up the options for its stake in ICA, the Sweden-based retailer.

The Dutch retail giant owns 60% of ICA, which has stores in Sweden, Norway and the Baltic states.

Ahold said it wanted to focus “on businesses it controls, in order to create value”. The company jointly controls ICA with Swedish investment fund Hakon Invest, which owns the rest of the retailer.

An IPO of ICA is one option being considered. The review is expected to take six to 12 months, Ahold said.

Last month, ICA reported higher half-year profits, with sales up in Sweden and in its Baltic markets. However, sales in Norway fell. ICA is now focusing on its Rimi and ICA Supermarked stores in the country.