Spar (retailer)

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SPAR, originally "DESPAR", styled as "DE SPAR"[1] (Script error: No such module "IPA".), is a Dutch multinational franchise that provides branding, supplies and support services for independently owned and operated food retail stores.[2] It was founded in the Netherlands in 1932,[3] by Adriaan van Well, although the largest number of stores are located in the United Kingdom.

File:SPAR Logo.svg
Logo without the red box, used in Northern Ireland and other markets

Its headquarters are in Amsterdam. The company operates a partnership programme and has a presence in most European countries, as well as throughout Asia, Africa and Oceania.

In fiscal year 2022, SPAR earned €43.5 billion in global sales,[4] which represented a 5.6 percent increase over the previous year.[4]

By 2024, the group had 13,900 stores in 48 countries.[5]

Etymology

The name was originally DESPAR, an acronym of the Dutch phrase Script error: No such module "Lang".[note 1] Template:Gloss, which was used by Van Well to describe the brand.[6] The acronym was chosen to resonate with the verb Template:Wikt-lang,Script error: No such module "Unsubst". which (related to English spare) means "save [money]" in Dutch and some other languages, among them German[7] and Scandinavian languages (with variants such as Script error: No such module "Lang". or Script error: No such module "Lang".). Script error: No such module "Lang". is Dutch for "spruce tree", after which the logo was chosen. As the organisation expanded across Europe, the name was abbreviated by dropping the DE prefix.[6][8]

There are some international naming variants:

  • In Hungary, 17 stores owned by SPAR located at Orlen (former Lukoil) filling stations operate under the name DESPAR.[9] However, there are also many SPAR and INTERSPAR locations.
  • In Italy, the name is still DESPAR, though in keeping with the international branding, the SPAR section of the logo is highlighted, and the larger shops are still called EuroSPAR and InterSPAR.[10]
  • In Austria, DESPAR is SPAR's Italian food product range.[11] There are also EUROSPAR and INTERSPAR locations within Austria.[12][13]
  • In Croatia, SPAR and INTERSPAR locations run concurrently.[14]
  • In Saudi Arabia, the Latin letters SPAR are displayed next to the Arabic Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "lang".).[15][16][17]
  • In Iran, it is called Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "Lang".).[18][19]
  • In China, it is known as Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "lang"., "Siba supermarket").[20]
  • In Ireland, Northern Ireland, Russia and Switzerland, both the SPAR and EUROSPAR names are used with EUROSPAR being used mostly for larger supermarket sized stores and SPAR for smaller convenience stores.
  • In Slovenia, both SPAR and INTERSPAR are used, with INTERSPAR being used for a larger supermarket sized stores and SPAR for smaller convenience stores[21]

History

20th century

File:Spar, Leeuwarden (2018) 02.jpg
SPAR shop in Leeuwarden, Netherlands
File:Spar oman.jpg
SPAR shop in Muscat, Oman

Spar was founded in 1932 in Zegwaart, Netherlands. In 1953, an International Spar office opened in Amsterdam to manage international expansion. Spar shops can be found in Europe, Australia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Nigeria, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Cameroon, China, and India.[22] Spar opened in Vanuatu on 1 December 2009, ending Au Bon Marché's grocery monopoly.[23]

A Spar shop may be owned independently, by a franchise, or be part of a chain, depending on the model applied in any given country. The owners of the parent company vary from country to country and may include the shop owners themselves. The name and the current logo was most recently revised in 1968 by Raymond Loewy and has since remained unchanged.[24]

In the United Kingdom, Spar was founded in 1959 and may be a supermarket or a convenience shop. In 1997, Spar was introduced to most United Kingdom military bases by the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (Naafi), where it sells a variety of civilian and military products.[25] In Ireland and Northern Ireland, the Spar brand is known for neighbourhood shops and also the subformat Eurospar acting as mini-supermarkets.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Since 1996, the company has been a major sponsor of the European Athletic Association and its events.[26]

Spar stores in the Netherlands are members of Superunie, an inventory purchasing organisation for a number of otherwise unaffiliated supermarket brands.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

In 1988, SPAR South Africa became a wholly owned subsidiary of Tiger Brands, a holding company with a large diversified portfolio. It was unbundled and listed as a separate company in 2004.[27]

21st century

In July 2014, SPAR South Africa opened its first supermarket in Angola but no expansion of the brand is planned for this market. Since 2021, the group has 100% of BWG Foods, which had outlets in Ireland and southern Britain.[28]

In 2015, Ahold acquired all 35 hypermarkets and 14 supermarkets from Spar Czechia for more than 5.2 billion Czech koruna.[29] and converted them into Albert super- and hypermarkets. However, it had to divest itself of some shops in order not to have a monopoly.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

The first SPAR shop in Oman was inaugurated in January 2015, in Muscat.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Spar Oman had plans to open more shops over time as part of its expansion plans in Oman.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Spar opened its first store in Qatar in 2017, with the second store opening in 2018. A further two stores were planned to open in 2018, but it got cancelled.[30]

SPAR opened in Saudi Arabia in 2017, sublicensed to Al-Sadhan Group [31] opening its first stores in Riyadh.

In 2017, Ceylon Biscuits Limited in Sri Lanka acquired a license to operate the Spar brand in Sri Lanka as Spar Lanka. This is a joint venture of Ceylon Biscuits Limited and SPAR South Africa.[32] They opened the first store in Thalawathugoda, Colombo. The plan is to open 50 outlets in the country by 2023.[33]

In 2020, there were more than 13,500 SPAR stores in 48 countries.[34]

In 2022, SPAR International entered the Kazakhstani retail market.[35]

In 2022, Israeli supermarket chain Shufersal announced plans to open SPAR stores in Israel; with 10 stores to be opened in the first three years of operation.[36] Also in 2022, SPAR entered Latvia where by 2023 it opened 23 stores.[37][38] A first Israeli Spar store was opened in 2024.

At the beginning of 2025, Tokmanni Oy signed a license agreement with Spar International. The granted license gives Tokmanni the exclusive right to sell Spar products and use the Spar brand in Finland.[39] In June 2025, the first Spar-branded food department was opened in the town of Ylöjärvi.[40] Before that, Spar has had stores in Finland in years 1962–1973 and 1998–2005.[39][41] In October 2025, the second SPAR store opened in the town of Masku.[42]

Operations

By 2024, the group had 13,900 stores in 48 countries.[5]

  • 255 distribution centres[4]
  • €41.2 billion total sales[4]
  • 410,000 SPAR colleagues[4]
  • 7.5 million m2 retail sales area[4]
  • 14.5 million customers per day[4]
Number of stores per country
Country Number of stores[43] Formats
Albania 92[44] SPAR, SPAR express, INTERSPAR
Angola 38[45] SPAR, SPAR express
Australia 111[46] SPAR, SPAR express, SUPERSPAR
Austria 1511[47] SPAR, SPAR express, SPAR Gourmet, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR, INTERSPAR Pronto, INTERSPAR Take Away
Azerbaijan 53[48] SPAR, SPAR express, SPAR Market
Belgium 317[49] SPAR, SPAR express
Botswana 71[50] SPAR, SUPERSPAR
Cameroon 16[51] SPAR, SPAR express
China 331[52] SPAR
Croatia 145[53] SPAR, INTERSPAR
Denmark 141[54] SPAR
Finland 2[55] EUROSPAR
France 702[56] SPAR, EUROSPAR
Georgia 382[57] SPAR, SPAR express
Germany 234[58] SPAR express
Hungary 652[59] SPAR, SPAR express, INTERSPAR
India 24[60] SPAR, SPAR Hypermarket
Ireland 463[61] SPAR, SPAR express, EUROSPAR
Italy 1417[62] DESPAR, DESPAR express, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR
Kazakhstan 7[63] SPAR
Kosovo 10[64] SPAR
Kyrgyzstan 7[65] SPAR
Latvia 24[66] SPAR, SPAR express
Malta 12[67] SPAR, SPAR express, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR
Mozambique 17[68] SPAR
Monaco 1[69] SPAR
Namibia 64[70] SPAR, SPAR express, SUPERSPAR
Netherlands 418[71] SPAR, SPAR express, SPAR city, SPAR enjoy, SPAR university
Nigeria 14[72] SPAR
Norway 284[73] SPAR, EUROSPAR
Oman 28[74] SPAR
Pakistan 5[75] SPAR, SPAR express
Paraguay 1[76] SPAR
Poland 212[77] SPAR, SPAR express, EUROSPAR
Portugal 175[78] SPAR
Qatar 7[79] SPAR
Russia 203[80] SPAR, SPAR express, EUROSPAR, EUROSPAR express
Rwanda 1[81] SPAR
Saudi Arabia 15[82] SPAR, SPAR express
Seychelles 1[83] SPAR
Slovenia 159[84] SPAR, INTERSPAR
South Africa 1094[85] SPAR, KWIKSPAR, SPAR express, SUPERSPAR, SaveMor
Spain 1435[86] SPAR, SPAR express, EUROSPAR
Sri Lanka 18[87] SPAR, SPAR Supermarket
Switzerland 252[88] SPAR, SPAR express, EUROSPAR
Ukraine 118[89] SPAR, SPAR express, EUROSPAR
United Arab Emirates 12[90] SPAR, SPAR express
United Kingdom 2190[91] SPAR, SPAR express, EUROSPAR (Northern Ireland only)
Zambia 3[92] SPAR
Zimbabwe 32[93] SPAR

Store formats

In most, but not all countries, SPAR operates shops of different types and sub-brands including SPAR Express, SPAR, EuroSPAR and InterSPAR.[94]

Current store formats

File:Szinvapark.jpg
INTERSPAR shop in Miskolc, Hungary

EuroSPAR

The EuroSPAR name is used in Europe for mid-sized supermarkets, designed to fit in a niche between convenience shops and traditional supermarkets.[95]

INTERSPAR

INTERSPAR is an Austrian hypermarket chain founded in 1970 and owned by SPAR Austria, operating large stores ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 m² in Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia and Northeastern Italy.[96][97]

KwikSPAR

KwikSPAR, only found in South Africa, is a smaller quick stop shop for convenience, larger than the conventional SPAR Express and smaller than the normal SPAR. These stores tend to have extended trading hours, some operating as 24-hour convenience stores.

File:Spar Express Wattens.jpg
A filling station with a SPAR Express shop in Wattens, Austria

SPAR

Standard traditional supermarket format.

SPAR Express

This is the smallest type of shop. They are designed for small sites and filling station forecourts, airports and train stations.[98]

SPAR Gourmet

File:Superspar joburg.jpg
SUPERSPAR in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Austrian Spar Group has around 50 supermarkets branded SPAR Gourmet, mainly in and around Vienna. They are smaller supermarkets that specialize in foods, with a reduced range of other household goods. They originate from the acquisition of retail units from the Julius Meinl coffee and tea chain in 2000.[99][100][101]

SUPERSPAR

The SUPERSPAR name is used in Australia, designed to fit in a niche between convenience shops and traditional supermarkets. In South Africa, the name is used for large supermarkets.[95]

Defunct store formats

File:Hot-spar soka.JPG
Former HOT SPAR shop in Sōka, Japan

HOT SPAR

HOT SPAR was a brand of convenience stores licensed to franchisees in Japan.[102]

SPAR Drive-Thru

There was a drive-through SPAR on the Cliftonville Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This has now been converted to a Centra shop, and retained the drive-through for a while afterwards, but now no longer has one.[103]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "IPA".

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References

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  1. ↑ The first DESPAR store, opened in the Netherlands, 1932. Spar International. Archived 2017-06-06.
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Cbignore
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
  5. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1"..
  6. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Trade Intelligence – SPAR, accessed 2 October 2010
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  44. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  45. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  46. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  47. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  48. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  49. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  50. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  51. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  52. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  53. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  54. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  55. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  56. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  57. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  58. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  59. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  60. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  61. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  62. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  63. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  64. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  65. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  66. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  67. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  68. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  69. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  70. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  71. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  72. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  73. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  74. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  75. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  76. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  77. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  78. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  79. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  80. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  81. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  82. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  83. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  84. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  85. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  86. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  87. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  88. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  89. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  90. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  91. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  92. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  93. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  94. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  95. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  96. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  97. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  98. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  99. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  100. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  101. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  102. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
    • rough translation of relevant parts: "From next February, the convenience store chain 'HOT SPAR' will be renamed to 'COCO!'".; "[...] because the licensing contract with the Dutch firm SPAR International will expire on November next year"
  103. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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