Each format is tried and tested and
benefits from being easily adaptable to meet the needs of the
individual marketplace. SPAR operates this multi format strategy
worldwide. The strategy allows SPAR members to cater to a specific
market through the exploitation of the clearly differentiated
formats. The formats are SPAR supermarkets, EUROSPAR large
supermarkets over 1000m2, INTERSPAR Hypermarkets
and SPAR Express
convenience stores.
The ability of SPAR to develop
stores best suited to local cultures and individual locations is a
major competitive strength. SPAR continues to modernise and
successfully develop leading edge concepts. The challenge for the
future is to ensure that SPAR retailers develop new stores and
redevelop existing ones to meet the changing needs of consumers. To
achieve this we use the best in store design, store equipment and
SPAR Private Label products. The SPAR Flagship Store programme is an
important tool in meeting this challenge.
The SPAR retail strategy has driven
growth based on three key elements:
- Development of the larger SPAR
store concepts, SPAR Hypermarket and EUROSPAR, in new and existing
markets.
- Redevelopment and modernization of
SPAR supermarkets and neighbourhood stores.
- Introduction of the SPAR Express
convenience concept.
The result of this retail strategy is an increase in the average
SPAR store size to 519m² (+7.5%).
Global Retail Award
SPAR won the Global Convenience Format of the year award
for the international SPAR Flagship store in Barrow Street in
Dublin, Ireland in 2007.
Drawing on this experience SPAR
International worked together with SPAR China to develop a highly
modern Convenient SPAR Supermarket format in China which broke
existing market conventions.
The initial store launched in
Dongguan, Guangdong province included the category innovations of
Treehouse® Juice and Smoothie Bar, Kitsu® Noodles, a SPAR Café
coffee combined with a specially locally formulated offer including
live fish, market style fresh in combination with extensive Chinese
dim sum specialities in the 'Food to Go' section.
All the key learning's from these
projects have been further developed and tested in the SPAR International
Flagship Store programme.