The SPAR brand was founded in the Netherlands in 1932 by the Dutch wholesaler, Adriaan van Well and 16 independent retailers. It was established as a voluntary chain of grocers under the name DESPAR - an acronym of a slogan created by van Well to describe the organisation: Door Eendrachtig Samenwerken Profiteren Allen Regelmatig, which translates in English to All benefit from joint co-operation. By the end of the 1950s, SPAR was the largest food organisation in the Netherlands.

Today, SPAR Netherlands is a private company, owned by Sligro (45%), Sperwer (45%) and the SPAR independent retailers (10%). The head office and Distribution Centre are located in Waalwijk, from where support is provided for the more than 350 stores currently in operation.