Following the acquisition of five large stores from another retail brand earlier this year, the SPAR Italy partner for the central-southern part of the country, Maiora, has opened several world-class SPAR stores, including a EUROSPAR Supermarket in Pescara, INTERSPAR Hypermarkets in Silvi Marina, a new INTERSPAR in Modugno, as well as the new INTERSPAR store in Pescara.
While converting these stores, Maiora worked closely with SPAR International and the University of Parma to finetune its SPAR retail concepts with a focus on excellent fresh and local food, fine wines, and craft beers. The innovative store design of the latest INTERSPAR stores opened by Maiora enhances the shopping experience, taking customers on a culinary journey through its eye-catching departments.
Extensive instore offering
Located in the Borgo d’Abruzzo shopping mall in Villanova di Cepegatti, this new INTERSPAR Hypermarket covers an area of 3,752m2, offering shoppers the best of the INTERSPAR format. It features a large delicatessen section with a comfortable seating area, a special counter for cheese and cold cuts, a fresh meat department, fresh fish and seafood counter, and a large offering of fresh and dry pasta both from local and national producers. A fine wine section and craft beer ‘world’ are adjacent to the fresh food sections.
Sustainability was high on the agenda when developing this store, with the latest generation energy-saving equipment used in all departments, including CO2-based chilling units.
As part of its strong acquisition plan, DESPAR Centre-South has retained all employees who used to work at the stores of the previous retail brand. For the INTERSPAR in Cepegatti, 61 employees were retained with a permanent contract. This has contributed to the stability and peace of mind of many local households, in a region that has felt a considerable effect of the coronavirus pandemic.
Pippo Cannillo, President and General Manager of DESPAR Centro-Sud, declared: “The past few months have involved hard work, that was made even tougher by the unrelenting pandemic. However, we believe that we have risen to the challenge. We are proud that we have contributed to maintaining local employment for so many team members, which has given peace of mind to their families.”
“We are also proud to bring such a large offering of products and new services to our local communities, at a time when this is really needed. Our expansion plan will continue, since we feel a great responsibility towards our local communities. We have great trust in the future of our country”, Pippo Cannillo added.
Source: DESPAR Centre-South Italy (Maiora)
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About SPAR Italy
SPAR International first granted a licence for the operation of the SPAR Brand to SPAR Italy in 1959. The first store opened in the latter part of 1960 and with it, SPAR became the first partnership of retailers and wholesalers to operate in Italy. SPAR Italy, known locally as DESPAR Italia, licenses regional partners, all of whom work together to grow the brand across the country.
The DESPAR Partners operate stores under three formats: DESPAR neighbourhood Supermarkets, EUROSPAR Supermarkets and INTERSPAR Hypermarkets. Many of the larger format stores are company-owned, reflecting the scale of investment required. While the majority of the company’s turnover is acquired through these larger format stores, the independently owned neighbourhood supermarkets remain a key part of the business.
