On 22 February, SPAR voluntary retail chain joins supermarkets and food manufacturers worldwide in celebrating the annual Supermarket Employee Day.

FMI – the US Food Industry Association – has proclaimed this day to recognise employees at every level for the work they do in feeding families and enriching lives.

The 13,996 SPAR branded stores worldwide that sell food and grocery items are the backbones of our communities. Employees in the SPAR retail network work daily to keep shelves stocked and to provide communities with essential services that help them thrive.

On Supermarket Employee Day, we celebrate employees across the retail network who continue to serve their local communities.

Award winners

The remarkable work of employees in the retail network operating under license as SPAR does not go unnoticed. Throughout the network, retailers and their teams have been recognised through awards.

SPAR Australia awards licensed stores for excellence across different categories, including fresh food, food-to-go, store formats and Community. SPAR Australia also has a ‘Little SPAR Award’ which recognises the contribution to the brand and the independent industry by licensed SPAR Independent Retailers. In 2023, the family run SPAR branded store in Malanda received the award recognising their vital role in the local community.

In Austria, approximately half of the 1,428 stores are run by independent retailers. With this in mind, SPAR Austria presents the “SPAR Golden Fir” awards to the top independent retailers in each of the six regions each year.

On European Retail Day in December 2023, SPAR Hungary highlighted the importance of the profession by recognising two colleagues. Magdolna Bíróné Kósa, deputy manager of the INTERSPAR Hypermarket in Székesfehérvár, and Sándor Polyák, a respected independent retailer, were both honoured for their contributions in the company’s store network.

Similarly, SPAR Sri Lanka brings all 670 team members together each year to celebrate success at an annual awards ceremony. Recent graduates as well as those reaching significant milestones at the company are highlighted, as well as award winners. In 2023, the coveted Star Performer of the Year award was won by Lakshitha Dissanayake. The ‘Think Retail’ award was given to Lakmali Igalahewa, and the ‘Think DC’ award was won by Dinusha Yatiwella.

Local Champions

Across the SPAR network, the retailers become integral parts of the local community. This is the case with Susan Hutchinson and her family, who run a SPAR branded store in Scotland. The Hutchinson family have owned and operated the store for over 65 years, and are staples in the community. Susan took over the store from her father, and runs it alongside her son Ryan.

Meanwhile, Xjengis Saliji opened his first SPAR branded store in his home town of Svendborg, Denmark at the age of 25. Xjengis has been involved in retail since the age of 15, working in diverse positions to gain experience before opening his own store. Now, Xjengis and his 17 team members operate the SPAR branded store in Christianvej, focusing on creating a friendly atmosphere and strong community bond, in addition to a diverse product range.

Sources: SPAR Austria, SPAR Australia, SPAR Hungary, SPAR Denmark, SPAR UK and SPAR Sri Lanka.