As we head into the autumn season, SPAR China has continued to expand the brand by opening three new stores in Shandong province during September. Tailored to meet locals’ daily shopping needs, these full-service hypermarkets stand out for their global sourcing networks, food traceability systems, modern production centres, and strong own brand and fresh ranges. 

Jinan store
On 10 September, a new SPAR Hypermarket opened in Jinan, Shandong. Located near the Thousand-Buddha Mountain (Qianfo Shan), Jinan’s largest downtown park, the premium hypermarket brings easy access to over 20,000 SKUs to local shoppers.

With a sales area of the 6,000m², the new location offers a wide selection of local, regional and international quality products. These include fresh and live seafood directly from Weihai fishers, premium wines, fresh produce, local meats, dry goods, and more. Thanks to the “from-farm-to-store” programme, 80% of the products available instore are sourced directly from local farmers and growers.

SPAR Shandong operates its own production centre in the city of Laiwu. Prepared meals, delicatessen, and other food solutions are prepared and distributed from this centre, guaranteeing 100% food safety and consistent quality. 

Benefitting from an innovative food traceability system and IT tools, shoppers can easily obtain information about the origin and procurement of products, tracing these along the supply chain. 

Integrating online and offline shopping experiences, SPAR Shandong has successfully launched two online channels, WeChat mini programme and Eleme platform. These platforms allow shoppers to place grocery orders through their mobile devices. Online orders are then sent within 30 minutes.

Yangguang Xinlu store and Shuijing Garden store
On 16 and 17 September, SPAR Shandong also opened two new hypermarkets: Yangguang Xinlu Store (6,000m²) and Shuijing Garden Store (4,000m²) in the cities of Jinan and Jining, respectively.

At the fresh sections, an expansive assortment of fruit and vegetables such as lotus seedpods, collard greens, bamboo shoots, sweet potatoes are offered. At SPAR Shuijing Garden store in particular, fresh is a key department to differentiate the SPAR Brand from the competition.

In total, 80% of the fresh items available at both SPAR stores are directly supplied from the farmlands, ensuring good value and quality. Quality seafood from Weihai port is transported to SPAR stores through the cold supply chain, allowing shoppers to enjoy fresh and seasonal seafood any day of the week.

Through the international buying programme, SPAR Shandong works with suppliers and partners from Europe, the Americas, Australia, and Southeast Asia. High-quality imports include wines from Chile and New Zealand, cheese from Australia, and dairy from Germany. 

Source: SPAR China

Read more about SPAR China 

About SPAR China

SPAR was introduced to China in 2004 with the signing of the licence agreement for Shandong Province. This was followed by the addition of more partners, and now SPAR has eight partners in nine provinces: Shandong, Guangdong, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Sichuan, Henan, Hebei, and Yunnan.

The privately-owned retail chains licensed to operate SPAR have a cooperative relationship in line with the original SPAR mission of working together to reduce costs, maximise sales, and increase profits. The SPAR China Partners, whilst part of a leading international group, maintain 100% local ownership.