SPAR Belgium Partner, Colruyt Group, has reopened three SPAR Supermarkets in different regions of the country. To cater to shoppers’ demand for freshness and quality, the renovated stores each feature expanded fresh sections and additional services such as wine recommendations and food waste reduction initiatives.

SPAR Koksijde-Bad: Sustainability and wine expertise

In the reopened SPAR Supermarket in Koksijde-Bad, strong emphasis is placed on the fresh produce departments to create a local market feeling. Fresh bread is baked throughout the day, and there is now a more extensive range of home-cooked dishes available, as well as a juicer for fresh orange juice. Located in the centre of Koksijde-Bad, 100 metres from the beach, the neighbourhood supermarket’s retail floor space measures around 1,000m².

During the refurbishment, sustainable technologies were introduced as much as possible. The new cooling systems, heat recovery, and LED lighting make the store more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. SPAR Koksijde-Bad also works with the Social House (Sociaal Huis), an organisation that collects food surplus three times a week, helping to support local social services and avoid food wastage.

Store entrepreneurs Sébastien and Baptiste Peene stock an impressive range of wines in the store. Sébastien previously ran a wine shop and is now sharing his knowledge at SPAR Koksijde-Bad by helping customers in selecting wines to suit their wishes. “And a handy wine app helps customers who want to how to best combine dishes and wines”, Sébastien adds.

SPAR Diest: Personal touch in fresh sections

With expanded and modernised fresh food departments, the reopened SPAR Supermarket in the Flemish city of Diest now delivers an even better shopping experience. The refurbishment has increased the retail space from 860m² to around 1,000m². The supermarket employs a staff of 20 and has 70 parking places.

Customers are enjoying a wide selection of freshly cooked dishes in the catering department, as well as freshly baked bread in the bakery department. Retailers Filip Claes and Nele Stalmans prepare, cut and package processed meats, tapas dishes, and cheese dishes instore.

The SPAR Diest building has a rich retail history and according to Filip, the store’s redesign was important to better serve their customers who not only come from the neighbourhood, but also from municipalities in a 10km radius.

SPAR Kalken: Fresh feel and environmentally friendly technologies

Following a thorough makeover, SPAR Kalken now features a new restaurant with 60 seats, as well as expanded and improved fresh departments. The renovation has increased the neighbourhood supermarket’s retail space from 700m² to 1,000m². The store’s parking capacity has increased from 75 to 110 parking places.

Retailers Philippe Serraes and Eva Michiels chose sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies as much as possible to be ready for the future.  The residual heat from the cooling cells is reused to heat the nine apartments above the store. The roof of the building is also ideal for solar panels, so Philippe and Eva are planning to install a large number of panels in the near future.  The renovation has given SPAR Kalken a fresh and modern look.

“We wanted to emphasise our fresh produce departments even more and create a real market feeling. In our bakery department, we bake fresh bread and pastries several times a day. Our fruit and vegetables are also displayed even more spaciously and attractively”, Philippe explains.

Source: SPAR Belgium partner Colruyt

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About SPAR Belgium

SPAR was introduced to Belgium in 1947, representing the first step in the international development of SPAR. SPAR licences have been granted to SPAR Retail (part of the Colruyt Group) and SPAR Lambrechts NV.

SPAR Retail accounts for over 80% of total SPAR sales generated through a combination of company owned and independently operated stores. SPAR Lambrechts is the second partner supporting independent retailers. SPAR Retail operates two formats: SPAR and EUROSPAR, while Lambrechts focuses on serving customers with the SPAR and SPAR Express formats.