Targeting parts of the Northeast of Italy and Emilia-Romagna, the programme’s activities have involved thousands of pupils each year since 2006. In the school year 2019-2020, around 13,000 children from 93 schools are participating.
The Good Habits programme also involves experts such as nutritionists, and allows for strong interaction and knowledge sharing, both in school and at home. Children play a leading role in their learning journey with DESPAR, as they build their knowledge and daily practice through experience-based learning and simple actions towards a balanced diet.
Children can take part in cooking workshops involving all five senses, interactive theatre performances, crafting, as well as outdoor play and exercise.
Good Habits acts as a bridge between schools and families, helping children to lead a healthier lifestyle by becoming more aware of their habits. Together with the quarterly Di Vita magazine and Casa Di Vita website, Good Habits is a key pillar in DESPAR’s strategy to promote healthy lifestyles.
Aspiag Service is the licence holder for the DESPAR brand in the Northeast of Italy and Emilia-Romagna regions.
Microscopes instore
Besides promoting healthy nutrition at schools, DESPAR has also organised a series of three experiential events on nutrients at the Intercity shopping mall where an INTERSPAR Hypermarket is located. In the central square within the shopping mall, SPAR Italy installed 25 microscopes and allowed visitors to explore foods such as cereals and vegetables from another perspective.
“We are especially proud of this initiative because of how it successfully encourages people to approach food and healthy nutrition in a completely novel and innovative way”, said DESPAR Marketing Director Fabio Donà. “Through this initiative, as in many other ones, we seek to increase awareness of healthy eating habits, by highlighting the importance that a balanced diet plays in optimising health. This is for us yet another way of caring for our customers.”
Afterwards, a nutritionist at the INTERSPAR store led a guided tour, completing the journey into the world of food. The visit was free of charge and the activities were offered in partnership with the shopping centre and the Paediatric Research Foundation ‘City of Hope’.
Source: DESPAR Partner, Aspiag Service
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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.
