The annual SPAR International Partnership Forum took place in Amsterdam on 28 November. Bringing together over 60 SPAR Suppliers as well as a broad cross-section of experts within SPAR from over 30 different partners, this key event focuses on sharing knowledge, establishing a platform for continued collaboration and growth. This followed a day of meetings across different areas of the business including Responsible Retailing, Store Development, Supply Chain, Own Brand & Procurement, reflecting the increasing collaborative way of working which has supported the strong growth of the entire organisation over the past few years.

SPAR Partners from all over the world came together to share key strategic developments with international supplier partners and to learn more about the global strategy of SPAR International including the expansion strategy.

The day was filled with inspiring business sessions and delegates made the most of the time that was allocated to visiting the large expo area where a wide variety of stands could be visited, including sustainable solutions for packaging, the latest trends in own brand products, equipment for retail and distribution as well as dedicated interactive sessions in a specific platform.

The SPAR Coffee offering from SPAR International was again a key focal point with much interest by delegates; participants who were seeing the new SPAR Wine range for the first time were very keen to become involved in the programme whilst the introduction of a new range of SPAR Gin sparked much discussion. The ranges of products which are available to all partners through SPAR International from Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom create new opportunities to grow ranges in SPAR markets.

The SPAR Learning Platform stand attracted a lot of interest from partners keen to expand their retail and distribution teams’ knowledge about the SPAR way of working, particularly the access to a wealth of courses drawn together from the best training academies within SPAR.