Greenpeace has recognised INTERSPAR Austria as ‘Supermarket of the Year’ based on the company’s extensive eco-friendly grocery range. INTERSPAR was named overall winner in two of the eight categories assessed by the NGO, based on its extensive sustainable range of coffee and returnable bottles. The company also leads in packaging-free shopping.

Greenpeace based its ranking on instore assessments and consumer feedback on which domestic supermarket offers the most eco-friendly shopping experience. The environmental protection organisation evaluated, among other aspects, the coffee range in terms of origin, organic content, and certification. In the assessment, ratings were given for packaging-free shopping options, the availability of loose fresh produce, unpacked delicatessen at service counters, and the share of reusable beverage packaging.

In addition, INTERSPAR Hypermarkets was rated second in the categories apricot jam, Radler beer, baby food, and tissue paper products. They came third in the seasonal ranking, with their Easter and gingerbread products both rated as ‘good’.

“I am very pleased that Greenpeace rated our sustainable range positively! With the expansion of the reusable assortment, initiatives including organic meat at service counters, and increasingly unpackaged fruit and vegetables, we will continue to work on providing the largest sustainable product assortment for our customers,” said Johannes Holzleitner, Managing Director at INTERSPAR Austria.

Packaging-free shopping at INTERSPAR

At INTERSPAR Hypermarkets, nine out of ten beverage categories rated by Greenpeace are available in eco-friendly reusable bottles. A total of 78% of fruit and vegetables tested by the NGO are offered unpacked. Customers can purchase these products individually in reusable bags.

Customers can bring their own containers to package delicatessen at service counters. In addition, there are filling stations for unpacked food products at ten INTERSPAR Hypermarkets and for organic-certified detergents and dishwashing detergents at three locations.

Source: SPAR Austria

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About SPAR Austria

The origins of SPAR in Austria date back to 1954, but the current SPAR AG was created in 1970 when the original founding families joined with other regional wholesalers to form SPAR Austria AG – a 100% privately owned Austrian company.

With licences granted by SPAR International, ASPIAG (Austria SPAR International AG) has developed SPAR in Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Northern Italy. With sales of €8.3 billion and impressive growth of 16%, SPAR Austria became the market leader in the Austrian grocery trade during 2020, after being a market growth leader for over a decade.