Growing the brand: SPAR Italy partner opens new INTERSPAR and EUROSPAR stores in Abruzzo

July 21, 2020 IN THE CATEGORY: Store openings

Maiora, SPAR Italy Partner for the Centre and South of Italy, has opened a new INTERSPAR Hypermarket and two new EUROSPAR Supermarkets in Abruzzo, a key strategic region for the retailer. These store openings are part of its strategy to grow the brand by boosting its retail store portfolio.

The modern INTERSPAR and EUROSPAR stores located respectively in Silvi Marina, Pescara and Montesilvano, are designed to meet the weekly shopping needs of their local communities.

High-quality meal solutions served at the deli counters can also be enjoyed instore, as there is a comfortable seating area. The large butchery, bakery, fresh produce, and wine sections provide plenty of choices to meet a variety of customer needs and form part of the destination departments drawing shoppers.

The opening of these stores is part of Maiora’s strategy to expand the SPAR Brand’s footprint into the Abruzzo region, located above the ‘heel’ of the Italian peninsula. The EUROSPAR Supermarket in Pescara, operated by an independent retailer, was converted from an existing brand. All of the previous store employees have been hired to run the new store.

Maiora opened the new world-class INTERSPAR Hypermarket in Silvi Marina, a coastal town near Teramo, just two weeks after opening the new EUROSPAR Supermarket in Pescara.

More openings are scheduled to take place from September, adding to the 32 SPAR stores already operating in the Abruzzo region.

“Abruzzo is a strategic region for us, where we want to grow our market share by raising the bar in terms of retail offering and services and bring our customers the SPAR Brand with all its positive qualities. We are applying the expertise that we have developed in other southern regions”, Maiora’s CEO Pippo Cannillo said.

The new EUROSPAR Supermarket in Pescara follows the opening of another new INTERSPAR Hypermarket in Scalea just one month ago, which was successfully completed during the lockdown. Maiora responded with great resilience to the coronavirus emergency, supporting its local communities both with daily groceries and with charity initiatives.

DESPAR Centre-South Italy is expecting to close the year with a 20% growth, following investments across its sales channels. This includes renovations of its existing store portfolio, new SPAR store openings, the launch and expansion of its e-commerce platform ‘DESPAR a Casa’, which is now delivering in 20 – and soon 23 – municipalities.

Within its 2019-2021 business development plan, DESPAR Maiora is investing an additional €70 million in its retail store portfolio, aimed at renovating 20 more stores and developing six new stores. The company’s turnover of €805,5 million, with a  strong growth of €30 million in 2019, is set to reach the €1 billion milestone by the end of this year.

Source: DESPAR Centro-Sud

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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.

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