Maiora strengthens SPAR Brand in Italy with extensive store upgrades

September 29, 2020 IN THE CATEGORY: Digital and Marketing, Store openings

Following an extensive overhaul, the DESPAR store in Lamezia Terme, a well-known tourist location, has recently re-opened its doors. The renovation works lasted only 51 days and brought improved service levels and a new shopping experience to SPAR customers.

Owned by Maiora, SPAR licence holder for Centre-South Italy, this store has embraced new technologies such as electronic shelf labels (ESL), which ensure consistent pricing from shelf to checkouts and better stock keeping accuracy. Newly introduced bi-optic scanners with built-in scales ensure faster transactions, and the store’s checkouts are equipped with touchscreen displays.

Several sustainable technologies were introduced in this DESPAR store, such as energy-saving CO2 chilling units, providing greater efficiency, reliability, and safety.

The CEO of Maiora, Pippo Cannillo, commented: “Our expansion strategy for DESPAR Centre-South Italy will see a series of new store openings, accompanied by an extensive upgrade of our existing SPAR store portfolio. In our highly competitive food retail market, our ability to meet our customers’ needs is what really makes a difference. We have successfully been able to tackle this challenge, and we will continue to measure up against it as we expand and renovate our whole retail store network.”

Source: DESPAR Italia

Read more news from SPAR Italy.


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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