The SPAR Austria Group, which includes SPAR Austria, ASPIAG, Hervis and SES SPAR European Shopping Centres, achieved robust expansion and growth in 2019, reaching €15.72 billion in sales. In Austria, sales reached a milestone of €7.2 billion, making the SPAR Brand Austria’s industry leader for the tenth consecutive year. SPAR Austria reported an impressive sales growth of 4.7%, which is more than double the Austrian food retail industry’s estimated average growth of 2.1%.

• Growth SPAR Austria: +4.7%
• Growth ASPIAG countries:+6.0%
• SPAR Austria Group gross sales: €15.72 billion
• New jobs created (in all markets): Over 2,200
• Total investment: €680 million

€680 million invested in expansions and upgrades

Last year, the SPAR Austria Group invested a total of €680 million in the development of new stores, as well as the modernisation of existing outlets, a production plan and a distribution centre. In 2020, an estimated €750 million is to be invested into continued modernisation and growth, including further expansion of the central warehouse in Wels, Upper Austria.

Over 2,200 new jobs created

The SPAR Austria Group created over 2,200 additional jobs in 2019, nearly half of which are based in Austria. Operating 3,207 stores in the combined markets, the SPAR Austria Group employs over 85,000 people and 3,274 trainees in eight countries. SPAR is currently also aiming to recruit 700-900 new trainees for 21 different apprenticeships in Austria.

SPAR Austria

In 2019, the total number of SPAR, EUROSPAR, and INTERSPAR stores in Austria remained around 1,560. INTERSPAR invested €21.5 million in the modernisation of the hypermarket in Amstetten, Lower Austria. In October 2019, the completely renewed INTERSPAR Hypermarket was reopened featuring extensive fresh sections and a new restaurant. In 2019, a new design for SPAR Express forecourt stores with increased market-style atmosphere was developed. By the end of 2020, 20 converted SPAR Express forecourt stores are set to open.

To mark INTERSPAR Hypermarkets 50th anniversary this year, the group is running a major expansion programme: in and around Vienna, five INTERSPAR Hypermarkets are currently being modernised and two new stores are being built.

Dr. Gerhard Drexel, SPAR Austria Group CEO: “Thanks to our sensational growth in 2019, we were able to increase our market share last year alone from 31.9% in 2018 by +0.8 percentage points to a historic high of 32.7%.”

ASPIAG

Sales growth of 6.0%

Austria SPAR International AG (ASPIAG) operates 1.277 SPAR and EUROSPAR Supermarkets and 107 INTERSPAR Hypermarkets in northern Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia. These countries achieved a combined total turnover of €5.99 billion in 2019 – a sales growth of 6.0% compared to the previous year.

Northern Italy

In Northern Italy, the openings of two INTERSPAR Hypermarkets in Rovereto and Carpi were particularly noteworthy. In addition to the DESPAR Supermarket in the Teatro Italia in Venice, another store was opened in a historic building: at Prato della Valle in Padua – one of the largest squares in Europe. In total, the 535 DESPAR and EUROSPAR Supermarkets and 39 INTERSPAR Hypermarkets generated sales of €2.33 billion – an increase of 3.4% compared to the previous year.

 Slovenia

In Slovenia, 91 SPAR Supermarkets and 12 INTERSPAR Hypermarkets are company-owned whilst 20 SPAR Supermarkets are managed by independent retailers. SPAR Slovenia generated gross sales of €848 million last year, an increase of 4.0%, making SPAR the second largest food retail brand in the Slovenian market.

Hungary

SPAR Hungary experienced strong expansion in 2019. The 34th INTERSPAR Hypermarket in the country was opened in Tata. In total, the number of stores has grown from 555 in 2018 to 572 in 2019. Gross sales increased by a sensational 10.0% (including adjustments for exchange rate impacts), reaching a milestone of €2 billion.

Croatia

SPAR is also expanding in Croatia: A new INTERSPAR Hypermarket in the city of Zadar and five new SPAR Supermarkets were added to the SPAR network in 2019. SPAR Croatia generated gross sales of €720 million, an increase of 5.0% (including adjustments for exchange rate impacts).

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.