In 2025, the SPAR Austria Group generated sales of €22.3 billion through 3,326 stores operating in Austria and five neighbouring countries. This represents a total growth of 4% in the Group's food retail, sports retail, and shopping centre businesses. In total, the company employed more than 93,000 people, with 51,000 in Austria. SPAR strengthened its lead in Austria’s food retail market, earning €10.8 billion in retail turnover.

In January 2026, SPAR Austria sold the Hervis sports retail chain to focus on its main business, especially food retail, and to create innovative and sustainable retail stores. SPAR Austria is currently adding 25 Unimarkt stores to its network. They are also working closely with SPAR Express forecourt store partners and expanding the business in Croatia and Northern Italy.

Hans K. Reisch, CEO SPAR Austria, said: “A high quality of life includes a well-developed, easily accessible local supply chain that meets the diverse needs of the local population. Our mission is to improve people’s quality of life, so we focus on offering regional products at affordable prices and on continually improving our supermarkets and shopping centres as community spaces. New ideas, acquisitions and forward-looking actions form the basis for sustainable growth. In 2026, we plan to invest about €800 million to expand and improve the number and quality of our stores.”

Austria: Strengthening market leadership

In 2025, SPAR’s total turnover in Austria reached €10.82 billion, which is a 4.2% increase. This growth exceeded the industry average of 3.4% (NielsenIQ), helping SPAR strengthen its market lead. After acquiring 25 Unimarkt stores, SPAR Austria expects its market share to grow by 0.2%.

At the end of 2025, SPAR operated 1,514 stores in Austria, which is 17 more than in 2024. These included 1,024 SPAR supermarkets, 249 EUROSPAR stores, 49 SPAR Gourmet stores, 113 SPAR express forecourt stores, 70 INTERSPAR hypermarkets, 2 INTERSPAR pronto stores, and 7 Maximarkt stores. INTERSPAR (including Maximarkt) also operates 60 restaurants, making it one of Austria’s biggest restaurant chains.

In 2025, the INTERSPAR hypermarket in Hallein was reopened after a full relaunch, and a number of modernisation projects are scheduled for 2026.

In Austria, 678 SPAR stores are operated by independent retailers, 565 by SPAR retailers, and 113 by gas station operators. In 2025, the number of independently- owned SPAR stores reduced by eight. However, because of the Unimarkt takeover, the number of these stores will increase by 20, reaching 585.

Onboarding of Unimarkt

In addition to the 23 Unimarkt stores, SPAR Austria acquired at the end of January 2026, two former Unimarkt retailers elected to work with SPAR Austria as their wholesale partner in the future. This brings the total number of Unimarkt stores that have switched to the SPAR brand to 25. Of these, 20 stores are operated by independent retailers, and five are company-owned.

SPAR Express forecourt stores

The number of SPAR Express forecourt stores increased from 91 in 2024 to 113 in 2025. In 2026, there are plans to add 10 more SPAR Express and 16 DESPAR Express stores with different forecourt operators. Eight of these new stores have already opened.

Growth in Austria and neighbouring countries

The total number of food retail stores operated by the SPAR Austria Group increased by 33, going from 3,049 stores in 2024 to 3,082 in 2025. Many supermarkets are being renovated and updated with the latest technology. In Austria, SPAR introduced a new store design in 2025 called “SPAR next,” which is already used in 36 SPAR and EUROSPAR supermarkets. In Hungary, the cost-saving store concept called “SPAR easy” was created.

SPAR Austria Group’s gross sales revenue in the food retail sector grew by 4.7%, reaching €19.3 billion in 2025.

Market leadership in Slovenia

The SPAR Austria Group operates 548 SPAR (in Italy called DESPAR), EUROSPAR, and INTERSPAR stores in Northern Italy, 647 in Hungary, 169 in Slovenia, and 144 in Croatia. The company is expanding rapidly in Slovenia and Croatia, which is also reflected in the respective sales growth of over 7.1% and 7.6%. In Croatia, SPAR is focusing on growing in Istria and the coastal areas. In 2025, SPAR also became the market leader in Slovenia.

Successful model for independent SPAR retailers

The SPAR Austria Group works with independent retailers in every neighbouring country except Croatia and wants to grow these partnerships. In Northern Italy, 305 stores are operated by independent retailers, and in Hungary, there are 316 independently-owned SPAR stores, including forecourt stores. In Slovenia, the number of independently-owned SPAR stores increased by 19, reaching 42. SPAR Croatia is also considering implementing this model in the future.

Source: SPAR Austria

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About SPAR Austria

The origins of the SPAR brand in Austria date back to 1954. The current SPAR AG was created in 1970 when the original founding families joined other regional wholesalers to form SPAR Austria AG, a 100% privately owned Austrian company. Company-owned stores operate throughout the country in the multi-format retail strategy developed since the 1960’s, whilst independent retailers operate under sub-license from SPAR Austria and continue building the brand’s presence.