An accessible, safe, local, grocery network adapted to the needs of local populations is vital for ensuring quality of life. This applies to major cities as well as country towns. At the annual meeting of SPAR retailers on 12 October, SPAR Austria emphasised that there is an increased opportunity for independent SPAR retailers to meet the needs of neighbourhood communities through urban development in Vienna.

The City of Vienna has taken up the revitalisation of neighbourhoods and initiated measures to improve the structure of local supply in six defined Viennese zones.

“As Austria’s largest local retailer, we want to be part of this urban development. Our independent SPAR retailers are exactly the right people for this. They offer a product range adapted to the respective location and the population of the neighbourhood and modern service. Moreover, their stores act as lively meeting places”, said SPAR Austria CEO Fritz Poppmeier.

Growing independent retailers

Currently, there are nine SPAR neighbourhood retailers in Vienna – in the 7th, 10th, 11th and 23rd districts and three additional locations have been found. SPAR Austria is looking for more locations and independent retailers to operate these stores, offering prospective retailers extensive training programmes.

In addition, SPAR Austria has been operating the popular SPAR Gourmet stores for over 20 years in districts with a demand for delicatessen-oriented ranges. There are currently 39 of these stores operating in Vienna. The range differs depending on the location.

To augment its store network, SPAR Austria has developed a flexible store concept enabling it to meet customers needs to an even greater extent. The first redesigned SPAR Gourmet store opened on 20 October at Vienna’s Fleischmarkt in the 1st district.

“The new SPAR Gourmet at the Fleischmarkt has been adapted to better meet the needs of people in Vienna’s inner city. The new urbanity with its food trends, sustainability and special dietary needs meets the lifestyle and indulgence culture here. One highlight is probably the best focaccia in town. We brought the recipe from Florence to Vienna”, said Alois Huber, SPAR Austria Managing Director for Vienna.

Source: SPAR Austria

Read more about SPAR Austria

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 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 the brand 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 in 2020, after being a market growth leader for over a decade. It maintained this leadership position in 2021.