Fratelli Ibba Group, a well-established retail organisation, has joined SPAR in Italy, growing the brand’s presence in the Italian region of Sardinia. Fratelli Ibba has acquired all the shares of Supermercati Gieffe and thereby also a stake in SCS, which holds the license for the SPAR Brand in Sardinia.

The Sardinian company will operate 27 stores under the DESPAR and EUROSPAR formats. Fratelli Ibba also plans to convert a significant part of its own stores to the SPAR brand. The conversion is projected to boost the retail turnover generated by SPAR in this part of Italy to over €225 million a year. Its market share is projected to increase to 12.7%.

“We are delighted that the Fratelli Ibba group have joined SPAR. They are well-established retailers in Sardinia who have distinguished themselves thanks to their organisational abilities and business results”, said Paul Klotz, President of DESPAR Italia.

Shared values

“The group shares with SPAR a customer-centric focus on local communities and products. Our shared values ​​will ensure the SPAR bramd achieves important results in Sardinia, bringing quality and excellence to our customers”, Paul Klotz added.

“We are convinced that this move will provide our company new momentum for growth by adding the DESPAR brand to our group’s additional activities in the retail sector, such as our discount stores and cash & carry operations”, said Stefano Ibba, General Manager of the F.lli Ibba Group.

“SPAR is a longstanding brand in Italy, with whom Fratelli Ibba fully shares a set of values, ​​including the importance of contributing to local communities, the strategic importance of SPAR Own Brand, and SPAR’s commitment to sustainability. We will pool experiences and skills to create solid operations for the benefit of our customers.”

Source: DESPAR Italia

Read more news from SPAR Italy.

About SPAR Italy

SPAR Italy was first granted the licence to operate the SPAR Brand in 1959. The first store opened in 1960, and with it, SPAR became the first partnership of retailers and wholesalers to operate in the country. 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.