SPAR France is introducing new digital technologies as a service to independent retailers, enhancing the operational levels of their stores across the country.

Store data at a glance

The SPAR Partner has rolled out the new ‘Retail Operations’ software, allowing retailers to access store information in real time from their phone, tablet or PC. This simple, visual tool is available to retailers who have signed up to SPAR France’s loyalty programme.

In the Retail Operations application, retailers can look up sales data, refreshed every 2 hours. They can also view the sales performance of the current day, check the yearly sales by month, or the monthly sales by week.

In this free-of-charge application, key data such as the average basket size, number of customers and store turnover can be viewed at a glance in a clear way.

RAO digital restocking tool

The RAO restocking tool that is already being used by some 80 SPAR retailers in France, is now being rolled out to the entire SPAR France store network.

RAO, which stands for computer-assisted restocking (Réapprovisionnement Assisté par Ordinateur, in French), analyses historical sales data, stock levels in normal and peak seasons by store, and the promotional calendar, in order to assess how much of each product needs to be ordered. Retailers, who used to spend 1,5 to 2 hours placing an order, can now get the job done in just 20 minutes.

The RAO app for tablets has been available since the beginning of the year and can be installed free-of-charge by SPAR retailers, who also receive one day of training.

As RAO can better foresee and prevent out-of-stock situations, it will help retailers increase their turnover, whilst also reducing waste.

Digital portfolio of local producers and products

Locally sourced products have become an important part of a neighbourhood or convenience store’s offering. Consumers like to be able to shop for their favourite, authentic local products at their nearest SPAR store.

To meet this growing demand, a new digital platform has been introduced for SPAR France retailers, allowing them to look up all local suppliers and order their products in a quick and easy way. The platform is called 1000Pro and orders placed through it are delivered directly to stores by the suppliers themselves.

Source: SPAR France

Read more about SPAR developments in France.

About SPAR France

SPAR was introduced to France in 1955 and in the 1990s, SPAR International granted the Casino Group the licence to operate the brand. There are continual developments in relation to both the store formats and the customer offer. As a result of the scale of Casino operations, SPAR has benefited from the existing distribution network and has expanded nationwide.

Shoppers continue to favour local produce and products as well as neighbourhood stores. The SPAR concept, operated by independent retailers, fits this trend and has seen a rejuvenation of its offer.