On Tuesday 14 January 2025, Tokmanni Oy entered into an agreement with SPAR International. The license to operate the SPAR brand exclusively in Finland was granted to Tokmanni, an established variety discount retailer which will benefit from the scale and knowhow of SPAR International, particularly in the area of grocery retailing.

Tokmanni will focus on refining the SPAR concept to fit the Finnish market and offering customers a wide assortment of SPAR products. The company will brand its fresh food business under the SPAR brand and concept. The aim is to have all Tokmanni’s current 20 fresh food departments operating in line with the SPAR concept in the coming years. The first SPAR branded food department in a Tokmanni store is planned to be opened in the summer, with more opening before the end of 2025.

“I’m extremely delighted and excited about this partnership. Through the partnership, we are going to change the Finnish grocery retail landscape during the upcoming years. With the scale and capabilities provided by SPAR International, we are able to start growing our grocery business. New products and low prices will increase Tokmanni’s competitiveness in Finland, and especially in food business,” says Mika Rautiainen, Tokmanni Group President and CEO.

“Customers will benefit from Tokmanni’s increasing assortment and lower prices, as Tokmanni grows into a bigger player in the Finnish grocery market”, Rautiainen continues.

Combining the expertise of the Tokmanni team who understand the local Finnish customers’ needs with SPAR International’s scale, knowhow, capabilities, design and customer focused concepts will set the tone for the development of the SPAR brand in the future. Correspondingly, Tokmanni can offer SPAR growth opportunities in Finland and SPAR members its knowhow in non-food categories.

“Bringing the SPAR brand to Finland through our partnership with Tokmanni represents a significant opportunity to enhance the Finnish grocery retail landscape. This collaboration enables Tokmanni to leverage SPAR International’s global expertise and scale while maintaining their strong connection to local Finnish consumers. Through this agreement, Tokmanni will be able to expand its offering in grocery retail, benefiting from the SPAR retail network’s purchasing power and proven operational concepts. We are delighted to partner with Tokmanni and are confident that its deep understanding of the Finnish market, combined with the SPAR network’s strengths, will deliver exceptional value to consumers and drive sustainable growth for both parties,” says Tobias Wasmuht, SPAR International CEO about the partnership.

Tokmanni is very strong brand among Finnish consumers and associated with low prices, variety, and joyful shopping experience. Going forward, Tokmanni will see SPAR International supporting the company, particularly in food categories. The retailer expects to gain access to products and purchase prices that weren’t available to it previously, further supporting it’s ability to offer consumers quality products at low prices.

Source: Tokmanni