SPAR Italy partner opens new stores in Verona and Padua

November 21, 2019 IN THE CATEGORY: Store openings

The SPAR Italy Partner for the Northeast of Italy and Emilia-Romagna region, Aspiag Service, opened a world-class EUROSPAR Supermarket in Verona and a magnificent DESPAR store located in a beautiful, historic building in the centre of Padua.

New EUROSPAR in Verona

The new EUROSPAR, with a sales area of 1,500m2, stocks 14,000 SKUs. Within the Fruit and Vegetable department at the entrance to the store, a Food-to-Go island offers customers a wide choice of freshly-made snacks and convenient meals.

Along the perimeter, there are self-service and served butchery sections, a Fish department and the Delicatessen and Food-to-Go counters. Opposite the served counters, there are also three Food-to-Go islands for fish, deli and bakery items. An instore bakery completes the fresh offering. At the back of the store, customers can find frozen foods and a large assortment of wines, spirits, beers, sodas and bottled waters. The EUROSPAR Supermarket is open Monday to Saturday from 7:30 to 21:00 and offers home deliveries.

The new store is eco-friendly with 100% LED lighting, while dairy chilled cabinets are equipped with doors in order to prevent cold air and, therefore, energy dispersion. The heat produced by the chilled cabinets is re-used to heat the store and produce hot water. Solar panels are also providing energy to the store.

The opening of a new supermarket like this is an investment in the city’s future. It contributes to the liveliness and development of a neighbourhood and ensures that the local communities can shop for fresh, healthy and certified food. “As our company grows, we create employment and establish relations with local producers in the areas in which we operate,” said Paolo Ambrosini of DESPAR Northeast.

“The opening of this new EUROSPAR in Verona has led to new jobs, economic growth and increased development in this area. It also enhances our customer relationship, which drives each aspect of our daily work, and makes us feel part of a great family,” he concluded.

A stunning DESPAR Supermarket in Padua

One day after officially opening the new EUROSPAR Supermarket in Verona, DESPAR Northeast opened a unique DESPAR neighbourhood supermarket in a stunningly beautiful historic building overlooking the Prato della Valle, an iconic square in Padua.

This new DESPAR store was developed using a very special layout and design due to its location and particular historic value. The use of large windows allows for optimal natural sunlight, as well as providing open views onto the spectacular scenery of Prato della Valle and its beautiful architecture. This 90,000m2 elliptical square in Padova is the largest square in Italy, and one of the largest in Europe.

The store is 500m2 in size and has an assortment of 7,000 products, with a special focus on fresh and local foods. It employs 25 people, including 20 new team members. Open from Monday to Saturday from 7:30 – 21:00, the store offers local residents and tourists the opportunity to shop for quality products and Food-to-Go items, such as typical local snacks and meals which are freshly prepared instore.

“Good quality, local products are our main assets,” said Alessandro Balestriero of DESPAR Northeast. “The DESPAR team is composed of young, enthousiastic people who will ensure an excellent level of customer service instore”.

DESPAR Northeast believes that its business scope goes beyond developing new stores, and is driven by Corporate Social Responsibility which is a core value of the company. Operating a supermarket entails growth opportunities at both a cultural and social level. DESPAR Northeast runs initiatives in the areas of nutritional education, sports, volunteering, schools, training and raising awareness about the artistic heritage of its local communities.

Source: DESPAR Northeast

Read more news from SPAR Italy.

Photo credits: © Gerda Studio


Italy

SPAR Italy was first granted the licence to operate the SPAR Brand in 1959. The first store opened in the latter part of 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.