SPAR Italy partner Aspiag Service to invest €390 million over three years to boost further growth

June 4, 2021 IN THE CATEGORY: Digital and Marketing, Own Brand and Suppliers, People, Store openings, Supply Chain

At the recent announcement of their 2020 results, the company confirmed further investment for growth 2021-2023. The strong retail sales increase of 4.7% and net earning growth of 19.5% over 2019 reflects the 2020 investments.

Private label as growth driver

SPAR Own Brand sales represent a significate share of total sales at 25.6%, showing growth of 6.6% on previous year. The 6.173 SKUs making up the private label portfolio continually increases in line with market trends and customer demand.

Powering e-commerce

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aspiag Service accelerated multichannel developments, swiftly activating its e-commerce platforms to support online shopping. In 2020, the e-commerce channel generated sales of €2.7 million in the period April – December, with 34 SPAR stores linked to the platform. These stores delivered on average about 10,000 products per month.

Growing the retail footprint

In 2020 the company invested €96 million, to open new SPAR stores, renovate and revamp existing stores, and further develop its supply chain capabilities. A total of 570 stores were operational at year end across three formats – INTERSPAR Hypermarkets, EUROSPAR Supermarkets and DESPAR neighbourhood stores. There are a mix of company-owned and independently operated stores.

Investing in supply chain

In addition to its 9 existing warehouses, of which 4 are regional Distribution Centres, Aspiag Service opened a new logistic centre in Monselice, near Padua. The Agrilogic distribution hub covers an area of 47,000m2, from where fresh and highly perishable products are dispatched. In addition, construction work began on a meat processing centre, which is due to open in autumn 2021. It will be a state-of-the art facility in terms of both technologies and have a low environmental impact.

Employer of choice

Aspiag Service had 8.517 team members in 2020, over the four Italian regions where it operates the SPAR Brand. 65% of staff are women, and 91% of all colleagues have a permanent contract. In 2020, the company spent €8.6 million on health and safety at offices and stores from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of this sum, €6 million was used for disinfection of stores and PPE, while €2.6 million was paid out to staff as a reward for their commitment and dedication in serving their local communities.

Source: SPAR Italy partner Aspiag Service

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About SPAR Italy

SPAR Italy, known locally as DESPAR Italia, was first granted the SPAR Brand’s licence 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. In addition, SPAR Italy 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 company achieves most of its turnover through these larger format stores, the independently owned neighbourhood supermarkets remain vital.