SPAR Italy, locally known as DESPAR, has been recognised as retail brand of the year for the year 2020-2021 in the ‘supermarket’ category. The criteria voted upon included price, assortment, service, communications, shopping convenience, and look-and-feel. In such a special year, DESPAR Italia has earned ever increasing customer trust by committing to ensure safe and continuous store operations at SPAR stores throughout the country.

Other factors that contributed to SPAR Italy’s success were the quality and variety of its own brand products and the brand’s initiatives to add value to its local communities. SPAR Italy’s health and well-being product offering, as well as its commitment to environmental sustainability, were also deciding factors.

The prestigious Retailer of the Year Award originated in 2003 in the Netherlands, upon an initiative of Q&A Research&Consultancy. In Italy, the award was launched in 2008 as ‘Retailer of the Year’ and is currently known as ‘Insegna dell’anno’. Q&A’s Partner in Italy is Beatrice Orlandini, owner of SEIC-Studio Orlandini.

For this year’s Italy edition, the organisers evaluated 543 retail brands across the various categories, which embrace both food and non-food retail. Over 205,000 votes were expressed earlier this year by Italian consumers. The ‘Retailer of the Year’ elections are the biggest consumer elections in Europe.

The contest concept stems from the desire of consumers to share their opinion on their favourite (web)shops. The main purpose of the elections is to generate positive (media) attention for retailers and to give more insight into the consumers opinion about a (web)shop.

“This recognition is a source of pride and great satisfaction for us, as it confirms how our core values ​are fully felt and shared by our communities. With our new strapline ‘The value of our choices’ and new communication campaign for our 60^th anniversary of DESPAR Italia, we want to underscore the strong trust that links our local communities and our brand. Our values are expressed through our passion for quality, the importance we attach to local traditions, health and well-being, and protecting the environment”, said Lucio Fochesato, General Manager of DESPAR Italia.

Source: SPAR Italy

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About SPAR Italy

SPAR International first granted a licence for the operation of the SPAR Brand to SPAR Italy 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 Italy. 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.