For its 90th anniversary, SPAR Netherlands has announced a new social ambition: to get people moving more. One of the ways SPAR promotes a healthy lifestyle is by sponsoring major sporting events. This year, the tour version of the famous Amstel Gold Race was the first major outdoor event where SPAR Netherlands was explicitly present.

As one of the largest food retailers in the world, SPAR takes its responsibility to provide the right tools for a healthy lifestyle seriously. With the vision of being ‘The king of convenience’, SPAR Netherlands offers innovative and time-saving solutions instore for healthy, sustainable, and conscious eating. Since a healthy lifestyle goes beyond mindful eating, SPAR is also committed to promoting sports and exercise through several collaborations at national and regional levels.

“With our practical and time-saving solutions for all eating moments, we are happy to meet the needs of the convenience generation. But we also want to contribute to a better world by focusing on a healthy lifestyle”, says SPAR Netherlands CEO John van der Ent.

“Our strength lies in our local approach. SPAR stores have traditionally fulfilled an essential social and local role as the neighbourhood’s focal point. SPAR entrepreneurs know their customers and are involved in the local community. They bring people together. This local approach is the first step toward getting people moving, for example by offering sports promotion programmes in schools and providing paid memberships for athletics clubs. Nationally this is strenghtened through collaborations with top Dutch athletes and sponsoring sporting events such as the Dutch Athletics Championships”, John van der Ent continued.

In addition to the Amstel Gold Race tour, SPAR will sponsor other major sporting events this year, such as the Ladies Ride in Rotterdam and the Tilburg Ten Miles. SPAR Netherlands this year signed a multi-year partnership with the Dutch Athletics Union, which will help promote athletics for all.

In SPAR Netherlands’ refined strategy, there is maximum focus on convenience for the customer. One part of this includes further evolution of its online proposition to fit seamlessly into the concept of a convenience store.  SPAR Netherlands and Thuisbezorgd.nl, part of Just Eat Takeaway.com, are starting a pilot to deliver groceries through this platform.

Everyone on the move

With its message to get the Netherlands moving (more), SPAR does not lose sight of its own people. Internally, employees are also encouraged to work on a healthy lifestyle in a fun way. This is another example of how SPAR Netherlands strives to be a top employer.

“Our SPAR Vital platform aims to encourage healthy living in an accessible way. Think of following yoga classes, entering vegetable challenges, and ordering meal boxes. We also encourage participation in sports events, in our own SPAR branded clothing, enjoying a tasty, healthy snack and drink afterwards. In this way, we make a healthy lifestyle more fun and easier for everyone”, says Marie-José Rutten, Director of HR and Organizational Development.

Source: SPAR Netherlands

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About SPAR Netherlands
The SPAR Brand was founded in the Netherlands in 1932 by the Dutch wholesaler, Adriaan van Well and 16 independent retailers. It was established as a voluntary chain of grocers under the name DESPAR – an acronym of a slogan created by van Well to describe the organisation: Door Eendrachtig Samenwerken Profiteren Allen Regelmatig, which translates in English to All benefit from joint co-operation.

The Head Office and Distribution Centre (DC) are located in Waalwijk, from where support is provided for the almost 450 stores in operation.