SPAR Austria promoted an industry-wide sugar reduction alliance which has over 52 members. Since its launch in April 2019, this initiative, founded by SPAR Austria together with manufacturers of food and beverages, the Austrian Medical Council, doctors, and medical associations has drawn attention to society’s increased sugar consumption. SPAR Austria has already removed over 2,500 tonnes of sugar from its own brand products. In addition to reducing the amount of sugar in food products, the partners of the zucker-raus-initiative aim to provide targeted information about the risks and health consequences of excessive sugar consumption.
SPAR Gran Canaria recognises that obesity in childhood is on the increase and decided to get involved in a project providing nutrition education and instilling healthy lifestyle habits to address this issue. They launched the Sanolandia project aimed at reaching more than 10,000 schoolchildren aged between the ages of 3 and 8 (accompanied by their teachers and/or family members) on the island of Gran Canaria. The project was funded by SPAR Gran Canaria and developed with the support of The Ministry of Education of the Government of the Canary Islands. The format was an innovative 45-minute musical show that promoted healthy lifestyle habits in a fun and participatory way.
SPAR Ireland in February launched its new SPAR Better Choices campaign for 2023. The campaign aims to encourage customers to make ‘Better Choices’ when shopping for food. Two Olympic medallists take each other on in a fun set of challenges to see who will be crowned the SPAR Better Choices Champion. There is an educational element to this campaign, with text on the screen to inform viewers of the nutritional values of the food used by the Olympians in the challenges. The fun facts in the videos help build confidence in the mind of the consumer when it comes to making better choices when shopping in their local SPAR store.
Since 2006, DESPAR Italia has run the ‘Le Buone Abitudini’ (Good Habits) project, an educational programme promoting healthy eating and lifestyles. In October 2022, a free and easy-to-navigate platform was launched aimed at reaching primary school children and their teachers as well as families with young children. The programme makes use of the active teaching methodology, allowing children to put into practice what they learn through experiential activities and simple daily actions.
In addition to the focus on healthy eating and employee wellbeing, SPAR recognises the benefits of exercise. As such, our engagement with sports initiatives is another key part of our business activities. Partnerships between SPAR retailers, local schools, and sports clubs reflect the importance SPAR places on promoting exercise in local communities. Support from SPAR can come in many forms, including volunteering time, instore fundraising activities, the provision of sports equipment and financial assistance. SPAR is also the principal sponsor of European Athletics and has been since 1996.
Sources: SPAR Austria, SPAR Ireland, SPAR Italy, SPAR Gran Canaria
