SPAR Balmacara, situated in Rosshire, in the Scottish Highlands and SPAR Spean Bridge, located at ‘the crossroads of the Highlands’, have undergone huge transformations and give customers a much better offer as they head towards the North Coast 500 tourism route.
Both stores have been completely refitted with new refrigeration, flooring, signage, graphics and much more. The external and internal signage, decoration and flooring have been replaced, giving the stores a modern look and feel.
Digital screens have been introduced throughout the stores to navigate customers and promote special offers.
The introduction of new food-to-go options is a welcome addition to both stores. New bakery counters also enhance the hot food offer available. A focus on the environment has meant new energy-saving lighting, efficient refrigeration, and freezers have been installed. New graphics now tell the story of the stores and their connections with their local communities.
The SPAR Balmacara store is situated on the shores of Loch Alsh, near the Kyle of Lochalsh in one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland. SPAR Balmacara joined the SPAR family in 2017 and currently employs 13 local people.
The small, attractive village of Spean Bridge is home to a SPAR store that has been in the SPAR family since 2008, and the original store owner, David Archibald, his wife and son Ian joined SPAR Scotland operator CJ Lang for the relaunch.
Brian Straiton, Operations Director for CJ Lang & Son Ltd, said: “We announced last year that we would be investing a record-breaking amount of money into our company-owned store estate. This is the largest investment of its kind by our business, and we are delighted to see several stores now completed. The initial feedback and sales have well exceeded our expectations.
“SPAR Balmacara and SPAR Spean Bridge are positioned in the heart of their localities. We are sure residents and visitors to the scenic areas around the stores will enjoy the benefits of our investment. These are the latest SPAR stores to benefit from the major investment programme we’ve commenced, and we’re looking forward to showcasing more refurbished stores in the coming months.”
The SPAR Scotland Tradeshow takes place on 22 September at the MacDonald Complex in Aviemore. At this event, SPAR Scotland will share a business update with all delegates, including store refurbishment and development plans.
Source: SPAR UK
The UK became a SPAR member in 1956 when SPAR International granted the SPAR licence to a group of independent wholesalers. As a result, there are now five regional partners in the UK. A central office in London provides national marketing and buying services for the group.
SPAR has led the highly competitive convenience market in the UK for many years. Always innovative, the five regional partners continue to grow the brand. SPAR UK comprises independently owned licensed retailers and company-owned stores. These include forecourts, airports, train stations, city centres, and local neighbourhood stores.
