Spar International has achieved strong results during the pandemic: the chain’s worldwide turnover grew by 7.4 %. This is proof of the essential role independent retailers play in their local communities, the organisation says.
The Netherlands stands out
In 2020, Spar retailers achieved a combined turnover of 39.8 billion euros, a growth of 7.4 %. The organisation responded resiliently to the major challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, CEO Tobias Wasmuht stated. He attributes the success to “the collective strength of the Spar worldwide organisation, the competitive advantages of the Spar multi-format strategy and the critical role of independent retailing in societies and communities across the globe.”
In Western Europe, sales growth amounted to an exceptional 12 %, with the Netherlands (+ 23.5 %) and Austria (+ 16 %) standing out. The chain is also active in Central and Eastern Europe (+ 8.9 %), in Africa and the Middle East (+ 2.8 %) and in Asia (+ 1.5 %). At the end of 2020, Spar had 13,501 stores in 48 countries. The brand continues to expand: last year, the organisation started up in Ghana, where ten stores have since been opened.
Spar’s growth is not only explained by the strong position of proximity stores during the corona crisis: the organisation has been doing very well for years. Between 2016 and 2020, turnover increased by 24.54 % and the number of stores grew by 956. As a voluntary partnership between independent food retailers, Spar holds a rather unique position in the global retail sector.
