Spar International

Established in 1932 and originally based in the Netherlands, Spar is recognised as the world’s leading voluntary food retail chain. The company was founded by Adriaan van Well and was launched as DESPAR. It is headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 

Currently, Spar International operates over 13,600 stores in 48 countries and caters to almost 14.5 million customers per day. 

In 2021, the firm reached a turnover of €41.2 billion, reporting a sales growth of 3.3% and it has a dedicated team of more than 410,000 employees.

Spar International provides a wide assortment of products under the following categories:

• Sweet Grocery: ambient desserts, biscuits, seasonal confectionery, etc.
• Savory Grocery: rice, pasta, sauces, etc.
• Drinks: soft drinks, juices, water, etc
• Wine & Spirits: wines, gins, spirits, etc
• Chilled & Fresh Food: salads, sandwiches, breads, etc.
• Frozen: poultry, ice cream, seafood, etc.
• Dairy: yoghurts, cheese, milk, etc
• Personal Care: hair care, vitamins, face care, etc.
• Household: cleaners, cleaning supplies, air fresheners, etc.

It offers various products under their own brands which are known as:

• Spar: This brand is dedicated to all product categories.
• S-budget: Under this brand, products such as olive oil, juices, detergents, etc. are available.
• Spar natur*pur: In this line, organic products such as yoghurt, butter, cereals, etc. are sold.
• Spar vital: This brand includes products such as teas, cereals, juices, etc.

 Spar International is looking for branded products in the following categories:

• Savory Grocery: ready-meals, crisps, snacks, nuts, etc.
• Sweet Grocery: biscuits, chocolate, sweets, etc. 

Moreover, for this category, Spar International is interested in organic and palm-free products.

• Drinks: carbonated soft drinks, cider, soft drinks, etc.
• Chilled & Fresh Food: a range of chilled drinks. 

 Moreover, Spar International is looking for products for its own brands in the following categories: 

• Personal Care: hair care, makeup, oral care, fragrances, etc.
• Household: cleaning supplies, laundry care, cleaners, etc. 
• Frozen Food: desserts, snacking, ready-meals, fruits, vegetables, etc.  

The company is also interested in dairy-free products and in the case of drinks, the focus is on drinks on the go and refills. 

It manages BIGS (Buying International Group Spar), a leading European buying group that negotiates with major private label manufacturers as well as selected suppliers of international brands.

With regards to logistics, the firm owns 255 distribution centres and owns 7.45 million sqm of sales area in total. Furthermore, its warehouses are designed to hold up to 55,000 products. In 2021, Spar International also operates IFAG, a collective buying warehouse and services-transport equipment, computer support, shop-fitting equipment. SPAR's IGT is a comprehensive trading service focused on different products, mostly under the Spar brand.