Statista values the coffee market in Oman at US$114.5m reflecting local consumers’ desire for a variety of bean cup coffee solutions. SPAR Oman is reaping the benefits of having access to international best practice in food service to support them develop a range of specialty coffees for their entrance into this segment. The projection is to increase the volume of coffee consumed in volume growth of 2.9%, leading to the average volume per person to be 1.20kg during 2024.

The company provides employment opportunities through this investment, for example as a barista or a chef for the instore Café. Additionally, SPAR Oman support small-scale Oman producers by sourcing all disposable materials for the Café and CENSA^© Coffee solution locally. A modern, attractive, and welcoming atmosphere has been created for the CENSA Coffee and SPAR Café instore areas. Training is included for the team operating the SPAR Café, including as barista, food service operator, and in product knowledge.

Coffee culture

Utilising only the best quality, locally-roasted coffee beans, SPAR Oman’s new CENSA^© coffee solution is proving popular with customers. Variants such as café latte, cappuccino, and iced latte are as popular as the double espresso or americano coffee options. Whilst enjoying their coffee, customers can also consume fruit salads, smoothies, sandwiches or fresh salads in the cozy dining area. The marketing campaign behind the new CENSA^© coffee offer highlights how a great coffee can ‘make your day’ whilst a loyalty card whereby frequent customers earn rewards.

SPAR retail expansion

The second CENSA^© coffee offer introduction was timed with the opening of a new store in Al Muna. The newest SPAR Supermarket to open in Oman has a strong offer of fresh foods, wide aisles in the grocery section, a bold colour palette and a focus on great customer service. The store team celebrated the opening, welcoming shoppers with great special offers and well-stocked shelving throughout the store.

Source: SPAR Oman

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About SPAR Oman

SPAR International granted the licence for SPAR in Oman in 2014 to Khimji Ramdas, a leading business conglomerate in Oman. The group has interests in trading, distribution, retailing, training, restaurants, and manufacturing. SPAR Oman has developed a successful business that offers a world-class shopping experience to consumers. 

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The TV advert features 30 seconds playfully demonstrating products appearing ‘Closer Than You Think’. The novel campaign concept features customers getting up close and personal with SPAR Own Brand products.

Value will be also showcased through various price and item templates to deliver a great value message. Aligning with the marketing calendar, the templates can be used interchangeably throughout the year. Shorter form creative elements will build the campaign across social media and digital touchpoints.  Cut downs of the TV advert will occupy a significant presence within digital playlists on instore digital screens.

Check out the new advert here: https://youtu.be/tG-c_DAs0Do

Source: SPAR Ireland

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About SPAR Ireland

SPAR is one of Ireland’s largest convenience retail groups, and has been serving communities in Ireland for over sixty years. From the time it opened its first store in Dublin in 1963, SPAR has been a leader in Irish convenience retailing, bringing consumers the most innovative products and in-store offerings. SPAR is part of leading retail and wholesale company BWG Foods UC and, with a presence in every county across Ireland, SPAR’s over 400 stores provide employment for 14,000 people locally.

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Rewards app & Ecommerce development

The brand’s coffee rewards loyalty app aims to digitise its loyalty scheme and improve communications with users. It enables customers to collect stamps when making their purchases, with every tenth stamp resulting in a free beverage. Customers receive two stamps per purchase when using a reusable cup.

The updated website and new online store will allow shoppers to purchase branded products, reusable cups and merchandise made in partnership with Ballymena company, Ted & Stitch.

Barista Bar growth

Established in 2015, Barista Bar has more than 600 self-serve coffee machines across the UK, primarily in SPAR and EUROSPAR stores across Northern Ireland. The company has invested over £14 million in the Barista Bar brand over the last nine years and sold 12 million hot beverages in 2023.

In October, Barista Bar signed a £2.5m distribution deal with CJ Lang & Son to roll-out its self-serve coffee machines at more than 100 SPAR stores and independent retailers in Scotland. When completed, the roll-out will bring Barista Bar’s total UK footprint to 730 units.

Source: Henderson Group

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About SPAR UK

The United Kingdom became a SPAR member in 1956 when SPAR International granted the SPAR licence to a group of independent wholesalers. There are five regional organisations in the UK, continually building the brand’s presence. A central office in London provides national marketing and buying services for the group. SPAR UK comprises independently owned, licensed, retailers and company-owned stores.

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Customers now have the option to scan barcodes and the loyalty app for extra points and rewards before paying. Shoppers can use a faster and more convenient alternative to the conventional checkout process.

To increase customer awareness, SPAR has implemented both digital and physical guides near the self-service stations. These guides serve to help shoppers navigate the new system, making the experience friendly and accessible for everyone.

Self-service stations currently accept bank cards and SPAR or red gift cards. These methods provide a secure and efficient means for customers to complete their transactions during this trial period. SPAR’s pilot project in the Albanian supermarket industry has received positive feedback from customers. During the trial period, shoppers expressed a willingness to embrace the new self-service experience. Through this tool, SPAR shows initiative in meeting the evolving needs of the modern consumer.

Referring to the initial success and growing popularity of the pilot project, Redona Kalaja, Marketing Manager at SPAR Albania, said: “Between November 8 and mid-December, over 2,000 transactions were made through self-service checkouts. These figures show that we have reached a good level in the initial phase. We are very pleased with the results and enthusiastic to modernize our retail practices in the next step.”

Enhancing customer satisfaction

Buoyed by the success of the pilot project, SPAR is preparing for the next phase of implementation. The company is working on expanding self-service payments at the QTU Hypermarket and plans to roll out this innovative shopping experience across the entire SPAR network across the country in the future. This strategic expansion highlights SPAR’s commitment to embrace technology and enhance customer satisfaction in the evolving retail industry landscape.

Source: SPAR Albania

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SPAR Albania

SPAR International granted the SPAR licence in Albania in mid-2016 to Almark, part of the Balfin Group. Since launching in October 2016, SPAR Albania has converted company-owned stores and established new partnerships with independent retailers to expand the brand’s reach. SPAR Albania operates two retail formats: INTERSPAR Hypermarkets and SPAR Supermarkets.

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SPAR Hungary has converted a former car dealership into a 700m² modern SPAR Supermarket in District XV of Budapest. The almost HUF 1.5 billion investment aims to offer a new shopping experience to the district while revitalising an abandoned building. The store has eco-friendly systems including LED lighting and carbon-dioxide cooling technology. Customers enter into the fruit and vegetable section, which is opposite the bakery before accessing the ready-made meal section. The grocery aisles also offer a range of convenience products. The store employs 24 staff and caters to local residents of the Rákospalota, Pestújhely, Újpalota areas and visitors from the north of the capital.

Békéscsaba

SPAR Hungary revitalized a former commercial facility, investing 120 million HUF to open a SPAR Supermarket in Békéscsaba. The renovated space, employing 16 staff, has a focus on environmental sustainability with repurposed materials and equipment. Featuring a modernised façade, practical layout, and contemporary fittings, the 600m² store offers a range of organic, ‘free from,’ local, and private label products. New refrigeration equipment and bakery store fittings were installed during the renovation.

Debrecen

A new 2,600m2 INTERSPAR Hypermarket was opened in a modern, family-friendly area. This store is located within arm’s reach of Debrecen’s dynamically developing southern business zone. It is the second INTERSPAR Hypermarket to open in the town.

“It was not by chance that we chose this area of ​​the city of Cívis as the location of our newest INTERSPAR Hypermarket. Several companies employing a significant number of employees have settled here recently. The number of young families with several children moving to the local area has also increased. Our new store was completed at an investment of HUF 3 billion. It will satisfy the needs of both those who regularly go to work here and those who live here. Customers can find not only a wide selection of food, but also electronic goods, clothing, gardening tools and toys,” said Márk Maczelka, SPAR Hungary’s communications manager.

Gen Z trial store

For two days, SPAR Hungary ran an AI-powered, cashierless store at the Sneakerness festival in Budapest, targeted at Generation Z. The trial, incorporating a tailored product range, used AI technology, cameras, and weight sensors to create a seamless shopping experience.

“SPAR Hungary constantly strives to be able to address all of its customer groups: in the case of Generation Z, digital technology, contactless payment, and the creation of easy and comfortable navigation in the virtual space make this possible. In order to develop the innovation required for the new product, and then to put it into practice and apply it, we created our own project team, the members of which were selected from the Generation Z colleagues of our store chain, from the purchasing, sales and marketing department. Their primary mission was to develop a strategy, thanks to which we address the members of the young age group, who are at home in the digital space and the world of artificial intelligence, and bring SPAR closer to them as a brand and as a shopping place,” said Márk Maczelka, SPAR Hungary’s communications manager.

The 12-square-meter automated retail unit housed nearly 160 items, several of which were limited-edition, special-edition products. Customers could generate a QR code at the entrance using an application to gain entry to the store.

The positive shopper response as evidenced by around 400 transactions, will see the retailer assess the potential future of the mobile ‘Satellite Store S’ concept at special events and festivals across the country.

Source: SPAR Hungary

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About SPAR Hungary

The first SPAR Supermarket opened in Hungary in 1992, following the acquisition by ASPIAG (Austria SPAR International AG) of a majority stake in General Kereskedelmi Rt. SPAR Hungary is one of the country’s largest employers, with a network of company-owned and independently run stores operating nationwide.

The post SPAR Hungary invest in new stores and trial Gen Z pop-up store appeared first on SPAR International.

F&V 3 days fresher

The project to reduce the time from farm to store was driven by the IT unit of SPAR Austria. The initiative uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyse data on sales volumes, weather conditions, special offers, marketing campaigns, seasonality and numerous other factors, enabling a precise prediction of the optimal quantity of fruit and vegetables per store.

The result of the project is a prediction accuracy of over 90 percent. All of this means that exactly the required quantity is available at the right time in the right store, thus further reducing food waste.

Innovation in Austria

The award-winning project, which attracted attention internationally, was divided into six areas:

1. Forecasting sales volumes by using artificial intelligence to further reduce food spoilage.
2. Better planning through issuing tenders for the fruit and vegetable assortment, as well as modernising planning software for the weekly assortment.
3. More efficient and faster procurement through a web EDI portal specially tailored to the needs of suppliers. This simplifies the ordering process, which also provides a connection enabling smaller, regional partners to get involved.
4. Optimisation of the ordering process at wholesale through the design of a completely new interface in SAP for wholesale ordering for use by the respective SPAR logistics centres.
5. Optimal delivery by standardising order dates and a maximum time for the delivery of the order. Additionally, SPAR Austria implemented numerous process improvement measures at the individual SPAR stores and logistics centres.
6. Improvement of quality assurance through improving and digitising the approval of fruit and vegetable article specifications.

Tackling food waste

This project is just one of many measures developed by SPAR Austria to combat food waste in retail. Today, only about 1% of the food on offer in SPAR stores nationwide is not sold.

Source: SPAR Austria

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About SPAR Austria

The origins of SPAR in Austria date back to 1954, but the current SPAR AG was created in 1970 when the original founding families joined other regional wholesalers to form SPAR Austria AG – a 100% privately owned Austrian company. With licences granted by SPAR International, ASPIAG (Austria SPAR International AG) has developed the brand in Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Northern Italy.

The post SPAR Austria wins the “Future of European Commerce” Award appeared first on SPAR International.

The highlight of this initiative is the ease with which winners can collect their prizes. Through a specialised booking and collection system online, customers can pick up their prize at any chosen SPAR store. Customers can also enter their loyalty card upon registration and can check their success in the competition.

“Our social channels serve as versatile tools to amplify our brand and central-southern Italy network,” says Grazia De Gennaro, Communications Manager at Maiora srl. “This competition aims to strengthen community ties and boost brand awareness, fostering consumer loyalty and in-store presence.”

In recent years, Maiora’s competitions have steadily grown, reaching 300,000 users in 2021 and 400,000 in 2022. Following the success of Father’s and Mother’s Day competitions, they are committed to surpassing these achievements on both DESPAR Centro Sud Facebook and Instagram platforms.

Source: Despar Centro-Sud

Read more news about SPAR Italy.

About SPAR Italy

SPAR Italy, known locally as DESPAR Italia, was first granted the SPAR brand licence in 1959. The first store opened in 1960, making SPAR the first partnership of retailers and wholesalers to operate in the country. In addition, SPAR Italy licenses regional partners, all of whom work together to grow the brand across the country. As a limited liability consortium, DESPAR Italia aims to provide itself with a corporate structure with a more efficient and flexible organisational structure.

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Online e-survey

The campaign uses e-surveys to get feedback directly from shoppers. The survey is accessed through a QR code strategically placed in various sections of the primary shelves within SPAR stores. Upon scanning the code, customers are directed to a dedicated landing page containing a survey to be filled in. The survey addresses different aspects related to the shopping experience, including staff behaviour, product availability, store ambiance, and overall satisfaction. Shoppers are encouraged to share their opinions, concerns, and appreciation. SPAR Albania aims to enhance its services, staff professionalism, product quality, and overall customer satisfaction.

Operational phase

The campaign is in its operational phase, with the data collected being used to assess the performance of each store. “Tell Us First” shows SPAR Albania’s commitment to constantly interacting with customers and adapting to their changing needs.

Granada Flaga, Human Resources And Digital Champion Director at SPAR Albania, stressed the importance of this campaign: “We want to ensure that our stores are equipped with a variety of products and that our staff are friendly and helpful to customers. Our goal is to provide a safe and convenient shopping experience. Using this platform and securing customer feedback, we can generate a database that allows us to act quickly and improve our processes.”

Source: SPAR Albania

Read more news about SPAR Albania

SPAR Albania

SPAR International granted the SPAR licence in Albania in mid-2016 to Almark, part of the Balfin Group. Since launching in October 2016, SPAR Albania has converted company-owned stores and established new partnerships with independent retailers to expand the brand’s reach. SPAR Albania operates two retail formats: INTERSPAR Hypermarkets and SPAR Supermarkets.

The post SPAR Albania launches “Tell Us First” customer feedback campaign appeared first on SPAR International.

The core feature of the SPAR app is a 25% discount applicable on up to four of the highest priced discount-eligible products in the shopping basket. “The focus of the app is on saving money for our customers and supporting our checkout staff,” explained SPAR Austria Board Member Markus Kaser.

The app simplifies shopping, optimises discounts by automatically applying the highest possible discount, taking into account all promotion types and their combinations, and speeds up the checkout process. The app also offers the option of digital invoicing, which drives a reduction in paper usage.

The SPAR app is available to download free of charge from both the App Store and Google Play Store.

Consumer data privacy

Customers can easily register by agreeing to the terms of use and do not need to enter personal data. Once agreed, the user receives a unique barcode (SPAR code) which is thereafter used for recognition. To collect discount coupons, customers only need to register with their email address.

“Our new SPAR app prioritises consumer data privacy. We stick to our belief of not needing customer data and avoiding profiling. Instead of asking where users live, they can input up to three of their favourite SPAR stores. This helps us give relevant, regionally valid vouchers, based on their choices”, explained Markus Kaser, highlighting SPAR Austria’s commitment to data protection.

Source: SPAR Austria

Read more about SPAR Austria.

About SPAR Austria

The origins of SPAR in Austria date back to 1954, but the current SPAR AG was created in 1970 when the original founding families joined other regional wholesalers to form SPAR Austria AG – a 100% privately owned Austrian company. With licences granted by SPAR International, ASPIAG (Austria SPAR International AG) has developed the brand in Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Northern Italy.

The post SPAR Austria launches app for a seamless shopping experience appeared first on SPAR International.