SPAR - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Spar trades from approximately 12400 stores in 34 countries worldwide and is the world's largest independent voluntary retail trading chain. Spar was founded in the Netherlands in 1932 by retailer Adriaan Van Well and now, through its affiliate organisations, operates through most European countries, parts of Africa, Asia and Australia. It has its headquarters in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

Etymology

The name was originally DE SPAR, an acronym of the Dutch

Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

phrase Door Eendrachtig Samenwerken Profiteren Allen Regelmatig (literally: "through united co-operation everyone regularly profits"). Spaar or spar means "save (money)" in Afrikaans

Afrikaans

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...

, Dutch, Danish

Danish language

Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...

, German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

, Swedish

Swedish language

Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...

and Norwegian

Norwegian language

Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...

. "De Spar" is Dutch for "The Fir

Fir

Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...

", hence Spar's logo

Logo

A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...

. As the organisation expanded across Europe, the name was abbreviated by dropping "DE", but the underlying meaning remains. In Italy, the name is still Despar, though in keeping with the international branding, the "SPAR" section of the logo is highlighted, and the larger stores are still called Eurospar and Interspar. In Japan the store operates under the name Hotspar, although the store logo

Logo

A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...

colouring remains unchanged.

History

Spar was founded in 1932 in the Dutch city of Zoetermeer

Zoetermeer

Zoetermeer is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 37.06 km² . A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950...

. In 1953 an International Spar office opened in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

to control and further develop the organisation throughout Europe and other continents. Most Spar stores are in Europe, but they can also be found in a few countries outside of Europe, such as Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, Botswana

Botswana

Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...

, Namibia

Namibia

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...

, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

, Zambia

Zambia

Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....

, Swaziland

Swaziland

Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Mauritius

Mauritius

Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...

, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

and Vanuatu

Vanuatu

Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...

.

A Spar store may be owned independently, by a franchisee

Franchising

Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....

, or be part of a chain

Chain store

Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...

, depending on the model applied in any given country. The owners of the parent company vary from country to country and may include the store owners themselves. The only common link between the stores in different countries is the branding—the name and the current logo, which was most recently revised in 1968 by Raymond Loewy

Raymond Loewy

Raymond Loewy was an industrial designer, and the first to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine, on October 31, 1949. Born in France, he spent most of his professional career in the United States...

and has remained unchanged ever since.

In the United Kingdom Spar has become known primarily as a convenience store

Convenience store

A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...

, although in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

and the Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

Spar operates using the subformat Eurospar too. Spar opened in the Republic of Vanuatu on the 1st December 2009 ending Au Bon Marché's grocery monopoly.

In 1997, Spar was introduced to most United Kingdom military bases by Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes

Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes

The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes is an organisation created by the British government in 1921 to run recreational establishments needed by the British Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families...

(Naafi), where it sells a variety of civilian and military products.

Sub Brands

InterSpar
These are hypermarket

Hypermarket

In commerce, a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full groceries lines and general merchandise...

s and compete directly against major international chains such as Real, Carrefour

Carrefour

Carrefour S.A. is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world...

and Tesco

Tesco

Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...

.

EuroSpar & Super Spar
The EuroSpar name is used for this format in Europe and SuperSpar in Africa. These are mid-sized supermarkets. They are designed to fit in a niche between convenience stores and traditional supermarkets.

Spar Express (KwikSpar in South Africa)
This is the smallest store type. They are designed for small sites and service station forecourts.

Spar Drive-Thru
There is a Drive-Thru Spar on the Cliftonville Road in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

.

Not all of these brands or formats are used in every country.

The company has been a major sponsor of the European Athletic Association

European Athletic Association

The European Athletic Association is the European governing body for the sport of athletics.- History :In 1932, during a meeting of the International Amateur Athletic Federation in Los Angeles, a special committee was designated by the Council with the task of reviewing the conditions for the...

and its events since 1996.

Company slogans

"Spar is de boodschap": the original Dutch slogan (a play on the double meaning of boodschap: "grocery" and "message")
"Wat je dichtbij haalt is lekker" ("What you get from close-by, is good" ) : the current Dutch slogan; it's a play on the Dutch saying "what you get from far, is good")
"So near, so Spar", United Kingdom slogan
"There for you", United Kingdom slogan
"We got Spar", United Kingdom Slogan (1990s)
"Spar: There for you", current United Kingdom slogan
"Du kjenner oss" ("You know us"), Norwegian slogan
"More passion for good prices", Romanian slogan
"Always close to you", Spanish slogan
"Good for you", South African slogan
"My SPAR", South African slogan
"Dobro zame" ("Good for me"), Slovenian slogan
"Big On Value", "Expect a little more" previous Northern Irish Eurospar slogans
"Under the tree, at Spar" (former Irish slogan, jingle still retained today)
"Always there for you", Republic of Ireland slogan
"The Super Easy Supermarket", Irish Eurospar slogan.
"Making everyday better", Australian slogan, previously "Good Food, Easy Shopping"
"Alles da da da" ("Everything there there there"), Austrian Interspar slogan.
"Feel the Taste of Spar", Austrian slogan
"Mindig Spar" ("Always Spar"), most used Hungarian slogan
"Baš za mene, Interšpar za mene" (Perfect for me, Interspar for me) – Croatian Interspar slogan
"Quello che vuoi tu, e un po' di più" ("What you want, and a little more"), Italian slogan
"Spar — der hvor du kan" ("Spar — Where you can") a play on SPAR meaning "save (money)" in Danish, current Danish slogan
"Live life better" , India Slogan.

International statistics 2010

Country	Sales (thousands)	No. of stores	Sales area(m²)	Sales per area	Average store size (m²)	Brand Owner
Austria	€5,127,540	1,442	1,049,112	€4,392/m²	728	ASPIAG
Italy	€3,631,029	1,485	812,000	€4,744/m²	547	10 licence partners
United Kingdom	€3,091,922	2,560	399,425	€10,323/m²	156	5 owners
South Africa	€4,456,496	803*	861,488	€3,589/m²	1,073
Germany	€332,972	309	26,280	€7,471/m²	85	SPAR Handels AG
Spain	€1,121,164	917	311,843	€3,013/m²	340	Spar Española
Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...	€1,173,530	444	121,303	€10,458/m²	273	BWG Foods BWG Foods BWG Foods Ltd is an Irish wholesaler and retail grocery franchise operator.BWG is the second largest wholesaler in the Republic of Ireland in terms of sales, after Musgrave Group, with sales of over 1.7 billion euro annually...
Norway	€1,418,499	296	165,371	€6,965/m²	559
Hungary	€1,370,404	398	399,530	€4,134/m²	1,004	ASPIAG
Denmark	€1,108,279	520	176,748	€6,096/m²	340
France	€968,730	941	237,370	€3,784/m²	252
Japan	€81,443	91	9,751	€5,736/m²	107
Belgium	€783,191	309	138,499	€4,551/m²	448
Greece	€705,397	189	140,960	€5,000/m²	746	Veropoulos Veropoulos Veropoulos is a large retail group based in Greece. It holds the SPAR retail franchise for Greece. In Crete, Veropoulos operates stores under the name of Xalkiadakis. Outside Greece, Veropoulos operates supermarkets in the Republic of Macedonia as Vero, and in Serbia as SuperVero. The company was...
Slovenia Slovenia Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...	€693,911	82	136,083	€5,338/m²	1,647	ASPIAG
Czech Republic	€522,425	129	151,598	€3,306/m²	1,175	ASPIAG
Netherlands	€496,296	302	121,616	€4,227/m²	403
Switzerland	€440,659	158	68,285	€5,143/m²	432
Russia	€774,604	233	126,787	€6,582/m²	544
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...	€194,339	69	40,661	€3,759/m²	589
Poland	€72,536	61	14,758	€4,718/m²	242
Australia	€147,876	100	35,575	€2,490/m²	356
Botswana Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...	€98,361	26	23,183	€3,243/m²	892
Namibia Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...	€110,621	26	26,298	€2,699/m²	1,011
Croatia Croatia Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...	€233,018	18	66,937	€3,747/m²	3,719	ASPIAG
China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...	€404,953	125	544,650	€319/m²	4,357
Mauritius Mauritius Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...	€20,830	7	6,100	€3,147/m²	871
Zambia Zambia Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....	€53,499	7	14,073	€1,239/m²	2,010
Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...	€51,028	31	24,899	€3,866/m²	803
Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...	€10,000	7	3,000	€440/m²	429
India	€45,274	5	23,525	€11,111/m²	4,705	Max Hypermarket