Despar Italia, a consortium of six food distributors and affiliated retailers, has reported a 5.6% revenue increase in 2023 to €4.4 billion.
Directly-owned stores generated 64% of the overall revenue, while affiliated stores saw 6.7% annual revenue growth, accounting for the remaining 36%.
Regarding store format, neighbourhood Despar supermarkets accounted for 35% of total revenue, while EUROSPAR (medium-sized supermarkets) stores achieved the strongest growth (+6.7%), contributing 38% of total revenue. Interspar (large supermarkets) generated the remaining 27%.
Annual Highlights
Despar Italia significantly consolidated its presence across its operating territories by opening 56 new stores (41 Despar, 12 EUROSPAR, and 3 Interspar) and renovating 34 existing ones.
The company now boasts a network of around 1,424 stores, of which 408 are directly operated and 1,016 are affiliated.
Despar’s private label strategy played a crucial role in their growth, achieving both revenue growth (12.8%) to €999.7 million and market share growth (+1%) to 22.4%.
In 2023, Despar launched 222 new products and revamped 308 existing ones. Currently, Despar offers 16 private label lines encompassing over 4,700 products.
Plans For 2024
Despar Italia plans to invest €100 million in 2024 for further network expansion, including 35 new stores and 33 renovations, among others.
The consortium plans to launch over 200 new branded products, across existing lines and entering new market segments.
This includes exploring premium options, specialised assortments like organic and functional products, and high-protein selections. Additionally, they aim to expand their medium-to high-end offerings that highlight local specialties and short supply chains.
According to general director, Filippo Fabbri, Despar Italia plans to surpass €4.5 billion in revenue in 2024 and exceed €1 billion in branded product revenue, reaching a 25% market share for their private label products by 2025.
