Spar France has announced plans to expand its network – from 860 to 1,000 stores across the country – by the end of 2019, with turnover set to increase from €890 million to €1.1 billion.
Speaking at Spar’s biannual convention in Prague, Spar France CEO Vincent Rebillard and chief operations officer Pascal Boutillier outlined the retailer’s growth plans for the next two years.
This growth follows the implementation of a new look and feel in 60% of Spar France’s stores, with plans to expand the new design to all of its shops by 2019.
Fresh Food
Spar France said that its future-growth plans are supported, in large part, by the investment in destination fresh-food departments.
Individual store specialties such as meats, fresh fish, baked goods, wines and spirits have attracted significant footfall, according to the retailer.
Currently, 68% of Spar France stores feature one or two of these departments, but the retailer said that it plans to have every store feature at least one by the end of 2019.
At the conference, the retailer announced two key promotional pillars to reflect its brand: ‘the best of local’ showcases traditional and locally sourced products, and ‘the best of elsewhere’ highlights diversity with products sourced from the retailer’s own-brand ranges through Spar International.
Loyalty Scheme
The retailer also introduced a loyalty scheme in 2017, which has been rolled out in over half (55%) of its French stores. It gives customers a 5% discount on all private-label products and cuts the prices on destination-department purchases.
The average basket spend increased by 80% in Spar neighbourhood stores during the year, and by 67% in larger Spar supermarkets, the retailer said.
The conference also unveiled the retailer’s new ‘Spar Academy’ concept, which is to be launched soon, in Lyon. According to the retailer, it will train Spar employees with skills such as English-language coaching, due to the fact that many tourists frequent Spar France’s stores.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Kevin Duggan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
