Italian regional retailer Despar Centro Sud has launched an online grocery service and announced plans to invest €7 million in expanding its store network.
Maiora, Spar’s concessionaire for Central and Southern Italy, will use the resources to expand the banner’s presence in the Calabria, Puglia, Basilicata, Campania and Abruzzo regions.
Online Grocery Service
ReStore, a provider of e-commerce services for the Italian retail sector, has helped Maiora to launch the online grocery service, Despar a Casa.
Customers can choose from a wide range of options, including items from the fruit-and-vegetable section, as well as fresh and frozen products.
Also available are the Despar private-label lines, as well as regional products, wine, and home- and personal-care references.
Minimum Purchase Value
The Despar a Casa service can be availed of without a minimum purchase value, and payment can be done either online or at the time of delivery.
Customers can opt for home delivery of their orders, or, alternatively, pick it up from the Interspar store in Corato.
Online orders are delivered through a dedicated carrier with temperature-controlled containers for cold items.
A pickup service is available during seven different time slots between Monday and Saturday.
Test Phase
During the test phase, Despar a Casa will be available in the municipality of Corato, near Bari, before being rolled out to other locations.
The retailer, which operates 388 points of sale, has also opened two new stores, in Cosenza and Nardo, and plans to restructure six stores.
Despar Centro Sud ended 2018 with a turnover of €805 million, up 2% year on year, and it is targeting growth of 8%-9% in 2019.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
