Today’s announcement brings the number of new SPAR partners that have been licensed in Russia over the past 12 months to five, following the completion of agreements with new partners in Tyumen, Irkutsk and Tomsk.
SPAR International also confirms that it is in advanced discussions with a number of other parties in relation to the awarding of additional SPAR licenses in Russia, while a separate license for the Moscow region, which has become available following a change in the ownership of an existing partner, is also attracting interest.
In addition, SPAR Retail, a key partner for SPAR International in the Moscow region, has confirmed that it will roll-out a major investment programme across its existing estate of 27 SPAR stores. The company is planning to spend €20 million on refurbishing and expanding its current network of stores and, with the support of SPAR International, will be positioning the SPAR brand around a strong focus on fresh foods and service, targeting the mid to premium customer segment.
Commenting on the ongoing success of SPAR in Russia, Dr. Gordon Campbell, Managing Director, SPAR International, said: “Russia has been and continues to be a great success for SPAR. Existing and new partners are attracted by our collaboration in purchasing, exchange of knowledge around best practice and our entrepreneurial approach to doing business. We look forward to further growth in our overall store numbers and retail sales in 2014 and to welcoming more new partners to our growing network”
SPAR retail sales in Russia increased by 21% to over €1.13 billion in 2012 and have continued to grow strongly. At the end of July 2013, retail sales were up a further 18% in local currency terms. Russia is now one of the top performing markets globally for SPAR.
SPAR International established its presence in Russia in 2001 and today has 13 partners and more than 300 stores. Focusing on freshness and service, SPAR International’s supermarket format has proven very successful, leading to the roll-out of the other SPAR convenience formats, including SPAR Express and SPAR Hypermarket.
