SPAR International has announced plans for significant growth in India, which will see 25 SPAR Hypermarket stores and an anticipated increase of its current workforce of 2,500 across the country to 3,300 by the end of 2017.
SPAR re-entered the Indian market last August following the signing of a partnership agreement with Max Hypermarkets. The partnership has already successfully relaunched 16 SPAR Hypermarkets, with an additional four openings planned for the remainder of 2015, all offering an extensive range of food and non-food at competitive prices. It is anticipated that SPAR India will reach €300 million ($444.5 million) turnover by 2019.
“Our growth and success in India provides an ideal case study for the suitability of the SPAR model in emerging markets,” SPAR International Managing Director Dr Gordon Campbell said.
“Where other global brands have struggled to gain traction, SPAR’s brand values and offering, global expertise and partnership model have brought immediate benefits for retailer, supplier and, ultimately, the consumer.”
SPAR India Managing Director Viney Singh said, “We are delighted with the results since we converted our first 16 hypermarkets to the SPAR brand. SPAR’s understanding of international best practice in retail operations and supply chain management, combined with our consumer understanding and local sourcing strengths, have created an immediate uplift in store sales. The SPAR brand propositions of freshness and value have been very well received by the Indian consumer.”
Netherlands-based SPAR International recently reported 2014 global retail sales of €31.9 billion ($47.4 billion) from 12,300 stores in 40 countries.
