Spar (retailer)

SPAR International B.V.
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail
Founded1932 (1932)
Headquarters,
Netherlands
Number of locations
13,623 stores (worldwide, 2021)[1]
Area served
Worldwide
(48 countries as of 2021)[1]
ProductsGrocers' shops, convenience shops, discount shops, hypermarkets
RevenueIncrease 41.2 billion (2021)[1]
Number of employees
410,000 (2021)[1]
Websitespar-international.com

SPAR, originally DESPAR, styled as DE SPAR[2] (Dutch pronunciation: [də ˈspɑr]), is a Dutch multinational franchise that provides branding, supplies and support services for independently owned and operated food retail stores.[3] It was founded in the Netherlands in 1932,[4] by Adriaan van Well, and as of 2021 consists of 13,623[1] stores in 48 countries.[1]

Logo without the red box, used in Northern Ireland and other countries

Its headquarters are in Amsterdam. The company operates a partnership programme and has a presence in most European countries, as well as many others throughout Asia, Africa and Oceania.

In fiscal year 2021, SPAR earned €41.2 billion in global sales,[1] which represented a 3.3 percent increase over the previous year.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "SPAR CI Annual Review 2021". SPAR International. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  2. ^ The first DESPAR store, opened in the Netherlands, 1932. Spar International. Archived 2017-06-06.
  3. ^ "About us". SPAR International. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Spar boss brings in Subway and Greggs to snatch grocery spend from retail giants". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2019.