Retail News|December 2015|www.retailnews.ie|39
Retail Group Review ambient and alcohol distribution. This year, operations were expanded to fresh and frozen supplies, making it a fullservice facility. BWG Foods has relationships with more than 500 suppliers, dealing directly with approximately 14,000 customers in the retail, foodservice and licensed sectors. Through its branded retail estate, BWG Foods and its retailers provide employment to over 20,000 people and serve in excess of one million customers every single day. In 2014, BWG Group announced SPAR South Africa’s investment in the business, which continues to be led by Group CEO, Leo Crawford and the existing management team. In what marked another exciting year for the company, BWG Foods completed the acquisition of Londis, making it the largest operator of convenience brands in the country. SPAR SPAR is one of the country’s largest convenience retail groups, bringing consumers the most innovative instore offering and shopping experience for over 50 years. The group operate SPAR stores for convenience and neighbourhood shopping and SPAR Express for forecourt shopping. While convenience is the foundation on which the SPAR brand is built, the offering is constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of consumers. Today, SPAR is more focused on price and value than ever before, and while the offer is always evolving, it is SPAR’s firm belief that they are not in the food business serving people but in the people business serving food, which means superior customer service is the key to success. Being part of SPAR international, SPAR retailers have unique access to some of the best practice in retail from around the world. In return, SPAR Ireland is a leading light on a world stage, responsible for pioneering some of the latest and greatest thinking in convenience with new store designs, such as the one currently being rolled out across the estate, and also in food solutions. SPAR is particularly focused on supporting local Irish suppliers and giving them a platform to reach thousands of
customers on a daily basis. SPAR and EUROSPAR were the sponsors of the inaugural Bite Food Festival, showcasing the best of artisan suppliers, where one producer, Grandma Henvey, was selected as a new supplier to the brand. SPAR has a number of exclusive offerings, including Tasty Deli and coffee partnerships with Insomnia, Tim Hortons, Bewley’s and most recently, Seattle’s Best Coffee, only launched in 2015. SPAR has had a busy year on the marketing front, continuing to invest in promoting the brand through a number of high profile sponsorships and activities. In early 2015, SPAR unveiled its new sponsorship of the FAI and its Primary School 5s Programme. The brand continued with its sponsorship of the TV3 Christmas Toy Show for the second year running: the theme of this year’s Toy Show was ‘Under the Tree’, a perfect match for the SPAR brand strapline and iconic fir tree. SPAR is also a long-term sponsor of Donal Skehan’s popular cooking programme on RTE and in late 2015, a new look SPAR store was unveiled on the set of the nation’s favourite soap, Fair City, as part of the ongoing sponsorship. SPAR continues to support athletics with the SPAR Great Ireland Run and a series of international athletics events. Above all else, SPAR aims to recruit retailers who share their vision for the SPAR brand and who will collaborate with the group to achieve this vision. SPAR consumers have come to expect a high level of consistency in terms of product, price and service, no matter what store they visit. In terms of new store openings, 2015 has been a record year for SPAR.
EUROSPAR The first EUROSPAR supermarket opened in 1997 in Lucan, Co. Dublin, and the network has expanded over the years to what it is today. EUROSPAR supermarkets and their retailers are at the heart of local communities around Ireland: family run businesses, committed to servicing the local neighbourhood. The EUROSPAR brand is owned by BWG Foods, a leading wholesale and retail company. Working in partnership with independent retailers, BWG ensures a profitable business model and world class supermarket offer, constantly innovating through product development, cutting edge store design and service. Through its wide network of stores, BWG Foods supports local jobs, suppliers, producers and community groups. EUROSPAR has been awarded many local and international awards for innovation and best practice in retailing and has international scale through SPAR International, with stores in over 36 countries worldwide. EUROSPAR focuses on six key elements: the best fresh foods; giving shoppers the best value; rewarding them for shopping with EUROSPAR; stocking product ranges that shoppers want; providing exceptional customer service and the best possible shopping experience. SPAR is constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of consumers. In 2015, a new look