SPAR Brand Book by Cursty Bugeja Briffa

Brand Book

Global scale & local retail. We are better together.

Since 1932, regional wholesalers and retailers choose to voluntarily work together under the SPAR Brand to provide shoppers with a world-class shopping experience. This Brand Book outlines what SPAR stands for and what it means to our shoppers and retailers on a daily basis. The Brand Book is written for those in our organisation who are looking to shape future strategies to position the SPAR Brand in their market, and tell our compelling brand story to their colleagues, retailers, suppliers and of course shoppers.

Contents

Welcome to SPAR Adriaan van Well's founding vision

1 3

Our history

Our logotypes Raymond Loewy

7 9

Our purpose

Our values

Our attributes

Our persona

Our positioning Positioning drivers Positioning examples

23 25 27

We are unique

The multi-format strategy The formats SPAR format overview EUROSPAR format overview INTERSPAR format overview SPAR Express format overview

33 35 37 39 41 43

The brand toolkit Logotype elements Colour references

45 47 49

Closing statement

Adriaan van Well’s vision of DESPAR, 1932

DESPAR ‘Door Eendrachtig Through United Samenwerken Co-operation All Profiteren Allen Benefit Regularly Regelmatig’

Welcome to SPAR. The world’s local food store. The first SPAR store opened in the Netherlands in 1932. At the time owner-integrated supermarkets and department stores began to establish themselves in the Netherlands during the interwar period. They formed a new type of competition for local independent merchants who were increasingly under threat by this new model of centralised retailing. It was the vision of our founder, Adriaan van Well, that independent merchants would collaborate voluntarily and organise joint activities in purchasing and marketing under a single brand. Originally an acronym for the vision set out by van Well, 'Door Eendrachtig Samenwerken Profiteren Allen Regelmatig', the DESPAR organisation was born. Over time the SPAR Brand has extended its presence, serving the needs of local communities across four continents to become the world's local food store of choice.

2 88

Adriaan van Well’s founding vision The story of SPAR in the early years is the story of Adriaan van Well, an innovative Dutch wholesaler with a clear vision for the future of SPAR. He was inspired by a simple yet powerful philosophy – independent wholesalers and retailers can achieve more by working together than working alone. It was the belief of van Well that only through collaborative work could the independent sector survive and prosper in the face of increasing competition from multiple chains. Adriaan van Well's vision of uniting smaller independent retailers to be part of a bigger, stronger and more flexible family of retailers that could achieve more through collaboration than working alone, is as relevant now as it was back in 1932. It is this combination of collaboration and independence that continues to attract new retailers and wholesalers to become partners in the SPAR network. Our global scale and ability to share international best practice, together with the local expertise of our regional partners, means we can offer credible shopping experiences at the heart of the communities we serve. The notion of benefitting from working in co-operation, and uniting local resources and global scale, remains the philosophy of SPAR today.

history Our The success of DESPAR in competing with centralised supermarkets did not go unnoticed internationally. The first store was opened outside of the Netherlands in Belgium in 1947. As the brand expanded internationally, it was shortened to SPAR as we know it today. Leveraging the increasing scale of SPAR, Adriaan van Well also introduced a SPAR Private Label range to offer customers choice. Evidence of the advanced thinking of van Well is seen in the fact that all SPAR stores had the same branding and logotype.

In the early 1900s the rapid expansion of multiple chains in North America had greatly eroded the market share of independent grocers. These chains had established central warehouses, negotiated better prices from suppliers and introduced retail marketing programmes. In response to this challenge, the concept of voluntary trading, combining independent wholesalers and retailers, was born in the United States in the late 1920s. By the early 1930s there was evidence that multiple chains were also expanding in Europe.

Founded in 1953, SPAR International drove the international expansion further in Western Europe in the 50s, to Africa in the 60s and Asia in the 70s. The 80s and 90s saw the launch in Northern Europe and Australia, as well as the establishment of ASPIAG to further grow the brand in Central and Eastern Europe. In the early years of the 21st century, exponential growth was driven by expansion into Russia and China. More recently, the growth of SPAR has been fuelled by further expansion into European, African and Asian markets, and most latterly, the Middle East. The international scale of the SPAR network is ever growing, with SPAR being present on all continents apart from the Americas and Antarctica.

SPAR was launched in 1932. It was originally launched as DESPAR, an acronym van Well created to describe the organisation: 'Door Eendrachtig Samenwerken Profiteren Allen Regelmatig'. This translates in English as: 'Through United Co-operation All Benefit Regularly'. SPAR in Dutch means a fir tree and from the start the fir tree symbol was used to identify the organisation. The seeds for the international development of SPAR were already sown because 'spaar' means 'save' in a number of languages including in Dutch.

Our logotypes Our goal is to further the development of SPAR as a world-class brand and ensure consistency of corporate identity applications across all markets. The SPAR logotype is the single most important factor in building brand recognition and as such it must be implemented correctly and consistently.

The SPAR logotype is an iconic design which has remained largely unchanged since its design by Raymond Loewy in 1968. The main element of a stylised fir tree has been with SPAR since its inception in 1932. SPAR stores, trucks, uniforms and packaging have become instantly recognisable across the globe with the single most important factor in this recognition being the striking and unique SPAR logotype. The SPAR logotype has become synonymous with the values of the SPAR Brand and therefore represents these to the customer. Wherever a customer sees the SPAR logotype they expect the high quality produce and service that SPAR has long been associated with. To help protect and respect these values, the SPAR logotype must always be applied and used consistently wherever it appears.

Raymond Loewy In 1968 Raymond Loewy was tasked with a redesign of the SPAR logotype. This design has remained unchanged ever since with the stylised fir tree and distinctive typeface becoming globally recognised. Raymond Loewy was an American based, French industrial designer and is responsible for some of the most iconic designs of the 20th century. From the then ubiquitous Coca-Cola vending machine to the famous trans-America Greyhound streamlined coach, his design ethos was evident throughout mid-century American culture. His broad range of talents stretched way beyond industrial and product design through to packaging and branding where he did some of his most well-known work. Along with the logotype he designed for SPAR, some of his most regarded trademark designs such as Shell and Hoover are still in use today, their longevity a testament to his design mastery.

Our purpose To be the local food store of choice by meeting the real needs of the communities we serve.

Our shoppers

Shopping at SPAR means shoppers can expect an excellent selection of fresh food, a wide range tailored to their local needs and good value offers to help them save, all delivered with personal service in an engaging shopping environment. Whether it is on their way to work or just around the corner of their home, at the weekend doing a family shop in a nearby shopping mall or from the comfort of their home on their mobile or laptop, we understand modern lives and our stores are never far away.

Our purpose

Our retail & wholesale partners

The success of SPAR is built on independence, family values and an entrepreneurial spirit. Being part of the SPAR family means our retailers and wholesalers benefit from the vast expertise of decades of international retail, whilst maintaining local independence in the markets they serve. Uniting resources, sharing best practice and building the single SPAR Brand globally and combining that with the skills, suppliers, producers and people locally, means our SPAR stores are the best choice for our shoppers in the communities we serve.

Collaborative 'Better Together' has been the core of the SPAR Brand since its founding in 1932. This collaborative approach was established on the basis of wholesalers and retailers working in partnership to the benefit of all, in particular our shoppers. The foundation of this partnership is a commitment to the open exchange of knowledge and information, mutual co-operation and collective initiatives. This commitment is a fundamental characteristic of our organisation and is intimately connected to the sense of SPAR as a family.

Our values SPAR is made up of a network of predominantly family and independently owned businesses, working together so all shall benefit. This makes us a unique grocery retailer with its own set of values and attributes. Whilst our attributes are what can be expected from any world-leading grocery retailer, our values are at the heart of what we do to deliver this. The combination of our values with our physical attributes is what makes SPAR unique all across the globe.

Our values are the backbone of our organisation and what truly sets us apart from our competition all over the world. They are embedded in our roots dating back to 1932 and in our plans for future generations. They enable us to be the local food store of choice by meeting the real needs of the communities we serve, in all of the markets in which we operate.

Independent SPAR was formed on the basis of independent retailers and wholesalers working together voluntarily. We embrace the diversity in our SPAR family and value the united approach to grow and succeed – and it is this collaboration of many different individuals, that makes us collectively stronger. At SPAR, we encourage and nurture independence, providing a platform for local store owners to grow their businesses and best serve their communities.

Entrepreneurial Entrepreneurship is at the heart of who we are. Working together as a collective of small businesses, regional wholesalers and independent retailers, we continuously look for innovative ways to deliver the best possible shopping experience to our shoppers. Through the encouragement and support of each other, and by always looking at ways to enhance our offer and grow our service, we shall prosper together.

Flexible The independent nature of SPAR allows us to remain flexible in how we service our shoppers and enables us to change quickly to different shopper needs, in the markets in which we operate. The strength of SPAR is that we adapt and customise to the local market requirements, providing local shoppers with a highly tailored shopping experience. This local integration, combined with our global scale makes SPAR the quintessential global, yet local business.

Community-minded We are dedicated to actively supporting the communities we are part of. We entrench our stores and our businesses in the everyday lives of the communities in which we operate, and we always go the extra mile to provide our shoppers with everything they need. By integrating ourselves and fully understanding our communities, we can provide personalised interaction and be the trusted neighbour that every community needs.

Passionate Working and serving with passion means giving our best every day and loving what we do. Always presenting shoppers with a smile and enthusiastically engaging with them in any way we can. At SPAR we are dedicated to positively impacting the lives of the shoppers and communities that we serve – building a connection with them and approaching them with a strong service mindset that delivers real value.

Authentic At SPAR, we fervently believe in authenticity – being real, being honest and being fair in all aspects of our business and in all of our interactions with shoppers and stake-holders. Positioning their needs at the heart of everything we do, we have a responsibility to our communities to operate with integrity and to provide them with a genuine, tailored shopping experience wherever we operate across the globe.

Our attributes Our attributes are what shoppers experience in our stores or online channels. It is what they expect from us when they buy from SPAR, and will not settle for anything less. The physical manifestation of these attributes is essential in delivering a competitive grocery shopping experience.

Be excellent in fresh food

Have great quality products

SPAR must lead the way when it comes to the freshness of our fruit and vegetables, our meat, fish, pork and poultry, our bakery, our chilled and dairy offer, our food-to-go and our vegan and vegetarian options. We source locally as much as we can, supporting local farmers and connecting with local communities to provide the best produce from the region. Our fresh food offer is tailored to suit specific shopping needs, whether it is breakfast on-the-go or a home cooked family meal.

Whilst shoppers can expect to receive great prices on a wide range of products, SPAR will never compromise on quality. Whether it is in our fresh departments, our dry groceries or non-food ranges, shoppers can expect good quality products for every budget. Ranging from price entry to premium selection, products must meet the minimum quality standards in each price segment, whilst excellent operational standards in store ensure that the quality is maintained at its highest level. Supported by locally sourced items selected with the utmost care, shoppers can always expect a quality shopping experience at SPAR.

Offer choice that is relevant and convenient Offering personalised choice means that we offer the best product range for our shoppers, so they can make purchasing decisions which are convenient and easy for them. It means that we assess why shoppers come to our stores and online channels, and offer them products appropriate to that specific location, time of day and shopper profile. This pre-selection of products ensures that our offer meets the criteria our shoppers use in making their purchasing decisions.

Give everyday value At SPAR we offer everyday low prices on essential products, as well as a set of deep cut price promotions and multi-buy deals on products shoppers love. With our value proposition, SPAR aims to deliver excellent quality at a good price, helping shoppers save money on their everyday grocery needs. Shoppers can also expect promotions on product innovations, encouraging and inspiring them to try new products in their daily life. The SPAR Own Brand products are a key driver of our value proposition, providing cheaper alternatives of similar quality so that our shoppers can get products that are as good as the best, but for less.

Provide friendly service At SPAR we are committed to serve the communities in which we operate. We have well-located and easy to shop stores, as well as passionate and knowledgeable colleagues who are always available to help. By employing highly trained, locally based 'experts' we aim to ensure shopper interactions with SPAR colleagues are both informative and value-adding. Our colleagues should be carefully selected because they love what they do. They bring energy and a smile to work every day to make sure the shopping experience is enjoyable, rather than a chore.

Enhance the shopping experience SPAR continuously invests in innovations that enhance the shopping experience. This means we must apply technology and experimentation throughout the value chain, from where we source our products, through our distribution networks, to the way we present our products on shelf. Whether shoppers buy groceries from our stores or online, SPAR offers a unique shopping experience whenever and wherever possible. Embracing technology and trying new methods where they can truly add value, SPAR looks for ways that make shopping convenient for our shoppers, more efficient for our colleagues, more sustainable for our future and more enjoyable for all.

Our persona Our persona is the collection of personality traits, attitudes and values that showcases the SPAR Brand to help connect with and provide for our local communities, so that together we grow and prosper. It helps establish a real connection between shoppers and the SPAR Brand.

Dependable, Genuine, Modest, Fair, Honest, Dedicated, Caring, Responsible, Innovative and Adaptable. A valued neighbour, with strong family ties and involvement in the community – always there for you and committed to caring for your future.

Freshness Service Close Family Sustainability Value Convenience Quality Collaboration Independence Community Entrepreneurship Integrated Passionate Co-operation Authentic Togetherness Shopping Own Brand Experience Choice Inspiring Nurturing Connected Local

Our proposition The SPAR purpose, values and attributes are at the heart of all our operations across the globe. They guide the way we operate and create unity and consistency in our brand delivery across all of the SPAR markets.

However, whilst our purpose, values and attributes remain the same worldwide, based on the individual market characteristics, the proposition may vary slightly from one SPAR market to the next – allowing for flexibility and ensuring our proposition is tailored to the needs of each market. To deliver a tailored shopping experience, we need to communicate certain aspects of our values and attributes more strongly than others. It does not mean we neglect or ignore those other values and attributes, it is more that we use the key ones specific for that market to differentiate from our competition.

Our proposition Great Value

Owning Local Our attributes Our values

Excellence in Service

Our purpose

Passion for Quality

Convenience

Family Life

Excellence in Fresh

Proposition drivers Owning Local

Across the SPAR world, there are several key proposition drivers which are all relevant to SPAR. However, based on the needs of each market, the drivers can be individually dialled up and down to feature more prominently in communications, the store offer and the overall brand proposition of SPAR within each market. The more prominent proposition drivers in each market also directly correlate with specific SPAR store formats - meaning that we offer tailored retail format solutions to our shoppers, based on the shopping behaviours present in each market. We have four store formats, which range from a focus on local and neighbourhood store formats (SPAR), to convenience (SPAR or SPAR Express) or family orientated store formats (EUROSPAR & INTERSPAR).

Store located in neighbourhoods, residential and rural areas

•

Dedicated bakery area

•

Fresh categories all located near store entrance

Offer is geared around simple, easy shopping

•

Range focused on families

•

Targeting the modern, time sensitive shopper

•

Larger range on baby and kids care

•

Making healthier family living easier

Employing local people

•

Locally owned, independent stores

Promoting the location and proximity of the store in the community

•

Larger selection of local products

•

A one-stop store with everything shoppers need

Bulk buying deals

•

Sourcing from local suppliers

•

A wide, as opposed to deep, range of products

Play areas in store for kids

•

Highlighting local partnerships in store

•

Strong food-to-go offering

Kids trolleys in store

•

Supporting community events

•

Emphasise short and long loop shopping journeys

Emphasising the family feel in communications, imagery and colleague interactions

•

Organising charitable work and donations

•

Offering quick and convenient payment solutions

•

SPAR store is local community hub

•

Longer opening hours and open on holidays

•

Strong food-to-go offering, including a café / seating area Big focus on creating beautiful fresh product displays to create in store theatre •

Easy access in and out of the store, including convenient parking solutions

Medium to higher level income shoppers

•

Investment in store design

•

Offering premium ranges

•

Wider range of fresh foods at higher price point

•

Passionate, highly informed colleagues

•

Beautiful service counters and displays

•

Beautifully packaged fresh products

Immaculate looking stores in terms of merchandising and cleanliness

•

Highlighting healthy living and nutrition

Excellence in Service

•

Emphasis on local sourcing and supporting producers from the region •

Our family is waiting to welcome yours

•

Passion for Quality

•

Excellence in Fresh

• Large range of fresh, including fruit & veg, proteins and dairy

Family Life

Convenience

Substantial SPAR Own Brand ranges

Great Value

Friendly, welcoming colleagues

Offering a premium looking store, with supermarket prices

•

Knowledgeable colleagues, particularly in fresh serviced counters Well-presented colleagues – uniforms, etiquette and appearance

•

Targeting middle income families

•

Stores are aspirational, but affordable

Everything you need for your family and a healthy lifestyle

•

Colleagues embedded in the community – e.g. All locals

•

Personalised service – greeting shoppers by name, knowing local shopper preferences

•

Every Day Low Price (EDLP)

•

Regular promotional activity

•

Providing a convenient, enjoyable shopping experience

•

Offering additional value-added services – lottery, postal, ATM, flowers, etc.

•

Strong visual value proposition in store – permanent and temporary merchandising

•

Focus on two clear shopping missions – 'food-for-now' and 'food-for-later' •

•

Highlighting great prices and great savings in store

Wide assortment of local fresh products and international products

•

Proposition examples

Owning Local

Great Value

Excellence in Service The most common SPAR positionings throughout the world are where our formats and proposition drivers align – meaning that the SPAR Brand is most frequently positioned as either the local store, the convenience store or the family store.

Convenience

Local Family Life

Passion for Quality Excellence in Fresh

The other proposition drivers are then typically used to support and reinforce each of those positions. The following pages highlight these more common brand positionings and provide examples of how the drivers can be adjusted to create a unique offer in any SPAR country. Shoppers can always expect to find any of these drivers in their SPAR stores, however some will be emphasised more and can be seen as the focus of that particular SPAR country to create more of a competitive advantage.

Our goal is to be the local food store of choice by understanding the individual needs of local shoppers, providing them with local shopper benefits and creating a shopping experience that local communities appreciate. This can be brought to life by offering local products, partnering with local suppliers, employing colleagues from the community and investing in initiatives that uplift the local community. SPAR really connects with and is at the heart of the local community – the local retailer provides a convenient shopping experience in the neighbourhood for shoppers and their families.

Owning Local

Convenience Value

Excellence in Service

Convenience

Great Value

Excellence in Service

Family

Family Life

Passion for Quality

Excellence in Fresh

Passion for Quality

Excellence in Fresh

Our goal is to provide a convenient shopping experience by offering an assortment and service that is geared around making shoppers' lives easier. By offering a range that is focused towards the needs of the top-up or on-the-go shopper and providing service and technological solutions that enable a simple and effortless shopping journey, the convenience brand positioning is about giving a targeted group of shoppers everything they need in one location. The exact offer is very dependent on the location and the exact needs of the shopper demographic.

Our goal is to provide a shopping solution geared around the family. Providing everything shoppers need for their families in terms of range, value, quality and convenience. Typically found in larger locations with longer dwell times, this format focuses on offering a family orientated shopping experience, that makes it more convenient for the whole family to shop and to live life better.

We are unique From the foundation of SPAR in 1932, to its global expansion during the 21st century, the principles of SPAR remain the same today as they did back then. Through the power of collaboration and co-operation, all of our global partners benefit continuously from being a member of the SPAR organisation – where our aim is to be the shopping destination of choice for regional retailers and local shoppers.

the SPAR Brand and its retail proposition allows us to operate in all store sizes. Whether it is a 100 square metre transit store on a train station, a 4,500 square metre hypermarket, or an advanced E-Commerce offer, the SPAR format guarantees a superior shopping experience over the competition.

Our SPAR logotype is the trademark for our unique retail business model and represents all that we stand for. Customers recognise our brand all around the world, and we must leverage that brand recognition as much as we can. It is therefore essential that we maintain consistency in the logotype across all of our markets, for us to truly be able to deliver a proposition that is global in scale and local in retail execution.

Since 1932 SPAR has been at the heart of the communities we serve. The SPAR Brand, our wholesale and retail partners, and of course the millions of valued customers who shop in our stores every day, are what make us who we are.

One of the cornerstones of the global success of SPAR is the multi-format strategy. The flexibility of

The multiformat strategy The diverse needs of the modern shopper changes by location, demographics and throughout the day and week. The multi-format strategy along with shopper positioning allows the retailer to select the most appropriate format, to develop the right offer for the location, and communicate this to shoppers.

Each of the formats is designed to meet a specific set of key shopping missions. Within this, our values, attributes and drivers are maintained. However, the formats have the flexibility within the defined shopper missions to adjust their positioning to meet the local shopper demographics. SPAR International works closely with its partners through the flagship programme to keep the formats relevant. Focusing on and understanding the changing shopper missions, the formats' offer, communication, store design and effective operations. And through the shared knowledge base of SPAR International, our retail partners are able to combine the format strategy with local understanding and positioning to provide the best retail environments for their shoppers. The formats encompass convenience stores, neighbourhood stores, large supermarkets through to hypermarkets and online. The format choice will be relevant to the location and its associated customer requirements, as well as the physical size of the store and by association the depth and breadth of the offer. This means that occasionally a supermarket sized store will have a convenience offer, due to its transit or high street location.

The store formats The local supermarket or neighbourhood store.

The large supermarket fulfilling the needs of weekly family shopping.

The hypermarket format with a focus on fresh and non-food worlds.

The convenience format responding to the needs of today's shopper lifestyles.

‘Tailored to your local needs.’

‘Getting more value for your family.’

‘One-stop shopping for all your family’s needs.’

‘For your everyday convenience.’

Ideal size range: 200 – 1,000m²

Ideal size range: 1,000 – 2,500m²

•

Locations: local, neighbourhood

•

Focus on fresh foods

•

Wide assortment of branded products, but not depth

•

Offering choice that is relevant and convenient

•

Personal, friendly, caring service

•

Modern, professionally operated stores, easy to shop

•

Prices to offer good value

•

SPAR Own Brand

Locations: out-of-town, high street, shopping centre

•

Focus on fresh foods and food services

Wide and deep assortment of branded products, emphasis on focus categories

•

Locations: high footfall, transit locations

•

Focus on fresh foods and food services

•

Focus on fresh foods and food services

•

Targeted product range and services

•

SPAR Own Brand Personal, friendly, caring service

Wide and deep assortment of food and general merchandise

•

SPAR Own Brand

• •

•

Focus on related non-food assortment

Focus on tailored non-food worlds

•

Personal, friendly, caring service

•

Value for money, aggressively marketed promotions

•

A full range of groceries on your computer or mobile device. Supported across all SPAR store formats. ‘Bought online, delivered to your home or collected at your convenience.’ 35

Locations: out-of-town, shopping centre

SPAR Own Brand

Modern, professionally operated stores, easy to shop

Ideal size range: 100 – 200m²

•

SPAR online

Ideal size range: over 2,500m²

Modern, professionally operated stores, easy to shop

•

Long opening hours

Value for money, aggressively marketed promotions

•

Full online offer regardless of store size •

Fresh food, dry goods and non-food products

•

Click & Collect at store

•

Freshness guaranteed

•

Order via tablet, mobile and computer

•

Warehouse or staore picking

•

Low delivery charges

•

Same or next day delivery

•

Low minimum order quantities

Format overview The local supermarket or neighbourhood store. ‘Tailored to your local needs.’ There is a wide assortment of chilled, however, normally there is not the space or shopper expectation for full served counter offers. The SPAR format is a proximity format and as such is closely tied to a community with loyal shoppers visiting frequently. The proximity and integration into a community is key in providing loyalty in the face of out-of-town competition. Therefore, the SPAR format proposition will always have a high focus on Owning Local, with sourcing from local suppliers, the selection of local products, the employment of a local team and the sponsoring of local community events.

The SPAR format caters to local shoppers' needs on a daily basis, focusing primarily on a twice weekly fresh shop with a dry grocery, health & beauty, cleaning top-up range and a near non-food emergency range. The format also provides a strong convenience offer in the form of ready-to-eat snacks, sandwiches and chilled drinks. The SPAR format will have a strong fresh produce range prominently positioned at the entrance of the store along with an adjacent fresh bake-off bakery department. The bakery department may provide additional fresh snacking options and a near coffee offer, seating or high tables may be included.

Shopper Missions

Choice

•

Fresh shop

Dry grocery, wines, beers & spirits, health & beauty and cleaning top-up shop

Specialised deep assortment focused on categories relevant to the local catchment

•

Convenient, imminent consumption (fresh for this evening, ready meals, wine, ready-to-cook)

•

Immediate consumption (snacks, coffee, sandwiches)

•

Emergency top-up (stationery, non-food)

Neighbourhood

•

City centre

•

High street

Typically 200 – 1,000m²

•

Parking or near parking

•

High to mid footfall

•

Small to medium basket shop

•

Both targeted and general shopper missions

•

Regular customer base

Focus on fresh produce with strong displays

•

Dedicated bakery area

Emphasis on locally sourced, fresh produce Wide assortment of chilled products

A value strategy to match store positioning

•

Targeted seasonal promotions

•

Aggressive price promotions in key areas

A focus on shopping efficiency within a limited space, with use of small express and self-service checkouts to cater for high footfall and small basket sizes •

An ability to scale up payment services at peak times and provide quicker transactions •

Dedicated meats, poultry and fish departments, served or non-served

•

Highlight healthy living, eating and nutrition

• Dedicated service area generally combined with the express checkout area

•

Ready-to-cook assortment

Small convenient and medium pack sizes

•

Service

Strong deli, dairy and cheese departments, served or non-served

•

Emergency top-up lines in near non-food

•

Focus on competitive price matching of Known Value Items (KVI's)

•

Fresh •

Product choice to match store positioning

•

Characteristics •

•

Value

Typical Locations •

A wide and shallow, general assortment

The large supermarket fulfilling the needs of weekly family shopping. ‘Getting more value for your family.’ EUROSPAR is a fresh, family focused format providing a strong value proposition, catering for the weekly shop with an emphasis on meeting all the family's food needs. As well as the weekly shop, the format attracts a twice weekly or more fresh shop, which may include ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook missions. Provision is potentially needed for click & collect as well as the convenience shopper who visits for emergency supplies, a snack or sit down meal.

Depending on catchment and competition, a seated, self-serve café offer is included. EUROSPAR typically has a wide, deep assortment of dry goods with specialities in local and catchment specific products. The non-food assortment is dependent on location, but must always have a family focus. Each department has a value proposition generally located on the value aisle, which typically runs through the centre of the store.

The format has the space to provide a full fresh range, a broad deep dry offer and strong value proposition, supplemented by targeted near non-food categories. The shopper is met by an inspirational, seasonal promotional area, followed by a large, prominently positioned and well-merchandised produce department. A fresh, full scratch bakery or bake-off bakery department sits adjacent, typically with served butchery, deli, cheese and fish counters forming the core of the fresh offer. In addition, there are speciality served, ready-to-eat and cook stations, such as Pizza and Sushi. The bakery department provides additional fresh snacking options and a near coffee offer.

The EUROSPAR format is a neighbourhood format and as such it is tied to the community and local area. The typical out-of-town location with good parking and a wider catchment, leading to greater competition and brand choice. Regular shoppers expect to be rewarded with a good quality value proposition and great fresh. The EUROSPAR format positioning generally focuses on these three key drivers: Excellence in Fresh, Family Life, and Great Value. Dependent on the catchment demographics, these may be supplemented with Passionate for Quality and Excellence in Service.

Format overview Shopper Missions

Choice

•

Weekly shop, fresh, dry grocery and non-food

A wide and deep assortment of fresh and dry products

Convenient, imminent consumption (fresh for this evening, ready meals, wine, ready-to-cook)

•

A focus on family needs, from mother & child through to home, garden and toys

•

Immediate consumption (snacks, coffee, sandwiches)

Specialised deep assortment focused on categories relevant to the local catchment

•

Typical Locations

•

Product choice to match store positioning

•

A wide assortment of near non-food

•

Out-of-town stand alone

•

Out-of-town shopping mall

Large family and medium pack sizes

•

Neighbourhood

Highlight healthy living, eating and nutrition

•

Value

Characteristics •

Typically, 1,000 – 2,500m²

A full value strategy to match the store's catchment

•

Parking

•

High to mid footfall

•

Medium to full basket shop

•

Both targeted and general shopper missions

•

Regular and occasional customer base

•

Focus on competitive price matching of Known Value Items (KVI's) Focus on competitive pricing of everyday products

•

Fresh

Served butchery, deli, cheese and fish departments Targeted ready-to-eat offer Emphasis on locally sourced, fresh produce

Dedicated service area

•

Aggressive price promotions in key areas

Full belted checkouts catering to weekly shop, supplemented with express and self-service checkouts for small baskets and grab-and-go shoppers

Served, full scratch bakery or bake-off bakery department

•

Large ready-to-cook assortment

Targeted, seasonal promotions

Service

A focus on fresh with a full fresh offer across the ranges

•

An ability to scale up checkout services at peak times and provide quicker transactions

•

The hypermarket format with a focus on fresh and non-food worlds. ‘One-stop shopping for all your family’s needs.’ take-home and eat-in-store. This has in effect supplanted the broad non-food offer that has historically been a key attractor of the format. INTERSPAR still provides a comprehensive near non-food range and many stores will begin the customer journey with this offer. Health & beauty, intimate apparel, stationery, toys and cook & table are all essential components of the shoppers expectation. This, coupled with all the very best in fresh and great prices, are now the key drivers for the INTERSPAR format.

INTERSPAR, the SPAR Hypermarket, has transitioned from a large supermarket with a bolt on extensive non-food range, to a more flexible and varied format. In short, it has become more compact with a greater focus on providing shoppers with an omni-channel experience. The INTERSPAR offer is now dependent on its location, both in terms of the shopper catchment, for example city centre mall, suburbs or out-of-town, as well as its national location, in terms of population density, infrastructure and market maturity. In Europe hypermarkets have reduced in size from 8,000m² plus, to 3,500m² on average, with a shift in focus from non-food to the best in fresh and providing all shopper food needs for less. This trend has been driven by non-food category killers, the rise of online and the fact that shoppers are less prepared to shop large spaces.

Shoppers are still prepared to travel further to a hypermarket, but they are not willing to shop at a large format store filled with products they can get for less online. Instead, they expect the same convenience, in terms of parking and accessibility, but want to be inspired with interesting food solutions, to treat themselves with a freshly prepared meal or a delicious lunch in store.

INTERSPAR, as with all the SPAR formats, has a core focus on fresh food, which has become an increasingly key component of the hypermarket offer, as the move away from non-food continues. In addition, there has been a trend towards providing served, quality, ready-to-eat solutions, for both

As with the EUROSPAR format positioning, the key drivers for INTERSPAR are: Excellence in Fresh, Family Life and Great Value, supplemented with Passionate for Quality and Excellence in Service in most locations.

Format overview Shopper Missions

Choice

Monthly shop, weekly shop for fresh, dry grocery and non-food

A wide and deep assortment of fresh, dry and near non-food

•

Biweekly fresh shop for proximity shoppers

A focus on all the family needs, from mother & child through to home, garden and toys

•

Convenient, imminent consumption (fresh for this evening, ready meals, wine, ready-to-cook)

•

A broad product choice to match a wide store catchment

•

Immediate consumption (snacks, coffee, sandwiches)

•

Typical Locations

•

Large value, family and medium pack sizes

•

Highlight healthy living, eating and nutrition

Value

•

Out-of-town stand alone

•

Out-of-town shopping mall

A full value strategy to match the store's catchment

•

In town shopping mall

•

Focus on competitive price matching of Known Value Items (KVI's)

Characteristics

•

Targeted seasonal promotions

•

Typically, over 2,500m²

•

Aggressive price promotions in multiple segments

•

Parking

•

Mid to low footfall

•

Medium to full basket shop

•

Both targeted and general shopper missions

•

Regular and occasional customer base

Service

Large belted checkouts to cater for large shops and bulky non-food items, supplemented with express and self-service checkouts for small baskets and grab-and-go shoppers

Fresh

An ability to scale up checkout services at peak times

•

A focus on fresh with a full fresh offer across the ranges

•

Checkouts to cater for high footfall and small basket sizes

•

Served full scratch bakery department

Served butchery, deli, cheese and fish departments

An ability to scale up payment services at peak times and provide quicker transactions

•

Served ready-to-eat offers

•

Large ready-to-cook assortment

Dedicated service counter and trained colleagues

•

Emphasis on nationally and regionally sourced fresh produce

•

Format overview The convenience format responding to the needs of today’s shopper lifestyles. ‘For your everyday convenience.’ its proposition (shopper demographics). Within the defined criteria of a SPAR Express format, the predominant proposition drivers will always be focused on everyday convenience. However, other drivers will be dialled up or down dependent on the location catchment and demographics. For example: For a Better Family Life positioning will be important if a store is located in a family holiday venue; Owning Local positioning will be more important in high street locations; and the Fresh Food Market in the form of a quality, broad food-to-go offer, is more key in high spend locations. A successful SPAR Express store must be highly tuned to its location, have a high footfall, an efficient operational model and built in flexibility, both on a daily, weekly and seasonal basis. In order to achieve this success, care needs to be taken when researching a SPAR Express location and meeting its specific shopper missions.

The SPAR Express format is designed to cater for the immediate needs of the shopper at locations near to them, when they are mostly away from their home, either working, studying, traveling or visiting. The format definition dictates a smaller footprint, higher footfall, targeted shopper missions, smaller baskets, limited or no parking and a broad shopper base. A SPAR Express store is therefore finely tuned to its location, not only in terms of the proposition, but also the specific shopper missions attributed to the site, be that a petrol forecourt, train station or high street. Each type of location requires a particular range targeted at specific shopper needs. However, this does not alter the defined SPAR core values and attributes. The offer of a SPAR Express store is the most varied of all the formats, due to the broad nature of its potential locations in catering for the immediate needs of the shopper. The offer is therefore determined both by its specific location (shopper missions) as well as

Shopper Missions

Fresh

•

Focus on food-to-go and immediate consumption

•

A wide and shallow assortment of ready meals

•

Small convenient pack sizes

•

Pre-cut washed and packed produce

Immediate consumption (snacks, coffee, sandwiches) Convenient, imminent consumption (fresh for this evening, ready meals, wine, ready-to-cook)

•

Fresh top-up (convenient fresh for the next couple of days)

•

Emergency top-up (health & beauty, cleaning, stationery, dry goods)

•

Loose fruits, mainly for immediate consumption

•

A wide and shallow assortment of chilled products

Choice

Focused assortment to match relevant customer missions in line with the location

•

Typical Locations •

Transit (petrol station, train station, airport)

•

City centre

•

High street

•

Hospitals

•

Educational campus

•

Holiday venue

A wide and shallow assortment for distressed and emergency top-up

Value •

Typically 100 – 200m²

•

Limited or no parking

•

High footfall

•

Small basket shop

•

Highly targeted shopper missions

•

Broad customer base

A value strategy to match store positioning

Focus on competitive price matching of Known Value Items (KVI's)

•

Characteristics •

Product choice to match store positioning

•

Targeted, seasonal promotions

•

Meal deal promotions

•

Limited, aggressive price promotions in key areas

Service

• Clear communication and accessibility to personal service

A focus on shopping efficiency within a limited space with use of small express and self-service checkouts to cater for high footfall and small basket sizes

•

An ability to scale up payment services at peak times and provide quicker transactions

•

The brand toolkit These guidelines are a concise and simple set of principles, which have been established to help SPAR partners around the globe — enabling them to use the SPAR logotypes and associated colour palette, to elevate and promote their businesses under the SPAR Brand.

All guidelines presented in this SPAR Brand Book should be viewed as an introduction to using the SPAR logotypes and colour palettes and therefore represent baseline, minimum standards of application.

Logotype elements C Green Tree Symbol

The SPAR Logotype is comprised of four elements: The SPAR Letterform; the Red Holding Device, the Green Tree Symbol; and the White Holding Device. Each element has been carefully considered and they are all designed to work together to form the SPAR Brand. No single element can be used on its own.

The Green Tree Symbol is derived from the word SPAR, which means 'Fir' in Dutch. The tree symbol is positioned to the right of the SPAR Letterform and red holding device; this is deliberate so that it is viewed after the word SPAR when reading from left to right. The tree symbol is reproduced in the SPAR corporate green. See pages 50-52 for more details on the various colour references and breakdowns. The Green Tree Symbol must not be used on its own, this is a common mistake.

A SPAR Letterform The individual letters of the name SPAR (as well as the additional letters that comprise the names EUROSPAR and INTERSPAR) have been hand-crafted specifically for SPAR; they are not taken from an off-the-shelf font. This is a modern, sans serif letterform with an open form and rounded ends, making the name balanced and easy to read. The SPAR Letterform is reproduced in white.

D The White Holding Device

The SPAR Letterform, Red Holding Device and Green Tree Symbol are all held together within a White Holding Device. This background device is an integral part of the logotype and cannot be removed under any circumstances. When the logotype is reproduced on a photograph or on a colour, then the white holding device must be reproduced.

B Red Holding Device The SPAR Letterform is placed onto a Red Holding Device. This holding device is used to contain the SPAR Letterform and enable the letters to stand out. It must be noted that the holding device extends to the left beyond the letter S; this is deliberate and must not be reduced in length. The holding device is reproduced in the SPAR corporate red. See pages 50-52 for more details on the various colour references and breakdowns.

C D

Colour references

SPAR Red Pantone 185

RGB Display Colour Breakdown (RGB – Red, Green and Blue Light)

Colour references exist for the SPAR Corporate Colours: Red, Green and White across a broad spectrum of applications including print, web and signage. These references should be used when preparing artwork, and specified to manufacturers for them to match to as closely as possible.

This is a universally recognised system for specifying colour for conventional projection methods and computer displays where the colour is made up from the light spectrum.

CMYK 0 91 76 0

Similar to the CMYK breakdowns these might vary from one software application to another, or might have changed over time, but these are the original breakdowns specified for the SPAR Red, Green and White, and the ones that we should use and match to.

The objective when specifying the SPAR Corporate Colours is to achieve corporate consistency. However, it should be recognised that achieving 100% colour-consistency across different print and production methods is almost impossible. For example, printing on coated paper will give different results than printing on uncoated paper; or printing on glass will provide a different result than printing on cardboard; or producing the logotype in Perspex will provide a different result than if producing the logotype in fabric. We should be aware of these differences and where possible provide an actual physical PMS swatch to a manufacturer or printer and request that they (with the full knowledge of the limitations of their production method) match to it as closely as possible. Compromise is an inevitable part of the process – but we should do our upmost to limit it.

RGB 228 0 43

HTML Colour Codes Breakdown (HTML – Hypertext Markup Language) Similar to the RGB system detailed above, HTML is a universally recognised system for specifying colour for conventional web-based digital solutions where the colour is made up from the light spectrum. HTML colours are Web Safe, meaning they are consistent on any computer monitor.

Hex/HTML E4002B RAL 3028 (Pure Red)

Unlike the CMYK and RGB breakdowns there should be no variance in the breakdown of these colours. RAL Colour Breakdown (RAL – Reichs-Ausschuß für Lieferbedingungen)

Plexiglas / Altuglas 100.22062

European colour matching system which defines colours for paint, powder-coatings, varnish and more recently plastics.

Pantone Matching System (PMS) This is a universal colour system that provides standardisation of colours across the print industry.

Plexiglas Colour Breakdown (Plexiglas – Plastic Acrylic/Perspex)

CMYK Print Breakdown (CMYK – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black Inks)

Plexiglas is a form of acrylic sold under the brand names Acrylite, Lucite and Perspex. It is used in signage and convention lightboxes. Plexiglas is only available in a limited colour range, so it is not possible to get exact matches to the SPAR Corporate Colours.

This is a universally recognised system for specifying colour for conventional printing methods using inks. These might vary from one software application to another, or might have changed over time, but the references given are the original breakdowns specified for the SPAR Red and Green, and the ones that we should use and match to.

Colour matching across different substrates and colour constructs is subjective and not an exact science. Additionally, colours offered as part of the RAL and Plexiglas systems are limited. Therefore, the above colour references are provided as a guide to the closest colour match to the specific Pantone Reference.

SPAR Green

SPAR White

Pantone 356

Pantone NA

CMYK 100 0 91 27.5

CMYK 0000

RGB 0 122 51

RGB 255 255 255

Hex/HTML 007A33

Hex/HTML FFFFFF

RAL 6029 (Mint Green)

RAL 9003 (Signal White)

Plexiglas / Altuglas 100.24008

Plexiglas / Altuglas 100.47010

Our brand is our global identity. It is what unites us and brings us together. From our store fronts to our own brand products, from our SPAR uniforms to our online channels – across the world, our SPAR Brand is what connects us to our shoppers and how we distinguish ourselves as the world’s local food store of choice.