SPAR International enters Saudi Arabia
SPAR International has entered the Saudi Arabian market with the launch of three SPAR stores in Riyadh.
Partnering with Saudi conglomerate the Al Sadhan Group, SPAR plans to open a further five stores in Saudi in 2018 and have 40 stores operating in the country by 2020.
SPAR said the first stores will be aimed at the mid to premium sector of the retail market. However, as the brand develops in the country, it plans to launch stores in all economic sectors.
Al Sadhan Group’s Al Sadhan Stores chain employs 1,500 staff and in 1952 it was the first supermarket to obtain a business licence in Riyadh. SPAR International began its partnership with Al Sadhan in 2016 and soft launched the first SPAR store in the second half of 2017.
Suppport provided by SPAR International to Al Sadhan in the run-up to the store openings included study tours to other SPAR markets and fostering awareness of the SPAR way of working. Support was also given in logistics development, supply chain creation and store design.
The stores will benefit from the access to globally and locally sourced SPAR own brand products, expertise in category management and the support from SPAR International’s design and development teams.
The partnership with Al Sadhan in Saudi Arabia builds on SPAR International’s existing partnerships in the wider region, particularly in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar.
Tobias Wasmuht, managing director of SPAR International, said: “With a growing young population, rising GDP and increased consumer purchasing power, the retail market in Saudi Arabia has been growing steadily. We are delighted to enter this exciting and dynamic market with such an established and well-respected partner as Al Sadhan Group.
“In addition, the new partnership provides SPAR with yet another important base in the Middle East, a region that is becoming more and more important to SPAR International’s strategic business development.”
