SPAR International expands in Africa
Retail chain SPAR International has announced plans to grow its footprint in Africa after launching its first store in Cameroon, one week after opening a supermarket in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi.
The brand has seen a 10% increase in retail selling area in the last five years and now operates in ten markets.
Situated in Douala, Cameroon’s largest city, the new 2,500m2 SPAR supermarket was established with local partner L’Atrium, a joint venture between two family-owned companies Dee-lite Sarl and Groupe ARNO. The company operates 17 retail stores in Douala and capital city Yaoundé, along with six distribution facilities across the country. Planning is now underway for the next three SPAR sites in Cameroon including a hypermarket in Yaoundé.
SPAR International’s new partner in Malawi, People’s Trading Centre, has opened a 1,800m2 SPAR branded store and plans to launch up to 10 new SPAR stores in Malawi over the next five years.
Gordon Campbell, SPAR International managing director, said: “Five years ago we identified the major potential for growth of the SPAR brand in Africa. Building strong partnerships, sharing international best practice and adhering to the SPAR principles of focusing on freshness, quality, choice and customer service has meant that SPAR is now at the cutting edge of retail in the region. SPAR South Africa has been a key enabler of this expansion and has made a major contribution to the success across the African continent, sharing best practice and experience with new partners.”
In addition to expansion in Cameroon and Malawi, SPAR has also grown its footprint in Nigeria with the opening of a new flagship store in Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, following a hypermarket opening in Port Harcourt. SPAR Nigeria now operates seven stores.
Campbell added: “Our partnership approach, as well as the flexibility and adaptability of our brand, has resulted in an offer that can meet the various needs of the modern African consumer. Recent developments in Cameroon and Malawi are an example of how success can breed success in SPAR with established partners contributing their knowledge and expertise to make new market entry a great success.”
Earlier this year, SPAR International announced that Campbell will be retiring as chief executive at the end of 2015 after over two decades in the role. Tobias Wasmuht, managing director SPAR China and head of marketing and retail SPAR International, will succeed him in January 2016.
