Contact International, Issue 6, 2015 - English

CONTACT International

06The Growth

of SPAR in Africa

12The 2015 Marketing

Conference

27Weekly

Lunch BoxPlanner

2015 | 62015 | 6

BISCUITS FORCHOCOLATE LOVERS

For information contact:

SPAR International, [email protected]

telephone: +31 (0)20 6266749

Visit our website: www.spar-international.com

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© All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of SPAR International.

Published in English, German, Spanish, Italian, and French. SPAR International, Rokin 99/101, 1012 KM Amsterdam, The Netherlands. www.spar-international.comSend an email to the Communications Manager via [email protected] with questions, comments and suggestions about the magazine.

C o n te n t s

C o n t a c t C o m m e n t

T h e G r ow t h o f S PA R i n A f r i c a

T h e 2 015 LO G I T C o n f e r e n c e

S PA R R u s s i a Fo o d - to - G o C o n f e r e n c e

T h e 2 015 M a r ke t i n g C o n f e r e n c e

S PA R Pa r t n e r N ew s

S o c i a l M e d i a B r a n d i n g

S PA R S to r e O p e n i n g s

T h e 2 016 E u r o p e a n A t h l e t i c s C h a m p i o n s h i p s

We e k l y L u n c h B ox P l a n n e r

Contents

Cover Photograph: The new INTERSPAR Hypermarket in the SILLPARK shopping centre in Innsbruck, Austria

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Taking productivity to a new levelThe Linde Dynamic Mast Control system automatically minimises mast oscillations and mast deflection through precise and seamless counter-movements of the electrically operated reach carriage.

This system increases productivity and allows operators to store loads faster with more safety and accuracy.

Linde Dynamic Mast ControlIntelligent operation, safer control

For more information please visitwww.linde-mh.co.uk/dynamicmastcontrol

Winner of the UKWA Technical Innovations Award 2015

Co nt a c t I nte r n at i o n a l <5> Co nt a c t I nte r n at i o n a l <5>

Taking productivity to a new levelThe Linde Dynamic Mast Control system automatically minimises mast oscillations and mast deflection through precise and seamless counter-movements of the electrically operated reach carriage.

This system increases productivity and allows operators to store loads faster with more safety and accuracy.

Linde Dynamic Mast ControlIntelligent operation, safer control

For more information please visitwww.linde-mh.co.uk/dynamicmastcontrol

Winner of the UKWA Technical Innovations Award 2015

CommentI am honoured to follow Dr Gordon Campbell as the new Managing Director of SPAR International. Gordon has been instrumental in driving the worldwide SPAR organisation forward. In his 22 years leading the organisation, SPAR has grown into a strong global retail brand with a total of over 12,000 stores in 40 countries worldwide.

Gordon laid the foundation for this growth and in his time as Managing Director, SPAR has doubled its presence from 20 to 40 countries. Gordon has not only been the longest serving Managing Director of SPAR International but also the most successful. A key strength of Gordon’s has been his passion for SPAR and the individual relationships he has made with SPAR retailers in so many countries. Always happiest visiting SPAR stores and meeting retailers, Gordon has the ability to communicate and inspire across borders and cultures. To me personally Gordon has been a mentor, great colleague and friend, who has led by advocating the SPAR values of family, friendship, trust, integrity and enjoyment. I am delighted that Gordon will continue to be involved with SPAR as an advisor to our board and myself for the coming two years. I have been privileged to have worked side by side with Gordon for over 15 years. I first joined SPAR International in 2000 and headed our retail and marketing activities, building a strong international team. In 2004, I led the entry of SPAR into China. The first SPAR China stores opened in 2005, followed shortly by the establishment of the SPAR China Group with its Head Office in Shanghai, in 2006. I have been the Managing Director of SPAR China since its foundation and I am proud to have seen SPAR grow in the country to over 330 stores with 1 million square meters of selling space. I returned to Amsterdam in September 2015 and have enjoyed working with Gordon and the team in transitioning into my new role as Managing Director of SPAR International. As we look to the future, I am confident that SPAR will continue to grow and prosper internationally in mature and developing markets alike, and I look forward to sharing these updates through the Contact International magazine. As another new development, we are currently working on creating an online version of the magazine, which we will share with you in 2016. In this issue of Contact we review the strong progress that SPAR is making in Africa. With a presence in over 10 countries and a share of 17% of our global sales, Africa is a key growth continent for the SPAR Brand. A key strength of SPAR is the open exchange of knowledge and best practice between partners. In October, over 120 executives from 20 SPAR countries attended the Marketing and Logistics & IT Conferences. These events, which we also report on in this issue, serve as platforms for the exchange of knowledge and skills and are instrumental in ensuring that SPAR stays relevant and ahead of industry trends.

Tobias WasmuhtManaging Director

Co nt a c t I nte r n at i o n a l<6>

Expansion of the SPAR Brand in new and emerging markets has been growing steadily over the past few years. In addition to growth in Asia and the Middle East, Africa has also seen new markets being licensed to operate SPAR.

CameroonThe new SPAR store in Cameroon is located in Douala, the country’s largest city. The 2,500m2 supermarket was developed with experienced local partner L’Atrium S.A, a company that already operates 17 retail stores in Douala and capital city Yaoundé, along with six distribution facilities across the country.

SPAR International supported the opening of the flagship store with extensive retail design and training, as well as access to a wide range of SPAR Private Label products. Planning is already underway for the opening of another three SPAR stores in Cameroon.

MalawiSPAR’s new partner in Malawi, People’s Trading Centre, has also opened its first store under the SPAR Brand.

Located in the capital city, Lilongwe, the 1,800m2

store brings international best practice in terms of retail innovation and store layout to the local retail market.

Customers are delighted with the new supermarket, which has a focus on fresh. On the opening day, there were 2,941 customer transactions, reflecting the strong interest from shoppers who had read about or seen the launch communication and promotional flyers.

The store opening created 140 new jobs and training has been given to staff in the instore bakery, butchery, home meal replacement and fruit & vegetable departments. Plans are in place to open up to 10 new SPAR stores in Malawi over the next five years.

Nigeria In addition to the expansion of SPAR in Cameroon and Malawi, there has been further growth in Nigeria with the opening of a new flagship store in Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, following the highly successful opening of Port Harcourt last year.

The Growth of SPAR in Africa

Customers line up on opening day of the new flagship SPAR store in Lagos, Nigeria


SPAR Nigeria now operates seven stores and has become the first retail chain in Nigeria to offer a shopper loyalty programme that provides customers with exclusive offers and great value for money.

Growth in Africa

Commenting on the most recent openings, SPAR International Managing Director, Dr Gordon Campbell 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, choice, value and service, has put SPAR at the cutting edge of retail in the region.

“The 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.”

SPAR is now operational in 10 sub-Saharan African countries. SPAR South Africa continues to expand, not only in their home market, but also through independent retailers in Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Angola.

Zambia has opened stores in new cities, meeting customer needs in these areas, and despite tough political and economic conditions in Zimbabwe, the brand continues to enjoy growth.

Our partnership approach, as well as the flexibility and adaptability of our brand, has resulted in an offer that can meet the diverse needs of the modern African consumer.

-- Dr Gordon Campbell, SPAR International

Current number of SPAR stores in Africa

Best international practice on show in Malawi

Cashiers were busy on opening day in Cameroon


The 2015 LOGIT Conference

Erik Pappaert, Logistics Director at Retail Partners Colruyt Group, talked delegates through the automated installation for the picking of fruit and vegetable products at the new DC in Mechelen.

The 2015 Logistics and ICT Conference (LOGIT) was held on 7-9 October in the historic city of Brussels. The annual event brings together Directors and Senior Managers from various SPAR countries to share knowledge and best practice examples from across our industry, and to discuss trends and developments in supply chain, transport and retail technology. This year’s Conference, the 19th LOGIT Conference, was hosted by Retail Partners Colruyt Group. The event attracted over 65 delegates from 22 SPAR Partners.

“As markets become more turbulent, there is a growing need to move from being forecast-driven to being demand-driven. This implies greater responsiveness across the supply chain.” -- Dr Christopher

Growing our Future Together

LOGIT 2015 was opened by Dr Gordon Campbell, Managing Director of SPAR International, who spoke about the SPAR International strategy, Growing our Future Together. Dirk Depoorter, Managing Director of Retail Partners Colruyt Group spoke next, welcoming delegates and setting the scene for the next few days. Dirk outlined the group’s extensive plans for the development of SPAR in Belgium, which to date has included a huge investment in a dedicated Distribution Centre (DC) and offices in Mechelen.

As part of this year's event, delegates were invited to visit a new SPAR store in the city of Halle. They were also introduced to the new 48,000m2 DC, one of SPAR’s first automated facilities for fruit & vegetables and returns. Both visits clearly illustrated the great efforts being made to grow the SPAR business in Belgium. Delegates expressed interest in the design, IT functionalities, and operations of the new Mechelen DC.

End-to-End Supply Chains

A relatively new topic at LOGIT was the End-to-End Supply Chain principle, which adds a more holistic approach to the operational efficiency of warehouses and stores, and is becoming a key area in realising the real business benefits of the efficient movement of products from the production line to the shelves instore.

In one of the first talks of the Conference, End-to-End Supply Chain concepts were introduced by Dr Martin Christopher from Cranfield University, who has been at the forefront of developments in Logistics and Supply Chain Management for over thirty years. Dr Christopher discussed the crucial role of Supply Chain Management and the road to Supply Chain excellence.

Building on these principles, Trevor Currie, Logistics Executive at SPAR South Africa, gave an overview of End-to-End Supply Chain developments in South Africa, and Tom Rose, Head of Operations at SPAR International,


“End-to-end supply chains require an open, honest and transparent attitude and a mutual understanding of each other’s business.” -- Trevor Currie

presented opportunities for the implementation of End-to-End Supply and Value chains across SPAR worldwide.

Interacting with the Connected Consumer

The opportunities to interact with the customer before, during and after their shopping trips were explored in detail at LOGIT. Building on examples from South Africa, Norway, Austria and the UK, this exciting and dynamic area of digital communication was one of the highlights of this year’s Conference.

Customer expectations and the demands on technology have changed dramatically over the last ten years and will continue to change going forwards. To look ahead at what is to come and what changes in the future will mean for our stores, warehouses and transport operations, James Wallman, a Futurologist in the retail space, shared his views on the future of retail, predicting what consumer behaviour will be like in the future and what role modern technology will play.

Sharing Best Practice at LOGIT

LOGIT 2015 also addressed a number of other topics, such as E-commerce, Warehouse Automation, Supply Network Development and Benchmarking.

In addition to knowledge sharing sessions with SPAR Partners, six leading technology suppliers were invited to showcase their latest products and developments. This gave delegates the opportunity to explore industry-wide best practice. Along with suppliers, representatives from the Warehouse, Transport and StoreIT Action Groups presented on their work over the last few years and their plans for future development.

SPAR International wishes to thank all delegates for their support and valuable input. We look forward to the 20th SPAR LOGIT Conference, which will be held in South Africa in 2016.

This year's LOGIT Conference was hosted by Retail Partners Colruyt Group at the Metropole Hotel in Brussels

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SPAR Russia Food-to-Go Conference

SPAR Russia held its annual Food-to-Go Conference on 8-9 September. This year’s event was hosted by SPAR Middle Volga in Nizhny Novgorod and was well attended by over 70 delegates who came together to learn and share insights into this integral component of the SPAR business. A wide range of issues were discussed at the Conference including the equipment costs and logistics involved in setting up a good Food-to-Go section instore. Delegates came from various departments across the business.

The Conference Programme The first day featured presentations by SPAR Partners, preferred suppliers and invited speakers on a wide range of topics. The issues covered included equipment selection, the organisation of technological and logistical processes, food and recipe assortment, quality control checks, costs, marketing and merchandising plans.

Presentations were given by SPAR Middle Volga, SPAR Orenburg, SPAR Tomsk and SPAR North-West. The supplier presentations featured Bizerba Russia, Ecolab, Kärcher and Atollspeed.

Irina Beicher, Area Manager of Bizerba Russia, spoke about the latest international retail trends in Food-to-Go, while representatives of Ecolab and Kärcher presented on the implementation of the required Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. Atollspeed gave a demonstration of its compact hybrid oven - baking hot snacks that were enjoyed by all participants.

A session was dedicated to practical seminars on artisanal bread baking, where delegates had the opportunity to get to grips with the production processes involved in running a bakery section instore. There were also round table discussions focused on the centralisation of food production.

The second day included store visits in Nizhny Novgorod and Kstovo. The delegates exchanged knowledge while studying the management practices of the stores. They also learnt about SPAR Middle Volga’s investment into its own production facilities and studied the latest instore displays such as hot islands for soups and main course meals.

Day two was wrapped up by a visit to EUROSPAR #14, where another preferred supplier, Fri-Jado, presented a masterclass on grilled meat. Delegates were treated to a delicious lunch prepared instore followed by a chefs contest where SPAR staff from Orenburg, Baku and Nizhny Novgorod revealed the recipes of their most popular dishes.

A total of 70 delegates attended this year's Conference

SPAR chefs shared their Food-to-Go recipes


The 2015 Marketing Conference The 2015 SPAR International Marketing Conference was hosted by SPAR Poland in the historic city of Kraków on 14-16 October. The event, which offers a truly international platform for SPAR management in Marketing and Communication to meet and be inspired by engaging presentations and informative store visits, brought together more than 60 delegates from Europe, Asia and Africa. The main topics covered included customer loyalty programmes, store and format developments and digital marketing.

The Conference was opened by Robert Paździor, President of SPAR Poland. Mr Paździor was delighted to announce that SPAR Poland is on track to operate 207 SPAR stores, with a net sales of 204 million Euros by the end of 2015. This is a year-on-year increase in sales of 29% for 2015. An excellent result in a highly competitive market, which demonstrates how SPAR Poland are seizing the opportunity to grow at pace.

Michał Zych, Marketing Director at SPAR Poland, spoke next about the marketing and sales plan for SPAR Poland, noting that a focus has been placed on strengthening the position of SPAR in the western part of the country.

Dr Gordon Campbell, Managing Director of SPAR International outlined the SPAR global results, explaining that 2014 was a breakthrough year for SPAR with entry into 10 new territories. Expansion has continued in 2015 with stores opening in Cameroon and Azerbaijan.

Tobias Wasmuht, Retail and Marketing Director of SPAR International highlighted how a key strength of SPAR is the ability to draw upon success from one SPAR country to allow fast track development in another. By citing a number of successful case studies implemented by SPAR International and SPAR Countries in 2015, he urged

delegates to truly “own local” in their markets through tailoring and integrating each store to the demographic and needs of their customers.

Loyalty Programmes

One of the key themes of this year’s Conference was Customer Loyalty Programmes. SPAR Partners from Austria, South Africa, Poland, Switzerland and Slovenia updated delegates on the recent innovations and marketing initiatives in this strategically important area.

SPAR Austria briefed the audience on an exciting innovation of using unique coded till receipts as a tool for direct marketing and customer engagement, SPAR Poland presented their newly launched family discount card and SPAR South Africa outlined their SPAR Rewards programme, which saw an impressive 300,000 cards activated within just eight weeks.

SPAR Switzerland’s loyalty programme is focused on building customer pride. A recent initiative in this field is their co-sponsoring of one of the biggest films in Swiss cinema and its marketing instore and online.

Always innovative, SPAR Slovenia discussed their latest offer of providing customers with a competitive prepaid mobile phone service. This new service has led to increased shopper frequency and loyalty.

Philipp Stegmann of emporio analytics, spoke about the opportunities retailers have to capitalise on their customer data to create customer centric retail strategies and well-known thought leader in retail innovation, Ken Hughes, gave a keynote speech on shopper marketing, with practical examples from all over the globe.

Niels Dekkers of SPAR International launched a proposal for international collaboration on customer driven personalised marketing opportunities through loyalty data analytics and shopper profiling.


Digital Marketing

Online as a platform is important across all markets with different solutions found and practiced in different countries.

SPAR China presented their latest developments in digital marketing, detailing how they have integrated technologies such as WeChat and iBeacons into their business operations. SPAR France summarised the success of their recently launched online grocery store, which includes delivery as well as Click & Collect and SPAR Drive collection points.

SPAR Lambrechts in Belgium have expanded their digital marketing to meet consumer needs and to complement the services offered in their 100 stores. SPAR Ireland showed how they brought brand awareness through their social media platforms, linking a Twitter campaign to fundraising for charity at Christmas. This digital activity is integrated and complements their extensive number of successful community initiatives.

Penny van der Kaars of SPAR International demonstrated how sports sponsorship can be used to grow the brand and communicate healthy living. Specific mention was made of the SPAR Nutrition Zone, a programme that offers a host of nutrition advice and games in traditional marketing as well as digital.

Format Developments and Store Initiatives

This year, SPAR Hungary celebrates 20 years of INTERSPAR and Nikolette Bene highlighted how they have utilised the anniversary in a fully integrated marketing programme whilst looking ahead to next year's 25th Anniversary of SPAR in Hungary.

The progress of the refurbishment and development of a modernised concept of the largest INTERSPAR store in Slovenia was shown by Florian Mettauer of ASPIAG.

A celebratory presentation about all the activities focused on highlighting 10 years of SPAR in Croatia was covered by Sandra Kokorić.

Luigi Peschechera of SPAR Partner Maiora in the South of Italy included an update on the latest EUROSPAR opening in Giovinazzo. In his presentation, he also touched on their local sourcing success. SPAR Nigeria discussed their expansion plans for the future and shared how they have capitalised on calendar events to connect with customers.

In light of strong competition, SPAR Retail in Belgium shared their process of working with retailers to return to a shopper-centric way of doing business to meet customer needs. SPAR Norway outlined the importance of being local and differentiating themselves from the standard price and discount competition and SPAR Russia presented great examples of charity support, sports sponsorship, TV commercials and store openings.

Rune Jacobsen from the Boston Consulting Group discussed the key drivers of continuous growth by showing best practice examples from successful retail turnaround case studies. Delegates heard about a new format strategy and programme of store refurbishment by Grupo Miquel of SPAR Spain designed to meet the needs of their customers.

Gary Harris of SPAR International gave a Retail Development update, highlighting that 77 projects have been carried out this year to date in over 17 countries. The Store of the Future 2025 Working Group is being established and will encompass participants from a selection of SPAR countries to work together to develop a number of future flagship stores.

The 2015 Marketing Conference was highly successful with delegates taking away many valuable ideas for marketing plans in their countries in the coming year.

Delegates visited three SPAR Poland storesMichał Zych presented SPAR Poland's marketing & sales plan


SPAR Partner NewsAustria

Select SPAR gourmet stores in Vienna are now offering customers a home delivery service. The new service, which has been supported by local non-profit organisation, Wien Work, has a unique social and environmental aspect to it: The purchases are delivered on electric bikes by unemployed people, offering them a much needed chance to re-enter the job market.

The delivery service started in two SPAR gourmet stores in Vienna and the expansion of the service to additional stores is now being planned. “Our aim is to offer home delivery with added value,” said Managing Director of SPAR Austria, Alois Huber. “We have created this added value by working with Wien Work and the Employment Market Service (AMS) to offer employment to those in need. The environment-friendly delivery by bike is an additional benefit, especially in urban areas.” Customers do their shopping as usual and order the delivery service when paying at the checkout. Home delivery by electric bike costs €2 and includes the delivery of two shopping bags or two beverage crates.

The annual SPAR Australia Gala Awards Dinner was held on 22 August. Over 300 retailers, suppliers and media representatives, as well as the Directors and staff of SPAR Australia, were present to celebrate the achievements of SPAR retailers over the last year.

The SPAR Retail Awards Program identif ies and recognises those retailers who excel at what they do. The winners are announced at an event which acknowledges the retailers who partner with SPAR Australia to drive growth for business.

The awards were presented by SPAR Australia Managing Director, Mr Lou Jardin and SPAR Guild Council Deputy Chair, Mr Bob Little.

Along with all Department of the Year and Special Award winners, SPAR would like to congratulate the following retailers for being named Store of the Year 2015:

• SPAR Store of the Year 2015 - SPAR Maclean • SPAR Express Store of the Year 2015 - SPAR Express

Oxenford

New home delivery service

Australia

Retail Excellence Awards


SPAR Partner NewsSwitzerland

Cheque handed over to local soccer club

At the beginning of September, soccer club FC Vaduz celebrated its first victory of the new season. Along with this victory, there was other cause for celebration thanks to a donation to the club of 1,500 Swiss Francs (approximately 1,375 Euros) from the SPAR store in Schaan.

Chairman of the Youth Committee of FC Vaduz, Lorenz Gassner, was delighted with the valuable contribution, which has gone towards the youth section of the club. “Every Franc helps us to support the development of young players and to create optimal playing conditions.”

The money was raised through the SPAR store’s BonusCard system. The collection of points with the card will continue into the new season.

Customers who do not have a SPAR BonusCard can obtain one from either the FC Vaduz soccer club or the SPAR store in Schaan. Loyalty cards are not personalised and are not used for analysis of purchasing behaviour or for advertising purposes. The card solely records sales and at the end of the season the bonus amount is identified and transferred to FC Vaduz.

SPAR has successfully extended its partnership with the Swiss Handball Association for another two years, until 2017. SPAR customers can therefore continue to collect bonus points for their favourite club through the Handball BonusCard or the Handball App.

SPAR’s position as title sponsor of the Swiss Handball Association was secured shortly before the start of the 2015/2016 season. “We are delighted to have a two-year extension with SPAR as title sponsor,” said Roger Keller, Marketing & Communications Executive, Swiss Handball Association. “SPAR is a strong partner and an integral part of Handball in Switzerland. Most importantly, we are pleased that the focus will remain on young talent thanks in large part to the Handball BonusCard and App.”

The Handball BonusCard and App are actively used by the Handball community in Switzerland. Over the past three seasons, SPAR customers have collected 48,500 Swiss Francs for the support of young Handball talent. “This unique commitment is a win-win situation for both parties,” said Karin Locher, Head of Marketing and Communications, SPAR Switzerland. “We feel close to the Handball community in Switzerland and thank them for their loyalty.”

Sponsorship of Women’s Handball League continues


SPAR Partner NewsUK

SPAR UK per formed outstandingly at this year’s Retail Industry Awards, with a total of eight wins and three commendations – including the highly contested Symbol Group of the Year award for the second year running, and the Symbol Initiative of the Year accolade.

An incredible 17 SPAR stores and groups were shortlisted across 12 categories, more than any other symbol group in the running.

The winners were announced at a glittering black-tie presentation ceremony on Thursday 24 September, at the prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London.

2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the Retail Industry Awards. The awards have become firmly established as the ‘Oscars’ of the grocery industry, celebrating excellence across many different categories.

For the full list of winners, visit the SPAR UK website: www.spar.co.uk

Great results at the 2015 Retail Industry Awards

EUROSPAR, which is marking 15 years in Northern Ireland, has seen rapid expansion over the last year with the opening of nine new stores. This growth is set to continue with the opening of another eight EUROSPAR stores before the end of 2016.

The first two EUROSPAR Supermarkets opened in 2000 and since then the format has gone from strength to strength, always keeping up to date with the latest shopping trends and consumer needs.

Paddy Doody, Sales & Marketing Director at the Henderson Group, Northern Ireland said: “In its 15th year, the EUROSPAR Brand has experienced significant growth. Shoppers throughout Northern Ireland are now more aware than ever of this convenient supermarket option and we are delighted to continue to open more stores throughout our communities.”

There are now 44 EUROSPAR stores in Northern Ireland – a number that will rise to 46 before the end of the year. Six more store openings are set to open next year, meeting and even surpassing the milestone number of 50 stores.

Celebrating 15 years of SPAR in Northern Ireland

New Christmas campaign

SPAR UK has launched its first ever ‘12 Deals of Christmas’ campaign, offering shoppers fantastic promotions and money-off deals every week from October to December.

Offers are running on top brand products as well as on Christmas essentials and SPAR Brand’s fantastic award-winning products.

The Christmas campaign is being supported by a great deal of marketing activity, including national newspaper adverts, instore PoS, SPAR Live radio, local leaflets and digital support on the SPAR website, Twitter, Facebook and through e-newsletters.

The new BT Staxio P-seriesThe new platform stacker range from Toyota Material Handling delivers class leading performance lift heights, speeds and residual capacities making it suitable for any application. Whether you need to reach pallets at 6 metres, drive long distances, manoeuvre in tight areas or work on uneven floors, the new BT Staxio P-series range allows machines to exceed expectations and offers you access all areas of your operation.

The new BT Staxio P-series is fitted with advanced technology that delivers the highest productivity. Enhanced safety comes from the excellent all-round visibility, speed control when cornering and a choice of operator protection. Furthermore Li-ion batteries can be fitted and I_Site from Toyota can be added for efficient truck and fleet management.

To know more about the new BT Staxio P-Series, visit www.toyota-forklifts.eu.


SPAR Partner NewsItaly

Ergon, a DeSPAR member in Sicily, is enthusiastically rolling out a strategy for the sustainable sourcing of energy.

The company has already installed solar panels on the rooftops of several of its stores, including INTERSPAR Le Dune - the first store in the Ragusa province to be equipped with solar panels. With the panels, the supermarket generates more than 30% of the energy it needs. Its solar system produces about 1,600 kilowatt-hours (kwh) a day, with an estimated 585,000 kwh a year. This has led to a reduction in carbon emissions of 300,000 kg a year.

Ergon’s solar plant is highly innovative. Energy savings and consumption are being monitored 24/7 by means of a dedicated control system and total energy productivity is reported in real time on special displays instore.

Ergon’s awareness of the need to use renewable energy has led the company and its retailers to invest in cutting-edge solar panel systems, which will reduce CO2 emissions by 1,000 tons a year, while producing some 2,000,000 kwh of energy. By the end of 2015, 10 more stores located in several different municipalities will be equipped with solar panels. As a consequence, 130,000 trees won’t need to be felled, and 435 tons of oil will not be used.

Investment in sustainable energy

DeSPAR North-East has partnered with a local health care centre (Health Centre 3) to run a fundraising campaign in support of abused women and children. The campaign, I thought it was love, was launched on 28 September and will run until 29 November in all DeSPAR, EUROSPAR and INTERSPAR stores in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.

Fundraising for abused women and children

Customers can support the campaign by giving an amount of their choice at the checkout, after shopping. The funds raised will help the health care centre invest in new facil ities and equipment that will support women and children who have been victims of abuse.

South Africa

SPAR South Africa is the official Guinness World Record titleholder for the largest cupcake mosaic. On Saturday 5 September, a total of 33,660 cupcakes were assembled on the fields of a school in Pinetown, Durban - breaking the previous record of a mosaic consisting of 30,000 cupcakes.

The school was abuzz with teams icing, passing and placing cupcakes to form a magnificent mosaic of the South African flag and a Springbok, to pay tribute to the national rugby team for their participation in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

All proceeds were donated to Cupcakes 4 Kids with Cancer, a non-profit organisation that increases awareness of the illness to help children affected by cancer.

The cupcakes were sponsored after the event and many were donated to different charities in the Durban area.

New Guinness World Record set

first in intralogistics

Because optimum is smartest – the STILL EXV.

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The colour display with its language-independent symbols always keeps you in perfect control of your turnover

of materials. The smart EXV-SF high lift truck with a stand-on platform is suitable for long transport distances.

With top travelling speed of 10 km/h, it moves heavy loads in record time to the destination. In addition,

the air suspension of the platform and the adjustable side protection arms of the EXV-SF make work safe

and comfortable. Find out more on: www.still.co.uk/EXV20

www.still.de/EXV20


SPAR Partner NewsFrance

In the run up to this year’s Tour de France, SPAR France retailers, Nathalie and Thierry Buso, set up a race simulator in front if their store in Haute-Savoie, in the heart of the famous Alpe d’Huez resort.

The Tour de France-inspired promotion saw two bicycles hooked up to a home-trainer system in front of TV screens showing images of the iconic climb to the top of Alpe d’Huez. Participants were challenged to cover as much ground as possible in the space of just three minutes.

The promotion was well received by customers and passers-by and offered participants the chance of winning the following fantastic prizes: • First prize: A Giant racing bike bearing the SPAR

Supermarché logo• Second prize: A magnum of Génépi liqueur and a

hamper filled with regional and Casino products• Third prize: A SPAR hamper

Over the course of the three days during which the Tour de France raced through the Alpe d’Huez, the SPAR team handed out leaflets and shopping vouchers advertising their store and the race simulator challenge.

This was a highly successful initiative by the SPAR team in Alpe d’Huez, resulting in increased sales and three days of fun for customers, spectators and staff.

Alpe d’Huez bike challenge

SPAR France has launched a new convenience service, SPAR Drive, in four of its stores. This latest click & collect offer allows customers to place their orders online and select a collection time within a two-hour time range. When the customer arrives at the store, the order is delivered to their car and payment is processed.

Three of the SPAR Drive stores are located on Corsica and largely cater to the needs of tourists visiting the island. The fourth SPAR Drive store is in Oullins, near the city of Lyon.

The first results, following the launch of this service in June, are extremely encouraging with the four stores performing better than ever.

During the first three months:

• 24% of total orders on the SPAR France website were for the SPAR Drive service

• 28% of the total turnover recorded on the SPAR France website was generated by SPAR Drive stores

• The SPAR Drive orders have generated an average of €115 per basket, which is 15% more than the average basket ordered on the SPAR France website

For more information visit: www.spar.fr

New convenience service

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Social Media

Branding

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Social Media Branding

At SPAR International, it is our goal to further the development of SPAR as a worldwide brand. To achieve this, consistency in corporate identity is essential. In this article, we take a look at the SPAR Social Media Brand Identity, detailing the importance of correctly branded social media platforms and providing recommended solutions.

communicate and share a wide variety of news and updates about SPAR, from store openings and product promotions, to community projects, sports events and awards programmes - helping to communicate the core SPAR Brand proposition of Freshness, Choice, Value and Service.

Branding of our social media platforms is extremely important and as we see our presence growing in this landscape, we need to ensure that we are making effective use of our logo so that our brand is visible and recognisable the world over.

Logo solutions have been developed for various social media platforms. While not making use of the preferred horizontal version of the SPAR logo, these vertical logo solutions still respect the SPAR Corporate Identity Guidelines and help SPAR Partners and Retailers project a consistent image of the SPAR Brand.

It is important to note that these logo solutions are for use on social media platforms only and do not apply to other applications of the corporate identity, either digitally, in print or on store fascia.

Preferred logo solutions for social media platforms:

A: Vertical logo with country name

This solution helps to differentiate the various SPAR countries while still maintaining brand consistency with the correct vertical logo. This can be used on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

B: Round ‘cut-out’ logo with country name

This solution is for Pinterest or Instagram only and can be used if the platforms need a pre-cropped image for the circle-shaped profile picture.

Font type of country name:

The font type used for the country name in the logos is Helvetica Neue 45 Light. The country name must always fit within the borders of the red box.

SPAR social media materials

SPAR International has developed individual country logos for social media, which all SPAR Partners can download from SPAR Connect: www.sparconnect.com. Partners can also download a detailed Social Media Guidelines Manual, which offers further guidance and advice on how best to manage one's online presence.

The importance of social media branding

As the social media landscape grows and changes, we need to keep in mind that our brand is our biggest asset and should be protected and correctly implemented at all times.

The various SPAR social media platforms that are in use in a number of countries around the world are a key part of the corporate identity of SPAR, creating global visibility and recognition of the brand. The platforms can be used to

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New look SPAR in Veitsch

SPAR convenience store Pink in the village of Veitsch, in the Austrian state of Styria recently underwent extensive renovations. The reconstruction of the SPAR store started in August and after only one month, the store re-opened with a stylish new look and feel. The sales area was extended to 237m², providing enough space for an inviting and extensive range of fresh food from Styria. The store was first opened 16 years ago and offers local customers a large variety of international and regional products, including fresh bread and pastries, fresh meat, catering and home delivery services and a postal service.

INTERSPAR re-opens in SILLPARK shopping centre

After nine months of renovations, SPAR Austria has opened a spectacular new INTERSPAR compact hypermarket in the SILLPARK shopping centre in Innsbruck. The store, which opened on 1 October, has a sales area of 3,600m² and offers more than 50,000 different products. Key features include the large fresh goods area, the INTERSPAR farm shop (the first of its kind) offering the best regional products, and the spice section showcasing the largest variety of spices in western Austria. A new department is INTERSPAR-pronto, a convenience section supplying customers with fresh snacks and drinks on the go.

SPAR Store Openings

Austria

SPAR Partners continue to open new stores, bringing the brand to ever growing numbers of shoppers around the globe. In this issue of Contact International, we feature SPAR store openings in Austria, Georgia, China and Switzerland. News about more store openings can be found on the SPAR International website: www.spar-international.com.

Revamped EUROSPAR in Fischamend

Following the closure of the SPAR store on main road Fischamend in Lower Austria at the beginning of August, a new EUROSPAR Supermarket has opened. The store, which re-opened on 9 October, now has more to offer thanks to its new design and layout with spacious, easy-to-navigate aisles. Customers have a greater range of products to choose from and there is a new SPAR bistro. The restaurant seats 21 and offers a great selection of food and beverage items. These new additions have created a better shopping experience for customers, providing them with even more choice.


Strong growth continues in Georgia

SPAR Georgia now operates 11 stores, the most recent two of which are situated in the city of Rustavi, in the south east of the country. One of these is a 490m2 supermarket with a comprehensive offer, including a good variety of fresh departments. The Food-to-Go department is extensive with food being prepared by SPAR Georgia’s own production facility in Tbilisi, ensuring a variety of freshly-prepared dishes delivered at least once a day.

The rapid pace of conversion to SPAR has been positively received by consumers who appreciate the focus on fresh and the increasing range of Private Label products.

New SPAR Express store opens in Rümlang

A self-service filling station in Rümlang, Switzerland has undergone renovations to open a new SPAR Express store. The small cutting-edge supermarket offers an extensive range of foods at favourable prices. The focus of the forecourt store is on fresh, locally sourced food with a large choice of Take Away products.

Every day the store of fers freshly baked bread, freshly brewed cof fee and a variety of snacks such as muesli, fruit cups, sandwiches, croissants and pizza. Customers can choose to take these away or enjoy in the store's cosy seating area.

China

Georgia

New store opens to much fanfare in Beijing

A new SPAR Supermarket has opened in Beijing. The new store offers customers a wide range of products and services with long opening hours and a welcoming retail environment.

The opening day was one of celebration and excitement with hundreds of shoppers experiencing the festivities. Customers were able to participate in competitions with big prizes up for grabs. They also had the chance to benefit from a variety of promotional activities. The turnover on the first day exceeded expectations and the store has continued to perform well since opening.

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Weekly Lunch Box Planner

Monday WednesdayTuesday Thursday Friday

Ingredients:1 banana in pieces2 eggsOlive oilToppings:Nut butter with raisins or fresh fruitBanana with a drizzle of honeyJam / Marmalade (sugar free) and some sunflower seeds

Preparation:

Complete lunch box with:Milk or water (to keep the lunch box lactose free)Sweet tomatoes or small salad

Ingredients:2 slices whole wheat bread1 ripe avocado1 slice smoked salmon1 teaspoon (fresh cut) chivesPepper and salt to taste1 small clove garlic minced

Preparation:

Complete lunch box with:MilkSome grapes

Ingredients:3 eggs4 slices of bacon (optional)1 carrot finely chopped50 gr peas cooked1 finely chopped onion1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbsSalt and/or pepper to tasteOlive oil

Preparation:

Complete lunch box with:WaterFruit salad

Ingredients:9 small meatballs (store bought or self-made)6 cherry tomatoes2 leave of lettuce cut into 3 strips each1 slice of whole wheat bread cut into 6 squares3 (wooden) skewers

Preparation:

Complete lunch box with:MilkFruit salad

Ingredients:2 slices whole wheat bread1 slice goat’s cheese (or1 slice ham (of choice)Teaspoon honey3-6 walnut halves (optional)Butter½ teaspoon pesto2 tomato slices (optional)

Preparation:1. Put some butter on the slices of bread and cut the slices in 22. On one half slice put the goat’s cheese, add some walnut halves and drizzle with honey. Put the other half slice on it.3. On another half slice put the ham, add the pesto and top with tomato. Put the other half slice on it.

Complete lunch box with:(Diluted) fruit juiceCherry tomatoes and walnuts

Banana pancakes

Brainfood Egg and veg muffins

Meatballs on a stick

Ham & Cheese Sandwich

© This document and all contents included or referred to within it remain the intellectual property of SPAR International and is protected by copyright. The information on this site is purely a guideline and should not be used instead of consulting a health professional about dietary requirements.

Please see www.sparnutritionzone.com for more

1. Puree the banana with a fork and beat in the eggs or put banana and eggs in a blender and blend until smooth2. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan3. Pour spoonfuls of batter into the frying pan, creating 2-3 small pancakes, and bake until they start to form bubbles4. Flip the pancakes and bake the other side for about 30 seconds5. Complete each pancake with a topping

1. Puree the avocado and add the garlic and chives2. Spread the avocado on a slice of bread and add some pepper and/or salt to taste3. Put the slice of salmon on the avocado and top with the other slice of bread

1. Preheat your oven to 180°2. Grease a 4 cup muffin tin with olive oil3. Line each cup with a slice of bacon - optional4. Divide the vegetables over the four cups5. In a bowl beat the eggs and add the herbs and salt and/or pepper6. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables until each cup is full7. Bake in the oven for approximately 8 minutes8. Allow to cool before removing from tin

1. Take a skewer and put on to it a meatball, a folded strip of lettuce, a cherry tomato and a square of bread2. Repeat this again until the skewer is full3. Repeat with the two remaining skewers or make a variation.

Weekly Lunch Box Planner

Providing one’s family with a varied selection of nutritious and tasty foods in their lunch boxes each day can be challenging. To help make this a little easier, SPAR International has created a lunch box planner, which is free to download and print from the SPAR Nutrition Zone website.

The lunch box planner consists of f ive unique recipes, offering a good mix of al l food groups from meat, f ish and eggs to fruit, grains, dairy and vegetables. The planner gives busy parents some inspiring ideas on how to fi l l up their child’s lunch box with healthy, nourishing meals that they wil l love.

Consumers are eager to learn about healthy nutrit ion tips and advice and at SPAR we are able to meet this need both instore and through all of our communications.

The SPAR Nutrit ion Zone provides a wealth of information about nutrit ion and can be used by all SPAR Partners. The website offers a host of fun food facts and breaks down the various food groups into an easy-to-understand food pyramid so that both current and future generations learn how healthy eating can contribute to growth and development.

The lunch box planner is the newest addition to the website and all Partners are encouraged to add it to the recipes sections of their websites and to share it on their social media platforms.

The website also includes a series of recipes, downloadable healthy l iving guides and fun games to help educate future generations about nutrit ion.

Visit the SPAR Nutrit ion Zone website to download the weekly lunch box planner and other nutrit ion guides and games: www.sparnutrit ionzone.com

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Documents

Contact International, Issue 6, 2015 - English