Private brand and hot dogs for NIS 5: Will SPAR make a revolution?

The international retail chain, founded in the Netherlands, operates its branches in 48 countries in the world and now, Israel is the 49th country that will benefit from the unique concept that SPAR brings with it. SPAR Israel will open its first branch to the general public on March 19 in Kfar Saba, the chain's branch that will open in an area of 2,500 square meters, hopes to provide an international shopping experience and includes a cafe, a nursery, a "beer cave", special fresh departments including a butcher shop, a deli, a fish section Teva and Organic, the fruit and vegetable department boasts a cutting station and a full-length bowling alley awaiting customers after purchase, offering discounts on their next visit.

The first branch will open offering 750 different SPAR private label products imported from all over the world as well as many products produced for the chain by Israeli manufacturers and farmers. Every week, new products will arrive on the shelf from all over the world, including blue and white products from small manufacturers that are currently not found in any supermarket in Israel.

SPAR Israel intends to reach about 2,000 unique products within about 3 years. CEO and owner of SPAR Israel, Amit Zeev: "After a year and a half of intensive work, which included, among other things, visits to SPAR branches around the world and choosing the most suitable products for the Israeli consumer at the fairest prices and investing in every detail in the design of the store and the various departments, this morning we are proud and excited to inaugurate the supermarket The first of SPAR in Israel, this is the beginning of a journey towards the establishment of 10 more stores throughout the country and a total of 35 stores within about five years." "We believe that supporting local agriculture is essential and advocate the inclusion of small and medium-sized producers on the store shelves alongside products from the largest producers in the world."

"The store proudly displays hundreds of locally produced products and items that have not yet been found in other supermarkets. We are committed to giving equal opportunities to entrepreneurs and small producers in the food and consumer sector," Zeev added.

The chain's ecosystem is different from a chain that operates franchisees. The "franchisees" are considered "partners" and Ze'ev is the Israeli partner that will operate the chain's branches in the entire territory. In Italy, for example, there are 6 different partners, and on the other hand, there are partners who manage the activities of the network in several countries at the same time.

The chain's partners benefit from vast information accumulated since 1932, from how to choose a cart to the use of purchasing power and the selection of products that will suit the local audience. SPAR's partners are allowed to trade among themselves and include local farmers and producers as suppliers of the branches. Certain products reach all branches in all 49 states, but there are products that you will only find in certain branches precisely because of the aforementioned agenda that allows fairly free trade.

Regarding the prices that the chain will offer and the competition that they intend to create, Zeev answered: "SPAR's partners enjoy a powerful buying power that allows us to get good prices. Since fairness is a top value for me, we intend to maintain it both over time - we will not buy cheap and sell expensive. The prices you will see here are Not a game for the launch, although they may change depending on the market prices, such as the price of the tomato, for example."

SPAR Israel trades with local producers in various fields: baking, agriculture, boutique wineries (YAFFO), breweries, cheeses (Gal Farm), meats (growers from the Golan Heights), vegetables and fruits (Bikur Sde North) who will deliver their produce under the SPAR brand. "The international network does not have to approve the collaborations but can suggest, direct, recommend," shares Zeev. Many products come from different countries in the world, but at the same time, Zeev tells us that "there is no product in our branches right now that is manufactured in Turkey. I have no problem with Turkey personally and I am sure that we will do business with them in the future, but as of these days we do not have any trade with them". On the topic of rumors about a legal dispute with the French Carrefour chain, Zeev claims that "there is no legal proceeding in this matter, and I don't intend to say more than that."

For the past year and a half, under the leadership of Amit Zeev, the local team has been working diligently on the design, planning, execution and implementation of the opening of a supermarket chain with exceptional European standards. From the moment customers enter the store, they experience a variety and abundance of quality products in different segments that are successfully sold all over the world along with extensive specialized departments that offer a rich and fresh variety of products. "The prices of the imported products will remind customers of the prices in Europe more than in Israel." What sets SPAR apart is its unique structure and operating methods, having originally been established as a cooperative in the Netherlands in 1932.

The chain operates as a voluntary network of independent retailers, mainly family-owned, united by a common goal, which is to unite independent retailers on a global scale, foster cooperation, improve customer service levels and preserve the unique character of each community it serves.

The first branch to be opened in Kfar Saba includes special premises and diverse departments: 

An European cafe - which will operate throughout the week and at all hours of operation and will offer quality Italian coffee made from SPAR premium coffee beans, a hot dog for NIS 5, a pizza for NIS 19.9 and a variety of toasts made from the ingredients of the delicacy For NIS 10 every morning, the cafe will offer a variety of fresh pastries from the nearby bakery.

Bakery - the bakery has a wide variety of unique pastries, breads, focaccia and baguettes baked on the premises along with plenty of cakes and cookies, in addition, you can find European rolls for NIS 1.9 and on the weekend, an updated version of the Israeli challah "Spar's challah".

Urban nursery - next to the cafe, customers can enjoy coffee and pastries in the adjacent greenhouse, surrounded by spice plants, pots, small trees and even charming garden gnomes from the Alps.

Butcher - a professional butcher who will provide the highest quality meat and chicken in Israel alongside a selection of high-quality, pre-packaged premium cuts from SPAR.

You can also find "grilled" products of the SPAR brand, kebabs, hamburgers and sausages made from kosher and high-quality Israeli meat.

Deli - In the deli you can find cheeses from all over the world as well as a "blue and white" product series that includes 18 types of cheeses produced in Israel by a boutique dairy alongside a huge selection of kosher cheeses from all over the world.

Fresh fish department - The fresh fish department will provide customers with locally produced fresh fish from local farmers. "Beer Cave" - a huge, chilled room that offers an amazing variety of beers in Israel, about 300 different types, many of which were previously exclusive to restaurants, bars and specialty stores.

Every local brewery is properly represented in this special room. Near the beer cave you will discover the largest Hachshara wine and alcohol department in Israel, boasting over 1,000 types of wine and alcohol.

The private label of the SPAR chain offers 3 categories at different quality levels and price levels. "We are used to a private brand offering cheap prices and this has given the whole category a bad name. But this is not the reality of the SPAR chain, with us customers will find different levels of quality and prices in 3 series: today in Israel there are about 100 products from the especially cheap series (budget ), about 300 products from the standard series (cold) and 100 products from the expensive and especially high-quality series (premium)".

In addition to the private exhibit, the chain offers product series from specific categories such as: the Vital product series - the healthy series - a solution for products with the best nutritional values and the Natural series which offers organic products at prices that are only 10-15% higher than corresponding non-organic food. "There is no reason for such products to cost twice as much as we are used to, the same goes for gluten-free products." At the meat deli, you will find meat imported from Argentina, for example, at affordable prices, alongside high-quality meats that come from beef farms in the Golan Heights. "Our branch is kosher and all our meats go through Strict training of course.

In the meat department, for example, you will not find products from the cheap budget series, but only products from the premium series." In the cheese department, you will find imported cheeses from all over the world alongside local cheeses produced by a boutique manufacturer (Meshek Gal) that currently offers cheeses from the standard Kor series, but there will be For cheeses from the especially cheap product series (budget) as well as high-quality cheeses from the luxury series (premium). Sample prices: 1 kilo of pasta from the cheap series: NIS 6.90  (currently on sale NIS 4.90 ) and standard extravaganza pasta at a price of 4.90 per half kilo. 2 kilos of Persian rice for NIS 9.90. Toothpaste at 4.90 per 100 ml.

A beer cave that the chain is proud of, includes about 300 types of beer and complementary accessories for an overall experience. "There is no kosher Israeli beer that is not here," says Zeev. In the beer cave, the chain offers an ice machine from which you can fill and take unlimited ice - free of charge. "In Israel, we got used to paying for ice, but not with us, not anymore. We have a slogan on the network that says 'Salt and ice don't go up' so enjoy yourself." The online payment method is also experiential. You can fill a smart cart with a terminal that will store the products you put in the cart, and at the end of the shopping process you will exit through a floor scale and you can pay quickly and leave. If you choose this way, instead of the terminal you will be able to use your personal mobile phone using the Spar app."

In addition, there are independent payment stations with a comfortable surface on the side that will hold the entire contents of the cart for maximum user comfort and, of course, regular cash registers with human cashiers." Purchaser, immediately upon completion of purchase and payment, throw a ball and, depending on the success of the shot, receive a discount for the next purchase. The result is automatically translated according to your personal barcode and will appear directly in the application, for example, downloading 7 soldiers, you will receive a NIS 70  discount for the next purchase, a real discount, without checks ".

The SPAR store is one of the most technologically advanced in the world and will include the latest Israeli technology.

The key technological features include:

COMAX - one of the prominent companies in the technological landscape, a software house that serves as the "retail brain" responsible for operating the cash registers and the ERP system.

SUPER SMART - The advanced technology offered by this company allows shoppers to effortlessly scan products in their cart while shopping, using a smartphone or the SPAR&GO mobile app. As a result, customers can enjoy exiting the store without queuing.

VALUECARD - the platform that supports the SPAR customer club provides members with a variety of benefits, including personalized benefits, rotating promotions, free tenth coffee and the opportunity to try new products arriving in Israel.

Moreover, the club app gives access to open the ice machine inside the branch and allows club members to enjoy free ice.

Automatic store - The INSHOP company has built a platform for a fully automatic store, which you will meet at the entrance to the store and it will operate 24 hours a day (even when the branch is closed) and will allow customers to buy the 200 products sold in Israel, without taking out the credit card except for registration, after which the system will recognize the customer's face and allow To exit the automatic store without payment that will be made in the background.

NIMBUS IP - will allow customers a fast and secure internet network.

SHARFSHTEIN, whose machines are scattered throughout the fresh departments, including in the bakery located at the front of the store, will allow customers to slice bread to the desired thickness and shape.

PAIRSON allows customers to receive a digital invoice directly on their mobile device, thereby contributing to environmental sustainability by reducing the use of paper.

RAS - will allow accurate weighing of all fresh products and in the vegetable department the scale armed with AI will identify the type of fruit or vegetable that will be placed on it and make it easier for the customer to search.

DANGOT - which designed and built specially for SPAR Israel self-service cash registers at a level never before seen (in the world) in a size sufficient for an entire trolley, with us you will not get stuck with the products in your hands.

KONFIDAS - Make sure all technology is completely secure from cyber attacks. And if that's not enough, you can play in the bowling lane (with a full length of 27 meters) at the end of your purchase and win bigger discounts on your next purchase as you knock down more pins. Environmental and social responsibility - the word SPAR means "tree" in Dutch, a binding name.

SPAR Israel aims to plant a million new trees in Israel with the cooperation of its customers, it encourages bottle recycling and will offer its customers to donate the 30 ag and add 10 ag itself for every bottle that they recycle in its automatic recycling machines. SPAR Israel already regularly employs many employees with special needs who work in the store as full-time employees in cooperation with the association "All is good".

Throughout the year, SPAR will operate and reduce food loss with new methods. A preferred and fair employer - SPAR Israel also aspires to be the preferred and fair employer in Israel, it offers its employees meals for each employee, a promotion track and management reserve and a constant possibility to increase their monthly salary, SPAR will participate in the academic studies of the employees and offer professional tours to SPAR branches abroad for outstanding employees. SPAR will also allow its employees to receive a discount for shopping at the store that reflects cost prices.

The branch will be opened after a launch event that will take place on the evening of March 18 with the participation of senior Israeli business leaders and SPAR's partners in Israel. The next day, on 19.3, the branch will open to the general public.