SPAR launches its 1st Supermarket in Andhra Pradesh

SPAR, the world’s largest independent food retail chain has arrived in Hyderabad. Shoppers who want genuinely fresh vegetables, fruit, fish and meat at best prices now have a food store of their choice with the opening of the SPAR Supermarket in Begumpet, on Friday, October 17th 2008.

Shoppers will have the option to choose from a wide array of quality products in every category ranging from Grocery, Fruits & Vegetables, Bakery, Dairy & Take Away Foods, Meat, Poultry & Fish, Wine, Beer, Spirits & Tobacco, Home Textiles, Personal Care, Crockery, Utensils & Kitchen Appliances, Travel & IT Accessories and much more.

Spread over 20,000 sq ft & all on one floor, the SPAR Supermarket in Hyderabad promises to elevate shopping from a daily chore to a world class shopping experience that also offers value for money. “We want to take retailing to a new level in India and give the customer something s/he has never experienced before – the finest, freshest quality, widest choice, great value for money and personal & friendly service – all packaged together for a truly enjoyable shopping experience,” says Viney Singh, Managing Director, Max Hypermarkets which has set up the store by entering into a license agreement with SPAR International.

Freshness, Choice, Value and Service is what SPAR promises its customers.

Fresh – 18 hours from the farm till your home

The vegetables and fruits at SPAR are hand picked at source and maintained at controlled temperatures till they reach the store. SPAR also uses state-of-the-art technology to keep the produce fresh even in-store. For example, the Fish counter at SPAR offers freshly cut and cleaned fish packaged in ice so that it stays fresh till it reaches your home. In addition to fruits, vegetables and meat, SPAR also offers fresh baked bread and fresh fruit juice in its store.

SPAR emphasis on ‘Fresh Food’ is unique and unparalleled. Indians like to shop for fresh ingredients to prepare the day’s meal and therefore, SPAR, committed to outstanding service and excellence in fresh foods, will bring in exactly that value to the consumer by increasing the number of fresh lines across all its food and beverage concepts.

Most of the produce is sourced directly from farmers / wholesalers , quickly placed in cold storage to retain the nutritive value of the food and brought to the store, all this within 18 hours from when the produce is picked up.

Biggest Choice in range of packaged foods and beverages, Fruits, Vegetables & Meat in Hyderabad

SPAR promises you the widest choice in food, groceries, meat and staples. Choose from over 13 varieties of rice, the widest range of marinated chicken and mutton, and from over 20 varieties of imported cheese. The range of fruits at SPAR includes the best varieties of exotic fruits from all around the world. And the fish section too, has exotic fishes from across India.

Shoppers can also opt for a wide range of imported products from Europe, South East Asia and Australia including cheese from Italy, France and the UK, juices from South Africa and a range of tinned foods from around the world, Imported ice-cream from Mars and London Dairy is on offer for the first time in Hyderabad and SPAR has sought the expertise to lay out the best of Indian wines.

Best bargains at budget prices and great value for money

Get ready for quality products and an unforgettable shopping experience at a bargain. SPAR assures excellent value for your money throughout the year. ‘Best Deals’ that run every fortnight give you the best bargains of up to 75% discount. In addition, your daily household needs are maintained at the lowest price throughout the year at SPAR under the ‘Every Day Low Price’ deals.

World-class experience and service in Hyderabad

In addition to freshness, choice and value, SPAR also assures world-class service. Wide aisles for easy trolley movement, a fast check-out process, or for that matter, the token system at the fish counter. What these mean is that your time is well-spent soaking in a world-class shopping experience. Another important feature is the fact that shopping trolleys can be moved seamlessly from the store till the exit, making shopping what it should be - a pleasure. Add to all these, valet parking service. And you have the best ever shopping experience in Hyderabad.

“This is a customer-focused store which understands the pressures and pleasures of modern consumers and aims to improve the quality of the shopping experience by bringing tried and tested solutions in lighting and retail merchandising.

“We promise to deliver a compelling shopping experience to the citizens of Hyderabad by offering freshness, quality and wide range, value for money, uniqueness, authenticity and visual excitement. The intention is to move beyond simply meeting the product needs of consumers to offering a unique and unmatched shopping experience,” says Mr Viney Singh, MD Max Hypermarkets.

Licence Agreement brings global expertise and experience to suit local market preferences

The SPAR supermarket is the result of a licence agreement between the Landmark Group’s Max Hypermarkets India Private Ltd and SPAR International. SPAR is the world’s largest independent food retail chain which operates on the principle of a ‘Co-operative of Independent Retailers and Wholesalers’ and is present in 35 countries on four continents.

“The licence enables Max Hypermarkets to gain access to SPAR’s best practice knowledge in international retailing, technical expertise and international experience. The two partners will work together to adapt this expertise to suit local requirements,” says Mr Singh.

Max Hypermarkets is responsible for the entire business operation – from capex outlay to day-to-day operations. Management control also rests with Max Hypermarkets. SPAR provides knowledge transfer and brings with it best practices in international retailing and technical expertise to ensure that the brand is being accurately represented, whilst ensuring that the local partner retains their financial independence to deliver the best solution in each market. SPAR International will play an integral support role in the development of the hypermarket format in India.

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The Landmark Group

The Landmark Group, founded in 1973 with a single shop in Bahrain has grown into one of the largest retail organisations in the GCC and is expanding rapidly in India. It currently operates over 550 stores across the region. In addition to the retail sector, the Group has also diversified into leisure, food & hotels and has created a comprehensive infrastructure including its own logistics and distribution division in Gulf Cooperation Council, to support its retail operations and other businesses.

The Group entered India in 1998 with the opening of its first Lifestyle store in Chennai a year later. As of June 2007, the Group has 50 stores across India, in the form of Lifestyle, Home Centre, Max, Fun City, food courts and international franchise brand stores. The Group also intends to foray, in the near future, into budget hotels with Citymax Hotels.