SPAR International, based in Amsterdam, is responsible for the development and co-ordination of the global SPAR network supporting independent retailers in competing against international chains and multiples since its inception in 1932.

SPAR International oversees the world's largest retail chain with 12,680 stores in 33 countries on four continents. The global SPAR network employs more than a quarter of a million people worldwide. This unique retail chain allows wholesalers and retailers to work together in partnership internationally under the umbrella brand of SPAR to offer the best value, range and choice to its customers. SPAR worldwide serves more than eight million customers daily.

SPAR International helps drive the SPAR retailing ethos and plays an important role in the development of the SPAR brand. Those in the SPAR network benefit from a shared ‘direction’ and the ‘support’ of a truly global team of retail experts. SPAR International encourages individual SPAR countries to develop strategically and in response to their given market.

SPAR International keeps a keen eye and evaluates key retail trends and consumer behavior that could influence its future direction and oversees expansion plans into new markets. It is thanks to SPAR International that SPAR continues to grow as a hugely successful global brand.

Founded in Holland in 1932 by Adriaan Van Well, SPAR is the world's largest grocery chain. Although there is much speculation as to the meaning of the word SPAR with some mistakenly thinking it is derived from the Dutch word for ‘to save’ Besparen, SPAR is in fact an acronym of a Dutch sentence that explains where modern day ‘SPAR’ finds its foundations.

Back in 1932 Van Well called his new retail concept 'De SPAR', which is derived from the following Dutch phrase:

'Door Eendrachtig Samenwerken Profiteren Allen Regelmatig'

When directly translated means, ‘We all benefit from joint cooperation’, which remains true to this day in each SPAR country and in the network as a whole. To symbolize the strength of this organization, Adriaan Van Well used the fir tree as part of the ‘De SPAR’ logo and although the organization’s name has shortened to SPAR and the SPAR tree has somewhat developed into more of a contemporary fir tree the fundamentals still remain to make it an instantly recognizable brand worldwide.

In 1947, SPAR spread its network to Belgium and in the 1950s this successful retail format was adopted in a number of European countries. The fast growth of the company continued over the years to follow with stores opening in South Africa, Japan, Eastern Europe, Argentina, Australia and most recently in China which is truly a market of growth for SPAR.