In 2023, SPAR Austria had quite the financial trip, boasting a hefty gross retail turnover of EUR 9.88 billion. That’s no longer all—they outpaced the enterprise’s average growth by a solid eight.0%, nabbing a hefty marketplace percentage of 36.8%. Talk about flexing a few severe marketplace muscles!
SPAR Austria boosts the market
Back in the day, SPAR Austria commenced small in 1954, with just one wholesaler and a hundred shops. Fast forward to 2024, and they’re celebrating their seventieth birthday in style. And boy, have they been killing it inside the meal change. While others struggled, SPAR Austria managed to outshine the opposition with an income increase of 9.2%. Not too shabby for a company hitting the large 7-0!
Hans K. Reisch, the bigwig Chair of SPAR Austria, failed to mince words while talking approximately the pricing hullabaloo in 2023. He made it clear that outlets were not the culprits behind the rate hikes, pointing fingers at inflation instead. Plus, he assured clients that any fee cuts from manufacturers could be surpassed ASAP. And wager what? They brought, slashing costs on over 1,000 products remaining this year. It looks like SPAR Austria’s got their customers’ backs.
But it’s not just about sales numbers; SPAR Austria’s been busy sprucing up their stores too. With 1,556 stores across Austria, including over a thousand SPAR supermarkets, they’re not just expanding their footprint; they’re revamping and modernizing to keep up with the times. And boy, have they come a long way—from stores smaller than a postage stamp in ’54 to spacious shopping havens averaging 800 m2 today.
And let’s not forget about the indie SPAR retailers. Despite having limited stores available, they saw a healthy 10% increase in turnover. They’re not just sitting still either; they’re investing in store upgrades, which will consolidate the retail space to more than 300,000 m2.
Looking at the big picture, SPAR Austria Group is expected to generate more than 20 billion euros by 2023. It’s impressive, isn’t it? Even with higher debt, they managed to pocket a pre-tax profit of €221 million. That’s a solid 1.5% margin, folks.
But SPAR Austria is not limited to Austria; they have spread their wings to northern Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia. And it’s not just diving; their 1,479 stores generate a whopping €7.80 billion in revenue. Croatia became the standout star, breaking the billion-euro trademark for the first time. They put their money where their mouth is, putting a cool 100 million euros into a destination to keep up with the expansion.
Sure, there are obstacles, like that worrying price in Hungary, but SPAR Austria Group’s more than 93,500 employees powered through. They weren’t skimpy on investments either, pumping in about €750 million into businesses last year alone.
And in this era of e-commerce, SPAR e-commerce is not far behind. They have online food apps operating in Hungary, Slovenia, and Austria, delivering groceries right to your door. While online shopping may be slowing down in Italy and Austria, SPAR is still looking for ways to get customers to click.
All in all, Spar Austria’s 2023 was a rollercoaster of successes and challenges. But with a commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, and community, they show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Here’s another 70 years of SPAR-tacular success!