Spar International has confirmed the opening of its first store in Azerbaijan, and plans to open 21 new stores in Oman by 2017, as the chain continues to expand its global footprint.
In Azerbaijan, Spar has partnered with local convenience and store operator Araz to open the new 1800sqm store in the nation’s capital, Baku.
Speaking at the official opening of the store, general director of Spar Azerbaijan, Vusal Sharifov, said “food retailing continues to be one of the most dynamic sectors of Azerbaijan’s economy”. Araz plans to open more than eight new Spar stores with a total sales area of 12,000sqm by the end of 2017.
In Oman, Spar International currently operates three stores with licensed franchise partner, Khimiji Ramdas. Its latest, a 1200sqm supermarket, opened in Madinat Sultan Qaboos. In addition to its target of 21 new stores over the next two years in the Sultanate, Spar Oman is also considering sub-franchising with individual SMEs.
David Moore, Spar International business development director, said,”Building strong partnerships, sharing international best practice and adhering to SPAR’s core principles has resulted in continued and growing interest from independent retail partners across the globe – particularly in developing economies.
“Our partners in Azerbaijan and Oman, have ambitious plans for growth in both of their markets and we look forward to working with them to grow their presence further into the future.”
The retail chain has opened stores in five new countries this year, including Azerbaijan, as well as Cameroon, Seychelles, Malawi and Indonesia.
