The SPAR Brand has entered the Angolan retail market, opening nine SPAR Express convenience stores during the past twelve months. The license to operate the SPAR brand in Angola was granted to a well-established local retail and distribution company, United Investimentos. Adapting international best practices from the SPAR network to suit local market needs has led to these convenience stores offering an assortment that is tailored to suit customers’ needs. 

SPAR Express format

In the arrivals terminal of Luanda International Airport, the SPAR Express store is compact in size and has been welcomed by customers at the terminal. The other eight SPAR Express stores operating at the start of this year in various locations in partnership with a local distributor, Pumangol Group, have an average of 100m2 retail selling area.

Local and fresh focus

Bringing international best practices in retail to the Angola market, where much of the existing retail trade is informal, SPAR Angola has already made its presence felt. There is a lot of competition in the market from brands well-known on the continent and in Europe. SPAR Angola offers freshly baked bread and pastries from their bakery production, an instore café, and a full range of products aligned to the convenience market.

SPAR Own Brand products produced on the continent or further afield take up to 25% of the range available, with the number of SKUs available varying from 1,000 – 4,500 depending on the store’s size. Long opening hours or stores open on a 24/7 basis make shoppers’ lives easier. SPAR Angola employs 280 people to run its stores and distribution operations. Continual adjustments in training and skills are made to deliver the best shopping experience for all customers.

“It’s a great honour for SPAR Angola to be joining the international SPAR family. We challenge ourselves every day to ensure that our customers leave our stores with a smile”, said Rui Catalo, Chief Executive Officer of SPAR Angola, on the occasion of the opening of the SPAR Express store at Luanda’s airport.

Future growth

The retailer has plans in place to continue bringing an international-class shopping experience to more consumers in the country in the coming years, under the SPAR Brand. Building on the company’s foundations in distribution, food production, and industrial development, SPAR Angola will continue to invest in developing the brand and bringing customers quality stores and shopping experiences.