Spar - Is it a good thing or not (Spar)

Member Name: badders-si

Product:	Spar
Date:	29/10/08 (61 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stores in remote places providing service

Disadvantages: Often the only store in location with no competition

Spar claims to be the world's largest international food retail chain with nearly 16,000 stores in 34 countries. With 2,600 stores SPAR also claims to be the UK's leading convenience store group.

The clue is in the title there "CONVENIENCE" store. That is just what the spar shop should be used as a convenience store that is only used to top up your shopping.

Inside SPAR shops you will find fresh foods, wine, beer, household products and store-cupboard essentials, plus hot food to go, fresh coffee, in-store cash machines, the National Lottery and electronic mobile top-ups. Inside some you will find the Local Post Office as well as other local amenities.

You will find that most Spar shops are in smaller villages that are not as close to the supermarket chains. Generally you will find that the prices of the goods sold in Spar are more expensive than the supermarkets.

One good thing that the Spar shops have going for them is that it employs more than 50,000 people in the UK. Most of these people will be locals for the village that the shop is in. So they are providing local jobs in areas that need them.

The people that loose out though to me seem to be the elderly locals that find it hard to get to the Supermarkets as they are to far away and not easily accessible to them. They have to shop at the local stores in their village unless they have family members of friends that can go shopping for them at the supermarket to get them the better prices. These elderly tend to only have the option of shopping at the local Spar and therefore are being charged more for their shopping.
Previously there may well have been local butchers, fish mongers, bakers that provided the service to the village or town but now Spar are the only shop there as they have undercut to get the monopoly in the town or village.

I do agree that Spar does provide a good service to some small communities but something just does not sit right with me about them.

Summary: Not sure ifthey are a good thing or not !!!!