Spar is tapping into the premium retail space with the launch of its first Spar Gourmet store, positioning the brand to serve higher-income shoppers with a more refined and specialised shopping experience.
The new format, unveiled in Ballito on Wednesday, marks the start of a strategy to differentiate Spar’s top-end stores from its mainstream network.
CEO Angelo Swartz said the move is about giving affluent shoppers a store that reflects the quality and experience they expect, while also clarifying what the Spar brand stands for across different markets.
He said the company has long used a single brand across all income levels, which has created challenges as customer expectations have become more defined.
“For many years we have used one brand, and in some ways that’s been a strength, but customers today want certainty about price and … experience. Spar Gourmet allows us to give that clarity at the top end.”
Swartz said that it is not a mass-market expansion. Instead, the Gourmet format is a niche offering designed to appeal to discerning shoppers who want something distinct without being priced out.
“It’s not about scale,” he said. “We simply want to offer customers a bespoke, special experience when they shop at Spar Gourmet.”
Five Gourmet stores in 2026
The store in Ballito is the first of its kind, but Spar plans to grow the format steadily. Swartz said the retailer expects about five Gourmet stores in the next year, through new openings and conversions of existing premium outlets.
Over the medium term, Spar expects 50-100 Gourmet stores countrywide.
Though many Spar stores have already operated at a high-end level for years, Swartz said the new format puts a clear sign above the door to reflect that premium positioning.
“Many of our retailers have been doing stores of this ilk for some time. What’s different now is that we are formally telling that story through the Gourmet brand,” he said.
To build the new format, Spar brought in leading international retail specialists to help rethink store layout, design and customer flow.
Swartz said the process challenges the company’s assumptions about how customers shop and how food should be presented. “We are going to be challenging some of the norms within South African retail,” he said.
Store owner Mark Anderson, who has more than 45 years’ retail experience, said the Ballito Gourmet store represents the highest point of his career.
“It’s not just a store; it’s a new chapter in retail. This format brings together everything that I’ve learnt over the 45 years of retail discipline.”
The store offers a modern, polished environment with speciality food counters, premium displays and a curated selection aimed at shoppers looking for quality, convenience and a more personalised experience.
Spar said the launch is the start of a long-term evolution of its brand architecture, giving it more flexibility to serve different customer groups without abandoning its core identity.
Swartz said the company will continue refining the format as more stores come online.
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