Spar Opens in Nabatiyeh!

Beirut, March 7, 2015: Under the patronage of His Excellency Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, and represented by his Wife Mrs. Randa Assi Berri, Spar proudly launched their second location in Lebanon, in Nabatiyeh. An official ribbon cutting ceremony was held on March the 7^th at the state-of-the-art 2,400 square meter Nabatiyeh store, where Mrs. Berri, SPAR management, key members of the civic and business community, officials and the press gathered to celebrate the great addition to the South. Mrs. Berri commented on the occasion stating: “The region is in need of similar vital projects that will inject life into the community and make the South a prime destination in Lebanon. Hopefully the launch of SPAR is the first to many opportunities.” Over the last 18 months, extensive work has been carried out by Retail Works SAL in partnership with SPAR Middle East and SPAR International to develop and tailor the optimum SPAR brand solution for the market. Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Habib Wehbi,Chairman and CEO of Retail Works SAL, stated: “The launch of our second location within the first quarter is indeed a proud moment for us. In terms of Nabatiyeh, not only do we aim to be a source for all household and community needs, but to also have a positive impact on the economy with job creation and added footfall." The first two SPAR stores in Lebanon, based in Nabatiyeh and the Sodeco areas of Beirut, represent SPAR International’s global best practice in providing a new shopping experience for Lebanese customers incorporating freshness, value, choice and service. The Nabatiyeh branch will be a key source of domestic needs for the entire south region catering to all requirements and necessities. Speaking about the expansion of SPAR into the Lebanese market, Dr Gordon Campbell CEO of SPAR International said “These store launches mark another significant milestone in the development of the SPAR brand in the Middle East. We are confident that these quality stores in these excellent locations will provide Lebanese consumers with an exciting new customer experience which we are committed to emulating in our stores across the region.”   Speaking at the Nabatiyeh launch Mr David Moore, Retail Development Manager of SPAR International said “These stores are a great example of the strong support which SPAR International can provide in retail layout, in store communications, merchandising, training and cross-merchandising guidance which makes a significant contribution to our partners in Lebanon and all over the world.” Mr.Ibrahim Al Bahar, Chairman, SPAR Middle East said that, "unveiling SPAR stores with our partners 'Retail Works' in Lebanon is of important strategic relevance to SPAR's growth plans in the Region. Lebanon will be our first country outside the Gulf region in the Middle East and this is a loud testimony of the SPAR model and it's capability of being exported successfully across borders." RBS Advisory has been mandated to act as the financial advisor to structure and manage the transactions of Spar. The Company has conducted a financial model and advised on the strategic expansion plan that Spar is seeking to pursue in the Lebanese market; which started with the opening of their first supermarket in Sodeco early in the year.  Rita Beiruty Sfeir commented that the Company's vision is to become the leading retailer in the market, offering exceptional and exciting customer experience by operating 16 stores in the coming 5 years.