Spar India 2

The Netherlands-based retailer Spar has announced plans to expand its reach in India, with 25 hypermarket stores to open by 2017.

The announcement was made during a visit to the flagship Spar hypermarket in Delhi as part of a trade delegation led by Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte and minister for agriculture Sharon Dijksma as well as the Dutch ambassador to India, Nepal and Bhutan, Alphonsus Steolinga.

Spar renewed its agreement with local retailer Max Hypermarkets in August last year after splitting ways in 2012, which saw the Dutch retailer re-launch 16 Spar hypermarkets in nine locations across India.

“Our growth and success in India provides an ideal case study for the suitability of the Spar model in emerging markets,” Spar International MD Gordon Campbell said in a company statement.“Where other global brands have struggled to gain traction, Spar’s brand values and offering, global expertise and partnership model, have brought immediate benefits for retailer, supplier and, ultimately, the consumer.”

Spar operates across 40 countries, with global retail sales of US$36.11bn in 2014.