However, from January 2023, when the license for the SPAR brand in Poland was taken over by the Specjał Capital Group, the situation began to change dramatically. In just seven months, the financial loss dropped from PLN 100 million a year to PLN 2.5 million. This is a result that significantly exceeded the management's expectations – inform “Wiadomości Handlowe”.
According to the website, SPAR Group, a global operator with experience in Africa and Ireland, failed to adapt its strategy to the specificity of the Polish market. Integration with the failing Piotr i Paweł chain turned out to be too complicated, and the lack of price flexibility, inefficient logistics and ineffective management led to mounting losses. Krzysztof Tokarz, president of the Polish Specjał Capital Group, emphasizes that the problem was not the brand itself, but the way it was run. “Consistency and the right strategy are key, not chance or negative scenarios” – Tokarz notes.
The special introduces a new strategy and restores stability
As described by “Wiadomości Handlowe”, the takeover of SPAR by Specjał turned out to be a turning point for the chain. The key changes included restoring financial liquidity, reorganizing operational processes and replacing the management staff. Thanks to these activities, the chain began to use the potential of its locations again, and the refreshed stores quickly recorded an increase in sales.
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“The result we achieved in such a short time exceeded our expectations. It shows that SPAR has huge potential that has not been used before,” says Tokarz.
Ambitious plans: a thousand stores and PLN 5 billion in turnover
The Specjał Capital Group does not hide its ambitions. Over the next five years, the SPAR chain is to have approximately one thousand stores, each of which will generate an average of PLN 5 million in turnover per year. In total, this means PLN 5 billion of retail turnover. Specjal plans to invest several hundred million PLN in SPAR, which is expected to strengthen its position on the Polish market.
At the same time, Specjał is developing its other brands, such as Nasza Sklep, Livio and Rabat Detal, with plans to reach a total number of 20,000 outlets. Thanks to the acquisition of SPAR, the company also gained competences in running large stores with an area of 1,000 to 1,500 m2, increasing the number of such outlets from 20 to 35.
Goal: entering the forefront of Polish trade
Specjał sets ambitious goals – entering the top ten of Polish retail, and in the long term even the top five. This would mean competition with giants such as Biedronka, Lidl, Dino or Żabka. “It's an ambitious plan, but the current pace of improvement in SPAR results shows that we are on the right track,” Tokarz emphasizes.
After five years of losses under the management of SPAR Group, the SPAR network in Poland is opening a new chapter. The special not only stopped the financial collapse, but also brought the chain closer to profitability in record time. SPAR, previously burdened with losses of PLN 100 million per year, now looks into the future with optimism, planning dynamic development and fighting for a place at the forefront of Polish retail trade.
