SPAR UK is officially old enough to collect its bus pass and the symbol celebrated its 60th birthday in style with a funfair festival at Manchester Central.
More than 1700 guests attended the event, with suppliers, retailers and their families pitching up to celebrate six decades of Spar retailing.
Hosted by TV presenter Angela Scanlon, the festivities included a funfair, live music, a banquet and entertainment through to the wee small hours.
As part of the celebration, guests were offered the chance to score big from a selection of prizes including a car, tickets to the next Spar conference in Tenerife and a 1.5 carat diamond valued at £12,000.
Generosity was also high on the agenda, with £100,000 raised on the day for Spar’s national charity Marie Curie. Spar also presented a cheque for £600,000 to Dr Jane Collins, chief executive of Marie Curie. The cash was raised as part of a match-funding drive offered by the National Guild of Spar and hundreds of different fundraising activities which took place in Spar stores since the partnership launched in April last year.
There were also some special guests in attendance with three retailing families who have been with Spar since it first launched in the UK receiving awards to mark their contribution.
Spar UK managing director Debbie Robinson said the anniversary weekend was a celebration of the work that has been achieved within the Spar community over the last six decades.
“Since launching, Spar has stood for the idea that through joint cooperation, all benefit.
“This concept remains true today – our Spar retailers and wholesalers working together is what has made us such a success,” she said.
“This global success is reflected in the UK: with six consecutive years of growth and our sales and profits up, the Spar UK business is in great shape and outperforming our competitors.
“Thanks to our five hugely successful wholesalers, who have years of experience and expertise, as well as our innovative, entrepreneurial retailers, our business is going from strength to strength.”
