General manager Fabbri: "Objectives achieved thanks to an increasingly strong rooting in the territories and a solid product development project"

The growth path of Despar Italia continues, the consortium company that brings together six food distribution companies and their affiliated retailers under the Despar brand, which closed 2023 with revenues of 4.4 billion euros, up 5.6% compared to 2022. A result contributed to by a significant consolidation of the sales network in all the territories covered by the member companies, including new openings (56) and restyling of stores (34) and the important contribution of the branded product, a strategic driver of growth for the brand, which achieved revenues of 1 billion euros and a market share of 22.4%, higher than the national average. For 2024, approximately 100 million euros of investments are expected for 35 new openings and 33 renovations and a focus on branded products with more than 200 new product launches.

“In an increasingly changing context, influenced by events of which we are all fully aware and suffered by all", commented Gianni Cavalieri , president of Despar Italia, "our Group has continued to grow thanks to the dedication and constant commitment of all the member companies that operate in the area on a daily basis to consolidate and promote the Despar brand. A common effort which, together with our partner suppliers, allows us to pursue our objectives, first and foremost that of increasingly expanding and consolidating our range of branded products, a distinctive feature of Despar and an element of recognition of our brand. An ambitious project that we aim to achieve through constant commitment to innovation, sustainability and the promotion of ever greater synergies between all our members and, above all, with partner producers, both on a commercial and communicative and relational level, enhancing the principles and values that have always distinguished Despar".

“In 2023 we achieved the objectives we had set for ourselves, thanks to an increasingly strong rooting in the territories and a solid product development project", underlined Filippo Fabbri (photo), general director of Despar Italia. " A path that we also want to pursue in 2024: we expect to exceed 4.5 billion euros in revenues, with approximately 100 million euros of investments in the expansion of the sales network with 35 new openings and more than 30 renovations that will affect all territories in which we are present and where we want to continue to offer a close and quality service to our customers. The development of the branded product will continue to be one of our strategic growth drivers with the aim of exceeding one billion euros in revenues in 2024 and reaching a market share of 25% of our MDD products by 2025. Ambitious prospects that we aim to achieve in a market context that is certainly challenging, but where we are certain that we can assert ourselves with ever greater strength by leveraging our strengths: quality, convenience, valorisation of Italian supply chains and products and an ever closer bond with customers and with the territories in which we operate".

Despar Italia closed 2023 with collections of 4.4 billion euros, up 5.6% compared to 2022 (4,374,426,761 euros in 2023 compared to 4,140,122,756 euros in 2022). In particular, the collections achieved in 2023 were generated 64% by direct sales points and 36% by affiliated stores. The latter recorded solid growth of 6.7% compared to 2022, confirming the centrality that affiliation has for the Despar brand with a positive trend that remains constant over time. In fact, in the last five years (from 2019 to 2023), revenues from affiliated stores have grown by 57% and their weight on the total has gone from 27% in 2019 to 36% in 2023.

Looking at the distribution of takings by brand, 35% came from Despar stores (the brand that identifies the neighborhood supermarket, up to 800 m2), 38% from Eurospar stores (the medium-sized supermarket brand, ideal for weekly shopping, between 800 and 2,000 m2) and 27% from Interspar stores (the large supermarket, over 2,000 m2). The positive trend is recorded in all store formats, with the medium-sized ones, the Eurospars, recording the best growth performance (+6.7% compared to 2022), also driven by solid growth of the network.

Despar people, whose precious contribution, commitment and dedication is aimed at offering customers the best shopping experience on a daily basis, have reached 14,552, an increase of over 300 units compared to the previous year, also in correlation with the development of the sales network .

2023 was an important year for the expansion and rooting of the brand in the territories: there were a total of 90 new openings and restylings of points of sale in all the markets served: in detail there were 56 new openings and 34 renovations . Today Despar Italia has a total of 1,424 stores (408 direct and 1,016 affiliates) for a total sales area of 832,298 square metres.

The new openings concerned all the brands with which the company operates in the territory, in detail the following were launched: 41 Despar, 12 Eurospar and 3 Interspar. The development path involved all the territories covered, strengthening the presence of the Fir brand in historic areas and expanding its influence in new areas.

The centrality of the branded product: revenue reached one billion euros in 2023
The branded product plays a central role in the development path of Despar Italia which has reached an MDD share of 22.4%, up by 1 point compared to 2022 (Source Nielsen I+S, AT 2023), recording positive performances both by value and volume. Sales of Despar brand products in 2023 will reach one billion euros (999,723,722 euros), recording an increase of 12.8% compared to 2022, while volumes increased by 7.1% compared to the previous year.