SPAR Hungary has been a significant player in the Hungarian economy and retail market for three decades now. As one of the biggest employers in the country, SPAR provides jobs to nearly 13 000 people and supports family businesses, producers, and farmers. The company celebrating a jubilee reacts to customer demands by modernising with the advances in environmental and social sustainability. 

 “Over the course of the last 30 years, our company has not only become an important part of the Hungarian economy, but one that has helped shape it. We have contributed to the development of the national economy with over 400 billion HUF, and have supported different social, environmental, sport, educational, and cultural development initiatives with more than 1 billion HUF. We are proud to provide job security to almost 13 000 people whose contributions we are especially grateful for. Our commitment to Hungary is clearly demonstrated through our produce range, with 90% of the products sourced from locally operated companies. It has been a long-standing priority for us to support and help the Hungarian agriculture and food processing industries, as well as bring family businesses and Hungarian farmers into the market,” explained Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary.

SPAR Magyarország Kereskedelmi Kft. has launched operation in 1990, and the first supermarket was opened in the town of Tata in 1991. During the last three decades, the chain has expanded to have 588 members, due to 647 billion HUF investments made throughout these years. The retail chain has continuously expanded in Hungary and has become a major company in Hungarian retail trade. Last year, SPAR had 381 own-operated stores: 324 SPAR supermarkets, 23 City SPAR supermarkets and 34 INTERSPAR hypermarkets. Important steps of this development also included the opening of the popular franchise units, present in the country in four additional store formats: SPAR partner, SPAR market, OMV-SPAR express and LUKOIL-DESPAR. Compared to 2 stores in the first year, the number of franchise stores has also risen to 207 by 2021, located in 94 different municipalities throughout the country.

Our practices and business policies to support the Hungarian economy have been a priority for a long time. The ratio of SPAR’s domestic suppliers has been between 85%-90% in the last ten years and in 2020 it was 89%. For several product groups, the retail chain exclusively sells goods that are locally manufactured. During the pandemic it is especially important to support and stimulate the national economy. SPAR has shown their dedication, joining a campaign (Vedd a hazait! Védd a hazait!) to encourage customers to buy and protect local products, as well as launching the “Hungaricool by SPAR competition” – a unique initiative to support Hungarian product development.

There are more and more customers doing their grocery shopping through the online shop every day. An investment of 960 million HUF enabled the launch of SPAR’s online shop in 2019. Customers can enjoy the benefits of this across Budapest and in almost 50 towns in the area, as well as in Tatabánya, Kecskemét, Zalaegerszeg and their catchment areas, and a further nine spots in the Lake Velence region located in popular tourist destinations.

In conjunction with the ongoing and significant extension of the store network, the high volumes of meat and meat product sales have laid the ground for the foundation of the Regnum meat processing plant, SPAR’s own factory. Seeing the constantly growing demand, the company has made the decision to expand its production capacity and acquired the Perbál plant unit of ZIMBO Perbál Húsipari Termelő Kft. which operates as Regnum Meat Processing Plant Perbál since 2 November 2020. In 2020, a staff of 368 has worked in the SPAR meat processing facilities. With the transformation of consumer needs, the demand for fast and quality meals has increased, so the expansion of the convenience product range was given a prominent place among the company’s product developments in 2018. In order to support this process, the company has established the SPAR enjoy. convenience plant in Üllő. In just two year, production figures doubled, and the new facility has realised about 3.2 billion HUF turnover during the last three years.

The company has started to introduce own-brand products to the market in 1997, and it has expanded the private label range ever since, presently providing 31 types of own-brand product groups to customers. The retail chain distributes more than 3 600 private-label goods under its own brands, with food products constituting more than half of these. SPAR also focuses on improvements related to maximising customer experience, introduces likeable and practicaly novelties to customers, ensuring that the everyday shopping activities are turned into an experience.

In its first year of operation in Hungary, SPAR employed 50 people. This number has grown to close to 13 000 today, making SPAR one of the biggest employers in the country. At the end of 2020, 97% were full-time employees, with 72% female and 28% male having an average age of 40; and 43% of employees have been with SPAR Hungary for at least seven years. The retail chain rewards the dedication of the employees with competitive salary packages and additional employee benefits. Most SPAR employees are entitled to regular extra benefits; between 2016 and 2020, the company has spent a total of 1942 million HUF on SZÉP Cards, a further 872 million HUF on SPAR gift cards, and 4762 million HUF on employee travel allowances.

In addition to environmental sustainability, SPAR also takes major efforts to contribute to social sustainability, to play an active role in corporate social responsibility. With its nationwide network it can contribute to supporting local initiatives and sends food donations to people in need, in cooperation with its strategic partner, the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service.

SPAR Magyarország Kereskedelmi Kft. has released a 74-page exclusive brochure to mark the 30-year jubilee of the company’s foundation. The corporate scorecard that presents the company’s history and its influence on the Hungarian economy was coordinated by KPMG Tanácsadó Kft., Hungary’s leading audit and business advisory firm. The publication is a research project completed with short analyses, covering all areas of SPAR’s operations and business achievements, from network building, factory site development, and brand expansion, to their corporate environmental, social and employment policies. 

The publication can be accessed on the www.spar.hu/30ev website.

For more information please contact:

Márk Maczelka, head of communications

SPAR Magyarország Kereskedelmi Kft. ∙ 2060, Bicske, SPAR út

Mobile: +36 20 823 7891 ∙ E-mail: maczelka.mark@spar.hu

More and more people choose R&D services to develop and implement their sustainability ideas. Providing solutions for the recycling of used materials, and waste management, along carrying out other green industry developments, Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Research has been a returning guest of the Ökoindustria expo for several years now, which took place within a 3-day online conference this year.

Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Ltd. is committed to a circular economy, innovations (e.g. the extraction of secondary raw materials, development of ecologically degradable materials), services (e.g. LCA analysis, remediation), and solution possibilities were presented, which are closely related to the environmental industry. At this year’s exhibition, 6 different presentations were waiting for those who were interested. The topics of the presentations were the following:

• Measuring tools of Sustainability Performance (LCA, EPD)
• Green production and automated solutions
• Bioremediation – from the lab to the field
• Red sludge (Residue from bauxite mining) Workshop
• Ethical entrepreneurial approach and environmentally conscious production
• Industrial Green technologies

More information at: http://www.bayzoltan.hu/hu/2021/04/28/okoindustria-2021/

During the interactive presentations, the audience could ask their questions in the chat window at any time, to which the company’s experts and invited guest speakers were delighted to answer to. The quality of the presentations is reflected by the fact, that audience members were happy to join into the roundtable discussions, they asked questions and expressed their opinions on the topic of the presentation. Thank you to all the guests, who visited our stands!

In case you have any questions or ideas, please contact us at bence.jaszkai@bayzoltan.hu

If you’re interested in our green industry solutions, visit our website, or follow us on our social media platforms, where we post new information every day.

https://www.facebook.com/bayzoltan.hu

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bayzoltan

The Research Institution also took part in the prevention of the epidemic. By establishing mask production capacities, we deliver thousands of masks to the healthcare system every day. Working together with ÉMI (Construction Quality Control Innovation No-profit Ltd.), the development of an epidemic related building rating system has been launched, which will not only help market operators navigate between new technologies available on the market, but also help them in preparing for an epidemic situation.

• For HUF 6 per litre, drivers can offset the emissions resulting from the use of the fuel they purchase at Shell retail sites. During a month after the launch, the offer is available free of charge to Shell ClubSmart members.
• From the funds generated thanks to the program, Shell is purchasing carbon credits in forest conservation, forestation and reforestation projects to support the world’s ecosystems.
• Shell’s aim is to become a net zero emissions energy company by 2050 at the latest

On 4 May, Shell announced the launch of its Carbon Compensation Program, which creates an opportunity for customers, drivers can offset the emissions resulting from the use of the fuel at Shell retail sites. If they decide to participate in the program when filling up at Shell, the amount of carbon emissions associated with the use of the fuel purchased is calculated, and an equivalent amount of so-called carbon credits are purchased by Shell in order to offset the greenhouse gases emitted.

It is Shell’s ambition to become a net-zero emissions energy company by 2050, in step with society. In order to achieve this goal, Shell created a strategy resting on three pillars: avoid, reduce and offset. To avoid emissions covers solutions which do not require carbon-based energy, such as electromobility, which Shell supports by the continuous expansion of its network of chargers: besides introducing Shell’s own brand of Shell Recharge in Hungary, fast chargers will also become available at Shell retail sites along highways M3 and M7 thanks to the cooperation with IONITY. To reduce emissions is made possible by offering products with lower carbon intensity. Shell’s ambition is to reduce the Net Carbon Footprint of its energy products by around 65 per cent by 2050, and by around 30 per cent by 2035.

Nature Based Solutions (NBS) as well as the Carbon Compensation Program focus on the third pillar, providing an effective solution to offset the emissions that are currently unavoidable. Offsetting means that Shell ensures the full well to wheel lifecycle emissions – that is, associated with the production, delivery, distribution and usage of the fuel are offset through the use of carbon credits – are removed from the atmosphere by investing in nature-based projects. These projects focus on wetlands (e.g. coastal restoration, peatland protection), agriculture and grasslands, blue carbon (e.g. mangroves), and of course forests. Within the forestry space, there are two main pathways: avoided deforestation and afforestation/reforestation.

Members of our ClubSmart loyalty program will enjoy Carbon Compensation Program free of charge during a first month between May 4 and June 6, 2021, when refuelling and using loyalty cards. (The promotion is not available to those completing their purchase payment with euroShell, Esso or DKV fuel cards.) For HUF 4.5 per litre plus VAT, business customers (B2B) using Shell fuel cards will be also provided the choice to compensate for the emissions resulting from the use of the fuel they purchased.

For further information, please visit our website.

According to ALTEO’s survey, when choosing a form of investment, green aspects are nearly as important in a company’s assessment a show the given company treats its employees.

The increasing importance of sustainability is well illustrated by the fact that investors place higher value at those companies of the S&P500 index – which lists the most valuable American major corporations – that operate effectively in terms of green aspects as well. It is not a coincidence that ALTEO, publishing its third integrated report this year, moves up another gear: the new generation energy supplier hopes to obtain ESG rating.

The representative country-wide survey examined the environmental knowledge and behavior of the Hungarian population, which served as the basis of ALTEO’s Sustainability Barometer, which included the attitudes of respondents related to finances. As it was expected, people are most familiar with treasury bonds and government securities (72% of respondents), time deposits and savings accounts (70%), and pension savings accounts (64%), of all investments. Time deposits and savings accounts are the most popular: 44 % of respondents already used them, followed by pension savings accounts (31%) and savings insurance (28%).

The order of importance for choosing an investment is led by profitability (55% consider it decisive), while in second place is how a given company treats its employees (48%). A great majority, 85 % of respondents, stated they also prefer financial products that take sustainability into consideration.

„Since our 2008 launch, sustainability has been present in all our business decisions” – says Attila Chikán Jr., CEO of ALTEO, who adds that in addition to the purposeful and determined continuation of their investment program lasting until 2024, the greatest implementation of ESG aspects is among the main priorities of this year in the operation of the company.

The survey was conducted by MicraMR in January of 2021, among the Hungarian population between the ages 20-65, with internet connection, using a 1,000 person sample. The survey is representative of sex, age, education and settlement.