SPAR Scotland is the biggest independent and local grocery group in Scotland. We are part of the largest independent grocery group in the UK and part of the largest grocery organisation in the world through its close links with SPAR International. The family of SPAR internationally gives SPAR enormous strength in the market place with massive buying power, strength in numbers and an internationally respected brand. SPAR was founded in 1932, when Mr Adriaan van Well introduced the concept of voluntary trading to Holland. This concept was based on a cooperative partnership between independent retailers and wholesalers who agreed to pool their strengths and work together to provide consumers with a competitive and relevant shopping offer. The slogan of this partnership was : Door Eendrachtig Samenwerken Profiteren Allen Regelmatig" - DESPAR". This translates as "By united cooperation all will profit" and sets out the ongoing philosophy of the organisation. This slogan led to the fir tree as the symbol of SPAR as the dutch word for Fir Tree is de SPAR. The formula proved to be so successful in the Netherlands that the concept and the name soon spread at first to the rest of Europe and then to Africa , Far East and South America. Today SPAR has 19,000 Shops and is represented in 34 Countries World Wide across 5 Continents, Employing 180,000 people with sales of £35 Billion. In September 1957 SPAR was launched in the UK. Originally 70 Retailers displayed an illuminated SPAR sign in their windows and were the first independent retailers to operate under a common sign instead of their own names, the first to pay into a national advertising scheme, to pledge loyalty to their wholesaler and the organisation and to work in cooperation to reduce costs and in turn reduce the cost to the consumer. SPAR (UK) rapidly expanded and today has 2,650 stores in the UK.