Supermarket chain SPAR has entered North Macedonia through a licensing deal with Viva Fresh Group, which has launched two stores in the capital city of Skopje, under the SPAR and INTERSPAR brands.
Spar International granted the licence to Kosovo-based Viva Fresh Group earlier this year
Viva Fresh Group said it plans to bring 65 stores under the Spar brand within twelve months, supported by a €43m ($50m) investment. The launch of the network includes an Interspar hypermarket and a Spar supermarket, both in Skopje. The hypermarket’s retail floor space totals 4,677m², with more than 16,000 product lines across grocery and non-grocery categories, including around 400 own-brand items.
Viva Fresh Group acquired the former Kit Go retail chain in 2022 and is using that estate as the foundation for a phased SPAR conversion programme. According to the company, rollout of the stores is structured to support supply chain development and broader retail infrastructure in the market. Viva Fresh Group has also indicated it will source from local producers and suppliers and will operate training and workforce development initiatives in the sector.