SPAR supermarket's name meaning has surprised shoppers after 94 years - the chain with more than 13,900 stores across 48 countries has an acronym origin many customers never knew about11:03, 29 May 2026It has been serving shoppers for over nine decades, yet many people are only just discovering what SPAR actually stands for. Established by Adriaan van Well in 1932, the Dutch multinational franchise now boasts more than 13,900 stores across 48 counties, welcoming 14.7 million customers through its doors every single day.‌The very first SPAR-branded store opened in the Netherlands under the name DESPAR, styled as DE SPAR, with Adriaan van Well crafting this acronym as a slogan for his shops. While the retailer is simply known as SPAR here in England, it continues to trade under this name in certain parts of the world - prompting one baffled traveller to ask on Quora: "Why are SPAR supermarkets called DESPAR in Italy?‌On SPAR's website, a statement reads: "On SPAR's official website, a statement reads: "It was initially launched as DESPAR, an acronym of a slogan created by van Well to describe the organisation: Door Eendrachtig Samenwerken Profiteren Allen Regelmatig, which translates into English as All Benefit from Joint Co-operation Regularly.‌"A simple yet powerful philosophy inspired van Well – independent wholesalers and retailers can achieve more by working together than working alone."Over time, the SPAR Brand has extended its presence, serving the needs of local communities across four continents to become the world's local food store of choice."During the 1940s, the company opted to shorten its brand name ahead of expanding its stores across Europe, with its first SPAR outlet opening in the UK throughout the 1950s.‌A statement adds: "SPAR International was established in 1953 to support and develop the SPAR brand and voluntary food retail network growth globally.""Mr van Well was the first President of the International SPAR Board, and he set up SPAR International with an office and management team in Amsterdam.‌"The United Kingdom became a member of the organisation in 1956 when SPAR International granted the SPAR licence to a group of independent wholesalers."There are five regional organisations building the brand in the UK. A central office in London provides national marketing and buying services for the group."SPAR UK has led the highly competitive convenience market in the country for many years. Always innovative, the five regional companies continue to grow the brand.‌"SPAR UK comprises independently owned licensed retailers and company-owned stores. These include forecourts, airports, train stations, city centres, and local neighbourhood stores. "Commenting on this, one Quora user claims: "When the company was founded in the Netherlands it was originally called Despar."Later when they expanded across Europe some countries shortened the name to Spar but Italy retained the original name.Article continues below"To English speakers Despar looks too close to "despair" but to Italian speakers, it doesn't have this problem."