Shoppers only just finding out how SPAR got its name
Originally established in the Netherlands in 1932, the multinational franchise was opened by Adriaan van Well under the moniker DESPAR. This was stylised as DE SPAR which, it turns out, is an acronym created by the founder to act as a slogan for the business.
While we know it as SPAR in Ireland, and it is known as the same in the UK and other areas, the original name is still used in some parts of the world, The Mirror reports.
This disparity led one curious person to ask on Quora: "Why are SPAR supermarkets called DESPAR in Italy?"
They went on to say: "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."
The business that we now know as SPAR decided to shorten its brand name in the 1940s before stores spread across Europe.
According to a statement on SPAR's website: "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."
So, why did they change the name? A Quora user noted: "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. To English speakers Despar looks too close to "despair" but to Italian speakers, it doesn't have this problem."
SPAR first arrived in Ireland in 1963, when its first store was opened in Dublin. It has since launched stores in every county in Ireland and there are currently more than 400 shops nationwide, with approximately 14,000 people employed in this country.
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