Spar Colruyt Group opens renewed Spar Sint-Idesbald on Thursday 17 February

Monday, February 14, 2022

On Thursday 17 February, the renewed Spar Sint-Idesbald opens its doors. From Monday 24 January to Wednesday 16 February, the store was closed for thorough renovations.The family business opened its doors in 1969 and was founded by Sylvia Vandenbroucke's parents. In 2000, she joined the family business that was still called 'Selfservice Weekend' at the time. It wasn't long before Sylvia became the proud owner of the business, which was renamed 'Spar Weekend'.

Improved store experience

"A while ago, I decided I wanted to redo the entire store. Not that it was outdated, because we regularly renovate a department, but now we really wanted to go for it", Sylvia explains. Practically speaking, it wasn't feasible to expand the store but the layout was revised. "The aim was to make the interior more organised and modern. In the first part of the store we installed lower racks so that all the departments are clearly visible, all the fresh food departments got a bit more space and the frozen products were placed nearer to the checkout.

Our interior was completely renewed and we took the environment into account

By means of these adaptations, Sylvia hopes to have lifted the store experience of 'Spar Weekend' to an even higher level. "During the renovations, which took about 3,5 weeks, our interior was completely refreshed: we have a brand-new bakery, new store shelves, a new floor, a new ceiling and I could go on for a while. Of course, we also keep the environment in mind: all fridges and freezers now work on CO₂."

Expanded top product range

Customers cannot only look forward to a renovated interior, but the store's product range was also improved. However, Sylvia says that they didn't touch the basics: the extensive fruit and vegetable offer, the nice selection of first-quality wines, the many regional beers and the delicious cheeses are still at the heart of the new concept. "But we wanted to go one step further", Sylvia explains. "The bakery was not only expanded, but we will now also leave the dough for our buns and baguettes to rise in our own modern raising cabinets.

In addition, we focused on tasty tapas and the deli section had a make-over. Vegetarian and vegan products got a little more attention, as well as the 'enjoy tasty food by the sea' section. For example, a good bottle of wine, delicious snacks etc. The many local treats also fit in this vision. Because at 'Spar Weekend' you can find desserts and cheeses from the Beauvoordse Walhoeve in Veurne, dune potatoes (in the summer months), an extra large range of biscuits from Jules Destrooper in Lo-Reninge and of course the famous St.-Idesbald beer. A cosy shopping experience, and then going home to enjoy your purchases, that's what we offer our customers."

Strong and diversified team

Sylvia is lucky enough to have a large team. She can count on 17 permanent employees, some 25 student workers and a few flexi-jobbers. They don't all live at the seaside. "A few student workers live in the 'inland', but they are happy to come work with us during their holiday by the sea. Since we have a lot of French-speaking customers, it's important that our staff speaks both languages. I'm able to work with a happy mix of French- and Dutch-speaking people and the fun part is that we really make a nice group. The young people and more experienced employees get along well."

More information

• Spar Sint-Idesbald: Henri Christiaenlaan 18, 8670 Koksijde
• Sylvia Vandenbroucke, independent entrepreneur Spar Sint-Idesbald:
  ​Tel.: 0473/32.14.30
• Hanne Poppe, Colruyt Group press officer
  ​Tel.: +32 (0)2 363 55 45 Email: press@colruytgroup.com

Opening hours Spar Sint-Idesbald
​Monday to Saturday: from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
​Sunday: closed (open during school holidays and summer months)

About Spar Colruyt Group
​The more than 200 Spar stores are welcoming convenience stores run by skilled independent proprietors, each with their own way of making their store unique. They are located in town or city centres and stand out thanks to their fresh products, competitive prices and range of delicious food. The retail space in the stores varies from 300 to 1,200 m². Visit mijnspar.be for more information.About Retail Partners

Colruyt Group
​Retail Partners Colruyt Group is the licence holder of Spar Colruyt Group in Belgium. It cooperates closely with more than 200 independent Spar entrepreneurs: apart from deliveries, it provides full support and a unique consultation model based on partnership. Retail Partners Colruyt Group also supplies fresh products and groceries to Alvo stores. The independent organisation buys and transports the goods and gives advice about assortment and promotion management. Finally, Retail Partners Colruyt Group supplies products to 120 independent retailers including 31 Mini Markets. More information at retailpartnerscolruytgroup.be.