The SPAR Future Leaders Programme 2025 brought together over 35 emerging retail talents of the 16 SPAR organisations across the globe. DESPAR Italia and Maiora headed the programme in place in Bari, Italy between 22 and 28 June, establishing a platform of future retailer, organisational leadership at the SPAR network.
The week-long conference combined business learning, workshops, and site visits which enhanced the understanding of SPAR activities by participants in regard to its operations, supply chain, customer service, commerce, and digital strategies. Session covered retail design, use of data in decision making, and generation of retail strategy that matched the global model of SPAR.
Experts of the SPAR International and its partners provided their accounts on the development of human resources, AI implementation, and category management. Delegates constructed team building exercise through retail case studies enhancing teamwork and thinking skills. They also checked the examples of retail execution strategies in DESPAR stores.
Professional coaching has made the participants focus on their personal leadership styles again. These workshops enhanced communication, organizational alignment and creativity. Interactive modules were also designed in which they are asked to work on some complex retail issues and suggest solutions to a network.
The programme emphasized the long-term approach of SPAR to investing in talents within the company. It showed that licensees are integrating leadership development in business continuity and succession planning. The event connected personal growth and the growth of the whole network by involving retail professionals in real problems.
The SPAR Future Leaders Programme 2025 cemented the cross-region cooperation, and enhanced the retail capacity building at all levels. It continues to be a key activity on the agendas of SPAR International to ensure sustainable leadership pipelines within its growing network all over the globe.
The programme has remained a reflection of the investment made on people, knowledge, as well as scalable innovation in the retail by SPAR International. It contributes to the development of tomorrow competences and links talents internationally in the quest of a common retail vision.
