SPAR Gran Canaria has deepened its commitment to supporting vulnerable communities across the island, reinforcing its sustainability strategy through targeted food donation campaigns and long-term partnerships with local social organisations.
The retailer’s latest efforts include a large-scale Spring Harvest food collection initiative and renewed collaboration with the Fundación Canaria Pequeño Valiente, a foundation that aids families of children undergoing cancer treatment. The initiatives reflect a growing retail trend: embedding corporate social responsibility (CSR) into everyday supermarket operations.
Food Security at the Core: Spring Harvest Collection
Held from 23–25 May 2025, SPAR Gran Canaria’s Spring Harvest campaign invited shoppers to donate essential food items to the Las Palmas Food Bank, an institution the brand has supported for over 25 years.
The campaign builds on last year’s strong results, which saw 28,863 kilograms of food donated through the same initiative. With economic hardship continuing to affect many households across Spain’s Canary Islands, community-driven donation models like this provide a practical lifeline.
SPAR store employees were present throughout the weekend to encourage donations, sort contributions, and raise awareness about ongoing food insecurity. The company reports strong engagement from the local community, further demonstrating the effectiveness of point-of-sale campaigns in mobilising support.
“It’s about being more than a supermarket,” said SPAR Gran Canaria spokesperson María del Carmen Hernández. “When people shop with us, they know they’re part of a network that supports real people and real causes.”
Renewed Commitment to Fundación Canaria Pequeño Valiente
Parallel to its food drive efforts, SPAR Gran Canaria has extended its support to the Fundación Canaria Pequeño Valiente, which provides housing and care services for families with children undergoing cancer treatment at the Maternal and Children’s Hospital in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
This renewed partnership includes subsidising the maintenance of the Foundation’s residential kitchen, a facility built to support visiting families from other islands. Inaugurated in March 2023, the home provides free and dignified accommodation close to the hospital, easing the financial and emotional burden on families during medical treatment.
“SPAR Gran Canaria has become more than a partner,” said José Jerez, director of Pequeño Valiente. “They’ve helped us turn our vision into a working reality—supporting the daily needs of families in crisis with compassion and continuity.”
Healthy Eating, Hands-On Learning
One of the most impactful aspects of this partnership is a youth nutrition and cooking program designed in collaboration with the Foundation. The program brings together young people from Pequeño Valiente with professional dietitians to build life skills and promote healthy eating habits.
The initiative includes:
- Educational visits to SPAR supermarkets to learn how to read nutrition labels
- Guided selection of ingredients that are both tasty and healthy
- Hands-on food preparation workshops held in the Foundation’s kitchen
Participants learn to prepare balanced snacks and meals, gaining confidence and autonomy in the process. The aim is not just nutritional literacy, but emotional empowerment through participation.
This aligns with a broader movement in food retail where grocers are increasingly promoting health and wellbeing beyond traditional commerce—using their stores and supply chains as educational touchpoints.
Competitor Context: How Does SPAR Compare?
SPAR’s model of community-based CSR stands out in contrast to some competitors that focus primarily on high-visibility national campaigns. For example:
- Carrefour Spain runs occasional food drives but rarely integrates long-term partnerships with hyperlocal charities.
- Mercadona, while active in logistics support, focuses its social engagement more narrowly on product redistribution.
SPAR’s approach in Gran Canaria is more rooted in local continuity. Its long-term collaboration with Las Palmas Food Bank and Pequeño Valiente shows a depth of commitment that goes beyond seasonal gestures.
CSR as Strategy: Why It Matters Now
The Spanish grocery market is undergoing a shift. As consumer expectations rise around environmental and social responsibility, retailers are being asked to show not just operational excellence but also moral relevance.
Initiatives like SPAR’s not only fulfil community needs—they strengthen brand loyalty, especially in tightly knit island communities where word-of-mouth matters. They also reflect the growing influence of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) criteria in corporate decision-making.
This is particularly relevant in the Canary Islands, where tourism, healthcare access, and inter-island logistics all add complexity to everyday life. Retailers who tailor their CSR to local realities have a competitive edge.
What’s Next for Retailers?
Supermarkets looking to mirror SPAR Gran Canaria’s model should:
- Establish year-round partnerships with local care institutions, not just seasonal campaigns
- Embed educational programming into CSR, especially around health and nutrition
- Use store environments as places of community learning and support
- Track impact and communicate results clearly
As CSR becomes an expectation—not a bonus—supermarkets that lead with purpose will stand out.
