The Anderson Family & Spar Group
The SPAR Group is synonymous with quality, affordability and convenience. KWIKSPAR offers shoppers the convenience of grabbing your everyday essentials, snacks and other items quickly and easily. Especially in the bustling community of Umhlanga, a quick in-and-out to the grocer can save people a world of time.
The Anderson family, known for their dedication to the retail industry and strong values, upholds the high quality of what you would expect from a SPAR store. At the head is Mark Anderson, who found his passion and purpose in retail when he purchased his first SPAR store in 1997. “Having worked in the corporate industry for 20 years, I realised I had no real influence over my career. After I purchased my first SPAR, I felt like I had regained that sense of control over my future,” he explains. “What I put in, I could get out.” Working alongside him are his sons, Travis, Keegan, and Tyrone, who joined the family business and bring fresh ideas and energy to the team. Director, Chris Von Allerman, with 14 years of experience within the SPAR group, takes the role of leading operations. He is unmatched in managing the services that ensure superior customer experiences.
Customers remember and return to the Anderson family’s stores for their cleanliness, high caliber and diversity of products and services. “We have an extensive range of gifting, decor, imported items and health products. These aspects make our store a destination shopping experience.”
“The core values of our family are based on trust, family, commitment and having ownership of our future and growth,” Mark elaborates. The Andersons strive to leave a legacy in the retail sector that will be remembered for being the best in the industry. “The rewarding aspect is receiving recognition for our hard work from our customers and SPAR itself.”
When running businesses with your family, it’s important to allocate time to being business partners and time to being a parent for your kids. “We are fortunate that we have a great team in place, with appropriate management and departmental heads, which allows us time to spend quality time with our families,” he says. All the Andersons contribute to the business within their areas of expertise, from design and marketing to execution and more. “I am blessed to have a creative, committed family who are all involved in all three stores.”
When it comes to customer service, their standard is to exceed expectations. “We have four directors who have the same vision and values which we drive on a daily basis. We work exceptionally well together,” Mark expresses. The businesses are run with enthusiasm and hands-on management.
The Ridge KWIKSPAR has recently joined the family under the Anderson management, where they are focusing on training, securing the best ready-to-eat meals and finding the finest cuts for the butchery and fresh produce for the deli. They have also given the store a revamped design to match their other stores and make customers feel at home. Since parking can be difficult to secure, especially in Umhlanga, they are proud to share that they have 102 secure, undercover parking bays for your convenience. “When it comes to taking over Ridge KWIKSPAR, I’ve always had the philosophy that I will never fail,” adds Mark. “The store was not performing and in a period of six months we have managed to turn the store into a successful business.”
See for yourself! Umhlanga SUPERSPAR will be working on a new campaign in the next few months where you can save 50% off your purchases. There are exciting things coming for the Johnson family and their SPAR customers!
Words: Cristina Govender
Shop A, Illala Ridge Shopping Centre, 2 Illala Drive, La Lucia
031 562 0798
ridge1@retail.spar.co.za