SPAR Hungary has announced an investment of €9.2m ($9.9m) in a greenfield project to establish a SPAR supermarket in Szentendre.  

The project, which includes an underground car park, spans 4,000m² and is part of the town's long-term urban rehabilitation plan.  

The supermarket will open in the first quarter of 2025 and will feature a 1,000m² retail space, offering a broad selection of SPAR’s products and convenience goods.  

It will have a self-service cooler and cold-cut counter offering a variety of salads, while the SPAR To Go Grill counter will serve an assortment of dishes and sides. 

In addition to traditional cashier services, the supermarket will introduce six self-checkouts.

The store’s underground car park will offer 52 spaces, and an open car park will have an additional 47.

The parking area will include four charging points for electric cars. Bicycle racks and a B+R bike storage facility will also be available.

Leveraging a heat pump that uses waste heat from the store’s refrigeration, the supermarket will be heated and cooled by an underfloor heating and cooling system.  

SPAR Hungary CEO Gabriella Heiszler said: “We are proud to be playing a major role in the first pioneering part of the municipality’s long-term urban rehabilitation development concept, not only by building a modern, state-of-the-art store but also by creating parking spaces, pavements, pedestrian crossings and parks in the surrounding areas.” 

In April 2024 the Hungarian government announced its intention to initiate legal proceedings against the supermarket chain SPAR, alleging defamation.