IGA (Australian supermarket group)

IGA (Independent Grocers of Australia)

Type	Supermarket chain
Industry	Retail
Founded	1988
Key people	Silvestro Morabito
Products	Groceries & General Products.
Parent	Metcash Trading Limited
Subsidiaries	Supa IGA IGA Supermarkets IGA X-press PROGRESSIVE Supa IGA(Western Australia)
Website	http://www.iga.net.au

An IGA supermarket in Forest Hill, New South Wales

Independent Grocers of Australia, or IGA, is a chain of independent supermarkets in Australia. It is the local variant of the international Independent Grocers Association. Its main competitors are Woolworths, Coles, Bi-Lo, Aldi, SPAR, and 5 Star .

Operations

New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and ACT

In New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, IGA has three retail formats:

• Supa IGA: stocking a full range of products
• IGA: medium sized supermarkets (currently 150 IGA or Supa IGA stores in NSW/ACT)
• A smaller convenience store format, which trades as Friendly Grocer IGA, IGA X-press or IGA Everyday

In 2005 around 13 ACT IGA stores left the IGA group and were re-branded as "Shop-Rite" a former ACT independent brand that was re-branded IGA during the 1990s. Deliveries were sourced from Queensland, rather than Metcash in Blacktown. In 2006, these stores returned to IGA's and Metcash. One Shop-Rite remains in Belconnen.

IGA launched in Queensland and northern New South Wales in 1998. There are now over 200 stores operating from Port Macquarie to Cooktown, and west to Mount Isa. After the take over of FAL Foodland Associated Limited from Perth, Action Supermarkets across Qld and NSW became Supa IGA stores.

On 1 July 2010, it was announced that all 85 Franklins stores (NSW) had been sold to Metcash for A$215 million, to become part of the IGA chain.

South Australia

In South Australia, the Foodland group consisting of over 105 privately owned and operated supermarkets, has joined forces with IGA.

There are also many IGA stores in South Australia, but these are more convenience stores with extended trading hours. They are not as big as Foodland supermarkets, but can be found in numerous locations.

Tasmania

In Tasmania, IGA operates differently. The IGA brand is used by retailers belonging to the Tasmanian Independent Retailers cooperative. There is no formal trading relationship with IGA retailers in Tasmania and Metcash Limited, merely an agreement between Tasmanian Independent Retailers and Metcash for use of the IGA brand. As such, while sourcing some stock from IGA>D (the Metcash owned distribution company), members of Tasmanian Independent Retailers have been supplied for the most part by Statewide Independent Wholesalers, a company which TIR members have a business interest in. SIW also supplies Tasmanian Woolworths stores.

Progressively, the relationship between TIR and Metcash Ltd. has allowed for greater involvement for Tasmanian IGA retailers in national IGA programs.

In 2009, Tasmanian Independent Retailers underwent a brand rationalisation which saw the IGA channels in Tasmania move towards the model accepted on the Eastern Seaboard of mainland Australia:

• IGA X-press: small format convenience.
• IGA Everyday: a medium format store which exist mostly in regional areas, often as local general stores.
• Supa IGA: Full service supermarket, in direct competition with the major chains.

The addition of "Everyday" to the IGA medium format channel was deemed necessary in Tasmania to differentiate it from the other two channels. This was required as Tasmanian Independent Retailers have traditionally provided extensive channel-specific advertising for its members.

Western Australia

Winthrop Garden Supa IGA in Winthrop, suburb of Perth

There are currently three IGA business channels in Western Australia, being Supa IGA, IGA and IGA Xpress. In 2005 Metcash Limited purchased FAL (Foodland Associated Limited). and as part of this purchase the independent network of Dewsons, Dewsons Express, Supa Valu Supermarkets, both previously supplied by FAL Foodland Associated Limited changed their banners to IGA while retaining the same independent ownership. A group of 11 Action supermarkets (previously operated by FAL) was sold to a consortium and these stores now trade as Progressive Supa IGA with metcash still holding a percentage interest in these stores the rest of the other Action Supermarkets where sold to independent grocery operators who trade under Supa IGA. IGA Western Australia's Head Office is still located at 218 Bannister Road Canning Vale. Action consisted of 34 Action stores in Western Australia, and 40 In Queensland and Northern New South Wales. IGA WA has its own marketing program, for example; "Buyers Market for Fresh Produce", "Prize Squeeze" for selected monthly specials, "We're Big On Value" and "Beat the Budget" are major promotions.

IGA Western Australia's slogan is "How the Locals Like it".

IGA channels in WA include IGA X-press: small format convenience stores, IGA: medium format stores which exist mostly in regional and metropolitan areas (often as local general stores), Supa IGA: full service supermarkets, in direct competition with the major chains, and Eziway: small format convenience stores which run similar to IGA X-press.

Foodland Associated Limited's previous store trading names:
Action Supermarkets (Company Owned): Full service supermarkets, in direct competition with the major chains. Action offered full Fresh Produce, Meat, Bakery, Seafood, Deli, Dairy and Grocery departments. Action's previous slogans were "Action Means a great deal", "Packed Full of Great Shopping Ideas" and "Packed Full of Good Taste".
Dewsons: large format stores which existed mostly in regional and metropolitan areas, often as local general stores. Dewsons' previous slogan was "Fresh as the Morning".
Supa Valu/Dewsons Express: medium format stores which existed mostly in regional and metropolitan areas, often as local general stores. Supa Valu's previous slogan was "Your local supermarket", and Dewsons Express' was "Quick and Easy".

Other Previous Trading names which FAL had operated:
Action Supermarkets (Defunct in 2006)
Action Food Barns (Defunct in 2006)
Supa Valu Supermarkets (Defunct in 2006)
Dewsons Supermarkets (Defunct in 2006)
Dewsons Express Supermarkets (Defunct in 2006)
Foodland Supermarkets (Defunct in 2003 all stores transferred to Supa Valu)
Rules Supermarkets (Defunct in 1996 all stores transferred to Dewsons)
Advantage Supermarkets (Defunct in 2000 when Woolworths purchased the 4 stores) 4 Square Supermarkets (Defunct in 2003)
Cheap Foods Supermarkets (Defunct in 1996)
Eziway Food Stores (Currently operating)

IGA Distribution WA also supplies the Farmer Jacks Foodworks supermarkets.

(FAL) Foodland Associated Limited previously owned the largest supermarket group in New Zealand called Progressive Enterprises Limited which operate the Woolworths, Foodtown, Countdown, Fresh Choice and Super Value Supermarkets. In 2006 Progressive was sold to Woolworths Limited Australia at the time FAL was being purchased by Metcash IGA Distribution.

Brands

IGA's main store brand is Black and Gold, a generic food brand which also sells in Foodworks and Welcome Mart stores across the country. Items are easily distinguished because of the gold/yellow packaging with the black writing on the item. Alongside the Black and Gold brand is the recently introduced IGA Signature range, which can be identified by its "stylish metallic Signature Band".The new IGA Signature Range brand is similar to the old (FAL)Foodland Associated Limited home brand Signature Range which was stocked in Action, Supa Valu, Dewsons Supermarkets across Western Australia.

Previous IGA Store Trading Names

• Festival (Large stores) (except in Tasmania)
• Welcome Mart (medium-sized stores)
• Bi-Lo (WA Only)
• Foodtown
• Farmer Jacks (WA Only)
• Action Supermarkets (WA, QLD & NSW)
• Shop-Rite - Trading name of IGA stores prior to 2000 and again in 2005 in the ACT
• Rainbow Supermarkets
• Tuckerbag
• Foodland (Western Australia)
• Supa Valu - first independent supermarket brand in Australia, franchise later sold to Foodland Associated Limited and scaled back to Western Australia becoming independent full service convenience stores. (WA Only)
• Dewsons - Full service high quality independent supermarkets in Western Australia
• Dewsons Express (2005–2006) - Independent convenience stores in Western Australia with fresh categories and convenience lines focus. It never opened beyond a few stores, due to the Metcash/IGA takeover of FAL
• Jewel Food Stores - food barn discount supermarket
• Clancys - independent convenience supermarkets in New South Wales

External links

• IGA Australia Website