IGA revealed the five retailers who have been named IGA USA’s 2020 Hometown Proud Retailers based on their operations, service, marketing and branding and community support.
The winning retailers were each chosen by their individual IGA wholesaler as their top IGA retailer of the year based on operations, service, marketing and branding, and community support.
From Jan. 6-10, each of the five retailers were visited by the IGA corporate executive team to be presented with the award and $1,000 cash to celebrate their win with their store team. At that time, a store evaluation team led by IGA CEO John Ross—and including Laura Malisani, 2019 IGA USA International Retailer of the Year and co-owner of three Gary & Leo’s IGA stores in Montana—also will tour each of the independently owned stores to gather insights about the stores’ operations and customer experience. The information gathered during the store visits will be used to determine which of the five IGA Hometown Proud Retailers will be granted the additional title of IGA USA International Retailer of the Year and honored alongside the IGA International Retailers of the Year being chosen in other IGA countries around the world at the IGA Global Rally in Nashville, Tennessee, this March.
The IGA USA Hometown Proud retailers and their nominating wholesaler include:
- Chang So, Hollister Super IGA #2, Hollister, California; C&S Wholesale Grocers—West Coast;
- Robert Rybick, Geissler’s IGA, Somers, Connecticut—Bozzuto’s Inc.;
- Judy Gabriele, Nemenz IGA, Struthers, Ohio—Laurel Grocery Co.;
- Ron Martin, Grant’s IGA, Bluewell, West Virginia—Merchants Distributors LLC; and
- Tyler Myers, North Albany IGA, Albany, Oregon—UNFI–Tacoma.
“Across the nation, IGA USA store owners work day in and day out to serve their communities with the kind of personalized service and attention to detail that only comes from a locally owned IGA store,” IGA CEO John Ross said. “Each year, IGA honors a select few who stand out as the best of the best from among IGA’s 1,100 U.S. retailers. The five IGA USA Hometown Proud Retailers are the ultimate example of why independent entrepreneurialism is so important in this country. Each of these winning retailers is far more than just a grocer. They are enterprising community leaders working with local farmers and makers to promote the fresh, local offerings unique to their area; mentors helping to develop skills and create careers for the people of their communities; and philanthropists giving back and supporting the economic development of the communities they serve. We congratulate these five retailers on their accomplishments and look forward to visiting their stores to learn more about all they do in support of their local communities.”
The Chicago-based Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $36 billion per year. The Alliance includes more than 6,000 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by 36 distribution companies and nearly 40 major manufacturers, vendors and suppliers known as IGA’s Red Oval Family partners. IGA has operations in 46 of the United States and more than 30 countries, commonwealths and territories.
Original article can be found in the Shelby Report.
