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IGA Australia facts for kids

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Independent Grocers of Australia
Subsidiary
Industry Retailer
Founded 1988
Headquarters ,
Key people
Steven Cain, Ian Morrice
Products Groceries & General Products.
Parent Metcash
Subsidiaries Supa IGA
IGA Supermarkets
IGA X-press
Progressive Supa IGA (WA)
Foodland (SA)
Forest Hill Shopping Centre
An IGA supermarket in Forest Hill, New South Wales

Independent Grocers of Australia (IGA) is a Australian chain of supermarkets. IGA itself is owned by Metcash, but individual IGA stores are independently owned. It is the local variant of the international American-based Independent Grocers Association. Its main competitors are Woolworths, Coles and Aldi.

Markets

IGA has over 5,000 stores in over 30 countries. IGA was brought to Australia by Davids Holdings in 1988 when 10 stores became members of IGA. There are over 1400 IGA stores in Australia.

Operations

By State

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

  • Supa IGA: stocking a full range of products
  • IGA: medium-sized supermarkets (there are 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

IGA was 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 takeover of FAL Foodland Associated Limited from Perth, Action Supermarkets across Queensland 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, large IGA supermarkets are branded as Foodland rather than Supa IGA, following Metcash's acquisition of the Foodland brand in 2005. Small-to-medium supermarkets and convenience stores using the IGA brand also exist.

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.

Wilkes-IGA-Beaconsfield-20070419-010
A Tasmanian store with the Festival IGA brand (2007)

In 2009, Tasmanian Independent Retailers underwent a brand rationalisation in which the IGA channels in Tasmania moved 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. It had been known as Value Plus IGA, and before that as Sam's Cut Price Stores.
  • Supa IGA: Full service supermarket, in direct competition with the major chains. It had been known as Festival IGA, and before that as Festival Supermarkets.

"Everyday" was added to the IGA medium format channel 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

OIC osborne park shopping centre closeup
Osborne Park Shopping Centre closeup
WinthropGarden
Winthrop Garden Supa IGA in Winthrop, suburb of Perth

There are 3 IGA business channels in Western Australia: Supa IGA, IGA, Progressive Supa IGA. IGA Western Australia's Head Office is still located at 218 Bannister Road Canning Vale. IGA Western Australia's slogan is "How the WA 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.

Brands

IGA's main store brand is Black and Gold, a generic food brand which also sells in FoodWorks 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".

Previous IGA store trading names

Western Australia - Foodland Associated Limited (FAL), now IGA Distribution WA Pty LTD

  • Action Supermarkets (WA, QLD & NSW)
  • Action Food Barns WA
  • 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
  • Bi-Lo (WA only)
  • Farmer Jacks (WA only)
  • Newmart (WA only)

East Coast of Australia

  • Festival (large stores) (1992-1999) (except in Tasmania)
  • Welcome Mart (medium-sized stores)
  • Foodtown
  • Shop-Rite - Trading name of IGA stores prior to 2000 and again in 2005 in the ACT
  • Rainbow Supermarkets
  • Tuckerbag
  • Foodland (South Australia & NT)
  • Jewel Food Stores - food barn discount supermarket
  • Clancys - independent convenience supermarkets in New South Wales

Related pages

  • Ritchies, Australia's largest IGA chain
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IGA Australia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.