IGA Names Three 2009 USA Retailers of the Year - 09/04/08

Author: IGA News

Chicago, IL - IGA today announced it has chosen three 2009 IGA USA Retailers of the Year from among its five previously named finalists. The three retailers will be honored at the 2009 IGA USA Rally Awards of Excellence Ceremony held in Merrillville, Ind., Nov. 7. During that ceremony one of three will be awarded the additional title of 2009 IGA USA International Retailer of the Year for having achieved within the U.S. a superior level of excellence in IGA retailing.

The 2009 IGA USA Retailer of the Year selection process began earlier this summer when IGA USA asked that its Licensed Distribution Companies submit for candidacy only those retailers who had achieved a Five Star rating under IGA’s Five Star Assessment program. Using a predetermined scoring process that emphasized involvement in IGA marketing events; IGA Brand support; employee development; merchandising, leadership and innovation; and community involvement, IGA executives narrowed the submissions to five finalists. IGA USA Chairman Mark Batenic and IGA Senior Vice President Doug Fritsch then visited the retailers to perform an in-person store evaluation. Using information derived from the evaluation, Batenic and Fritsch named the three 2009 IGA USA Retailers of the Year.

The 2009 U.S. Retailers of the Year include:
Retailer                     Store name                              City, State               LDC
Bob Buonomano         Bob’s Windham IGA                Willimantic, CT         Bozzuto’s, Inc.
Allen Milam                Milam’s Market IGA #1            Miami, FL                Assoicated Grocers of Florida, Inc.
Rick Stewart               Susanville Supermarket IGA     Susanville,CA            C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc.-California Division

In the final step in the 2009 Awards of Excellence process, each of the three IGA USA Retailers of the Year will submit a short essay explaining how his store demonstrates operational excellence in regard to service, branding, marketing and community commitment. The essays will be reviewed by Batenic and Fritsch, who will then choose the 2009 IGA USA International Retailer of the Year. In addition to being recognized at the USA Rally Awards Banquet, the 2009 IGA USA International Retailer of the Year will also be recognized along with the international winners from other countries at the 2009 IGA Global Summit in Sydney, Australia, on March 15, 2009.

“Having visited each of the finalists’ stores I can say firsthand that our three 2009 IGA USA Retailers of the Year are among the strongest grocery retailers in the world,” IGA USA Chairman Mark Batenic said. “From their emphasis on personalized customer service to their commitment to supporting and bettering the communities they serve, these retailers provide perfect examples of what we mean when we speak of the ‘IGA Brand Advantage.’ We’re extremely proud to honor both the retailers and the stores they represent, and applaud them for their dedicated efforts to advance the power of our brand and embody the spirit of IGA.”

IGA is the world's largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $21 billion per year. The Alliance includes nearly 4,000 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by 36 distribution companies and more than 55 major manufacturers, vendors and suppliers encompassing everything from grocery to equipment items. IGA has operations in 46 of the United States and more than 40 countries, commonwealths and territories on all six inhabited continents.