IGA MOVES INTO THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

CHICAGO, IL - IGA today announced eight conventional supermarkets in the San Francisco Bay area will be converting to the IGA Banner. The stores, five Cala Foods and three Bell Markets, were acquired from Ralphs Grocery Co. by DeLano Retail Partners in 2006. They are located in San Francisco (three stores), Tiburon (two stores), Fairfax, Mill Valley and Novato. The first store, located in Mill Valley, will be converted to IGA on Jan. 23rd. The remaining stores will be converted throughout the month of February with anticipated completion by March 1st. The Sacramento division of C & S Wholesale Grocers, Inc., will be the primary supplier of each of the supermarkets, which will be known as DeLano IGA Markets.

New father and son owners, Harley and Dennis DeLano, have extensive experience working with this particular store group when it was under Ralphs ownership. Harley DeLano was president of the stores for 10 years until his retirement in 2000. Dennis DeLano worked with the company for over 15 years, and was a member of the store group’s management team when he left in 2006.

According to the DeLano’s, the stores are of varying sizes and offer a diverse mix of services that cater to each store’s specific clientele.

Harley DeLano maintains that key factors in making his decision to convert to IGA were IGA’s renowned brand identity, the world-class training and certification opportunities offered by the IGA Coca-Cola Institute and IGA‘s national consumer marketing event programs.

According to Harley DeLano, IGA is a natural fit for his company. “IGA is a global company with worldwide retail sales of $21 billion a year,” DeLano said. “No matter where you go in the world, people recognize the IGA Brand and equate it with hometown community pride. Throughout our involvement with these stores, we have always been dedicated to the community as well as our customers. IGA is a perfect match for us.”

IGA, INC., Chairman Dr. Thomas Haggai, who visited the DeLano Retail Partners’ in October, said he was moved by their mission and their vision. “What a father son team,” Haggai said. “My visits with the DeLanos have provided many pleasant moments. In addition to that, they have for the first time given us a strong presence in the gateway city of San Francisco. It gives me great pleasure that this is one of the first signings under the leadership of new IGA CEO Mark Batenic.”

IGA Chairman, President and CEO Mark Batenic expressed that he looks forward to working with the DeLano’s and feels they are a key addition to the IGA family. “We’re thrilled that, after researching all their options, the DeLano’s decided to join the greatest independent retail system in the world. We look forward to growing with them in this very important marketplace, and anticipate this is one of many key expansions IGA will experience this year.”

C & S Wholesaler Grocers’ Bryon Lovell, Sacramento division president, said his company is equally gratified to welcome this experienced store group. “We are pleased to have Harley and Dennis as IGA retailers and view them as growth partners for the future,” Lovell said. “They both bring tremendous experience in retail and will help build IGA Brand equity in the California market."

IGA is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $21 billion per year. The Alliance includes more than 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 ranks in the top 10 in world food supermarketing. IGA has operations in 48 of the United States and more than 40 countries, commonwealths and territories on all six inhabited continents.