IGA ANNOUNCES 2005 INTERNATIONAL RETAILERS OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO, IL - IGA today announced the names of its 2005 International Retailers of the Year. The winners were chosen for the annual award from the more than 4,400 IGA Retailers worldwide. A committee of IGA executives and food industry experts based their decisions on performance of the retailers in areas ranging from leadership and innovation to hometown involvement and employee development. All six retailers will be honored at IGA's 2005 International Retailers of the Year Awards Dinner Ceremony held on Tuesday, March 1 at the Marriott’s Rancho Las Palmas Resort, Palm Springs, Calif.

"Our 2005 International Retailers of the Year represent the very best IGA has to offer," said Thomas S. Haggai, chairman and CEO of IGA. "While each has demonstrated a strong desire to succeed coupled with innovative leadership techniques, none has forgotten the simple hometown values that make their stores more than supermarkets, but rather true community centers."

The retailers chosen for this prestigious award are:
Alan Atwood of Payless IGA in Coeburn, Va.
Kevin Brouillard of Tri Town IGA Foods in East Lyme, Conn.
Brendon Goddard of Long Gully Supa IGA in Long Gully, Victoria, Australia
Tim Myers of Roselawn IGA in Roselawn, Ind.
Louis Young of Payless IGA Market in Copperopolis, Calif
Paul VanderJagt of Van’s Evergreen IGA Plus in Billings, Mont.

IGA, the only global supermarketer based in the United States, 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 37 distribution companies and more the 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.