IGA Announces 2026 Five Star Retailers

The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) is proud to announce the 2026 Five Star retailers, a group of stores and teams that have gone above and beyond to deliver exceptional customer service, strong operations, and meaningful community connections over the past year.

These retailers represent the very best of the independent grocery industry, setting the standard for excellence across the IGA network.

“Our Five Star retailers and their teams play a vital role in providing fresh, affordable food while serving as trusted community anchors,” IGA CEO John Ross said. “Earning Five Star status reflects an extraordinary level of commitment to both operational excellence and customer experience, and we’re incredibly proud of what these retailers have achieved.”

A Modern Assessment for a Changing Industry

The 2025 Assessment continued to evolve alongside the grocery industry, focusing on the areas that matter most today: customer engagement, in-store execution, and operational effectiveness. The streamlined evaluation ensures meaningful insights while remaining relevant in a rapidly changing retail environment.

“The Assessment is designed to recognize stores that are excelling while also providing actionable feedback to help every retailer improve,” said Dr. Paulo Goelzer, president emeritus of the IGA Coca-Cola Institute. “Our goal is to help independent grocers succeed at the highest level, and the Assessment serves as both a benchmark and a roadmap for growth.”

The Assessment Process

Five Star Award winners were determined through assessment visits conducted in 2025, using defined performance benchmarks and an enhanced feedback process designed to support continuous improvement.

As part of the process, a trained local shopper visited participating IGA stores to conduct the assessment.

“Local perspective is critical,” said IGA Retail Learning Institute Learning and Development Director Jason King. “Because assessors are familiar with the community, the feedback is more relevant to local shoppers and more valuable for retailers looking to fine-tune the experience they provide.”

During each visit, the assessor notified store management or the service desk before walking the store, documenting both strengths and opportunities for improvement through observation and photography.

Trax analyzed the photos to ensure the data collected is objective and accurate. Following each evaluation, store owners and directors received detailed reports. Retailers can access their Trax-maintained dashboard to review photos, insights, and performance data from their assessment.

During the fall assessment, IGA retailers had the option to opt in for the Voice of the Consumer survey, which provides valuable shopper insights. The stores that opted in to the survey received a QR code to add to their receipts, allowing customers to provide feedback via the survey link in the QR code. At the end of the assessment period, these retailers received a summary of each question and the results.

The 2026 Five Star Winners

To qualify for Five Star status in 2026, retailers must have been members of the Independent Grocers Alliance for at least one year (beginning in 2025).

Stores that excelled in operations, merchandising, and customer service earned top marks, demonstrating what’s possible when independent retailers focus on execution and shopper experience.

Retailers can view their 2025 Assessment scores by logging into their Assessment dashboard. For step-by-step instructions, watch the tutorial video.

If you are a 2026 Five Star retailer, please check your email for details on ordering Five Star signage and accessing a customizable press release (the email was sent to store or retailer email addresses on Tuesday, March 3). King encourages retailers with questions about the program — or those needing access to their scores — to reach out directly using the contact link provided.