Independent Grocers of Australia, or IGA, is a chain of independent supermarkets in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. It is the local variant of the international Independent Grocers Association

IGA (supermarkets)

IGA is a brand of grocery stores active in more than 30 countries. Contrasting with the chain store business model, IGA operates as a franchise through stores that are owned separately from the brand. Many of these stores operate in small town markets and belong to families that manage them...

. Its main competitors are Woolworths, Coles

Coles Supermarkets

Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741...

, Bi-Lo

BI-LO (Australia)

BI-LO is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers . Once a chain of 180 outlets, most BI-LO supermarkets were re-branded as Coles Supermarkets during 2006 and 2007. In October 2008, Coles stated it was looking to create a new chain to replace the remaining BI-LO stores...

, Aldi

ALDI

ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...

, SPAR

SPAR

Spar , trades from approximately 12400 stores in 34 countries worldwide and is the world's largest independent voluntary retail trading chain. Spar was founded in the Netherlands in 1932 by retailer Adriaan Van Well and now, through its affiliate organisations, operates through most European...

, and 5 Star .

New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and ACT

In New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

, Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

 and the Australian Capital Territory

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...

, IGA has three retail formats:

• Supa IGA: stocking a full range of products
• IGA: medium sized supermarkets (currently 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

In 2005 around 13 ACT IGA stores left the IGA group and were re-branded as "Shop-Rite" a former ACT independent brand that was re-branded IGA during the 1990s. Deliveries were sourced from Queensland, rather than Metcash in Blacktown. In 2006, these stores returned to IGA's and Metcash. One Shop-Rite remains in Belconnen

Belconnen

Belconnen is a district of Canberra, the capital city of Australia, comprising 25 suburbs with 29,900 dwellings housing 82,247 people of the 311,518 people in the Australian Capital Territory ....

.

IGA 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 take over of FAL Foodland Associated Limited from Perth, Action Supermarkets across Qld and NSW became Supa IGA stores.

On 1 July 2010, it was announced that all 85 Franklins

Franklins

Franklins is a discount supermarket chain selling packaged groceries and perishables throughout New South Wales, Australia. It owns the No Frills brand of generic products, promoted by their mascot, "Red Sock". It is known as "Australia's Original Discount Grocer"...

 stores (NSW) had been sold to Metcash for A$215 million, to become part of the IGA chain.

South Australia

In South Australia

South Australia

South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

, the Foodland

Foodland (South Australia)

Foodland is an Australian supermarket brand with over one hundred and twenty locations, primarily in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Most Foodland stores are supplied by IGA. These supermarkets are generally larger than IGA-branded ones...

 group consisting of over 105 privately owned and operated supermarkets, has joined forces with IGA.

There are also many IGA stores in South Australia, but these are more convenience stores with extended trading hours. They are not as big as Foodland supermarkets, but can be found in numerous locations.

Tasmania

In Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

, 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. As such, while sourcing some stock from IGA>D (the Metcash owned distribution company), members of Tasmanian Independent Retailers have been supplied for the most part by Statewide Independent Wholesalers, a company which TIR members have a business interest in. SIW also supplies Tasmanian Woolworths stores.

Progressively, the relationship between TIR and Metcash Ltd. has allowed for greater involvement for Tasmanian IGA retailers in national IGA programs.

In 2009, Tasmanian Independent Retailers underwent a brand rationalisation which saw the IGA channels in Tasmania move towards the model accepted on the Eastern Seaboard of mainland Australia:

• IGA X-press: small format convenience. Formerly known as Friendly Grocer IGA, and before that as Four Square Supermarkets
  Four Square supermarkets
  Four Square is a chain of supermarkets in New Zealand. During the 1950s the Foodstuffs advertising department designed the famous "Mr 4 Square" who initially appeared only in newspaper advertising and posters, but was developed to become part of the Four Square identity, appearing in every Four...
  
  .
• IGA Everyday: a medium format store which exist mostly in regional areas, often as local general store
  General store
  A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
  
  s. Formerly 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. Formerly known as Festival IGA, and before that as Festival Supermarkets.

The addition of "Everyday" to the IGA medium format channel was deemed necessary 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

There are currently three IGA business channels in Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

, being Supa IGA, IGA and IGA Xpress. In 2005 Metcash Limited purchased FAL (Foodland Associated Limited). and as part of this purchase the independent network of Dewsons, Dewsons Express, Supa Valu Supermarkets, both previously supplied by FAL Foodland Associated Limited changed their banners to IGA while retaining the same independent ownership. A group of 11 Action supermarkets (previously operated by FAL) was sold to a consortium and these stores now trade as Progressive Supa IGA with metcash still holding a percentage interest in these stores the rest of the other Action Supermarkets where sold to independent grocery operators who trade under Supa IGA. IGA Western Australia's Head Office is still located at 218 Bannister Road Canning Vale. Action consisted of 34 Action stores in Western Australia, and 40 In Queensland and Northern New South Wales. IGA WA has its own marketing program, for example; "Buyers Market for Fresh Produce", "Prize Squeeze" for selected monthly specials, "We're Big On Value" and "Beat the Budget" are major promotions.

IGA Western Australia's slogan is "How the 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, and Eziway: small format convenience stores which run similar to IGA X-press.

Foodland Associated Limited's previous store trading names:

Action Supermarkets (Company Owned): Full service supermarkets, in direct competition with the major chains. Action offered full Fresh Produce, Meat, Bakery, Seafood, Deli, Dairy and Grocery departments. Action's previous slogans were "Action Means a great deal", "Packed Full of Great Shopping Ideas" and "Packed Full of Good Taste".

Dewsons: large format stores which existed mostly in regional and metropolitan areas, often as local general stores. Dewsons' previous slogan was "Fresh as the Morning".

Supa Valu/Dewsons Express: medium format stores which existed mostly in regional and metropolitan areas, often as local general stores. Supa Valu's previous slogan was "Your local supermarket", and Dewsons Express' was "Quick and Easy".

Other Previous Trading names which FAL had operated:

Action Supermarkets (Defunct in 2006)

Action Food Barns (Defunct in 2006)

Supa Valu Supermarkets (Defunct in 2006)

Dewsons Supermarkets (Defunct in 2006)

Dewsons Express Supermarkets (Defunct in 2006)

Foodland Supermarkets (Defunct in 2003 all stores transferred to Supa Valu)

Rules Supermarkets (Defunct in 1996 all stores transferred to Dewsons)

Advantage Supermarkets (Defunct in 2000 when Woolworths purchased the 4 stores)
4 Square Supermarkets (Defunct in 2003)

Cheap Foods Supermarkets (Defunct in 1996)

Eziway Food Stores (Currently operating)

IGA Distribution WA also supplies the Farmer Jacks Foodworks supermarkets.

(FAL) Foodland Associated Limited previously owned the largest supermarket group in New Zealand called Progressive Enterprises Limited which operate the Woolworths, Foodtown, Countdown, Fresh Choice and Super Value Supermarkets. In 2006 Progressive was sold to Woolworths Limited Australia at the time FAL was being purchased by Metcash IGA Distribution.

Brands

IGA's main store brand

Store brand

Store brands are a line of products sold by a retailer under a single marketing identity. They bear a similarity to the concept of House brands, Private label brands in the United States, own brands in the UK, and home brands in Australia and generic brands...

 is Black and Gold, a generic food brand which also sells in Foodworks and Welcome Mart stores 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".The new IGA Signature Range brand is similar to the old (FAL)Foodland Associated Limited home brand Signature Range which was stocked in Action, Supa Valu, Dewsons Supermarkets across Western Australia.

Previous IGA Store Trading Names

• Festival (Large stores) (except in Tasmania)
• Welcome Mart (medium-sized stores)
• Bi-Lo (WA Only)
• Foodtown
  Foodtown
  | area_served =| key_people =| industry = Retail| products =| services =| market cap =| revenue =| operating_income =| net_income =| assets =| equity =| owner =...
  
  
• Farmer Jacks (WA Only)
• Action Supermarkets
  Action Supermarkets
  Action is a defunct Australian supermarket chain. Based in Perth, Western Australia, Action had 80 supermarkets across Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, and was one of the largest supermarket chains in Australia...
  
   (WA, QLD & NSW)
• Shop-Rite
  Shop-Rite
  Shop-Rite was a chain of catalogue stores in Ontario, Canada that operated from the 1970s to 1982. In a catalogue store, customers would browse the catalogue in the store, select their merchandise and apply to the store clerk for the item....
  
   - Trading name of IGA stores prior to 2000 and again in 2005 in the ACT
• Rainbow Supermarkets
• Tuckerbag
• Foodland
  Foodland (South Australia)
  Foodland is an Australian supermarket brand with over one hundred and twenty locations, primarily in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Most Foodland stores are supplied by IGA. These supermarkets are generally larger than IGA-branded ones...
  
   (Western Australia)
• 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
• Jewel Food Stores
  Jewel Food Stores (Australia)
  Jewel Food Stores was a discount supermarket chain in Australia that is now defunct. The chain was originally owned and operated by the Fleming family. They are not related to the American supermarket chain "Jewel" now owned by Supervalu....
  
   - food barn discount supermarket
• Clancys - independent convenience supermarkets in New South Wales

External links

• IGA Australia Website