IGA, Inc., is an American chain of
grocery store
A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, a ...
s that operates in more than 41 countries. Unlike the
chain store
A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate the retail and dining markets and many service categories, in many p ...
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. It was founded in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
as the Independent Grocers Alliance in 1926. The headquarters is in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
.
United States
IGA was started in May 1926 when a group of 100 independent retailers in
Poughkeepsie,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
; and
Sharon,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...
; led by
J. Frank Grimes
''J. The Jewish News of Northern California'', formerly known as ''Jweekly'', is a weekly print newspaper in Northern California, with its online edition updated daily. It is owned and operated by San Francisco Jewish Community Publications In ...
, organized themselves into a single marketing system. Guidance from the IGA management came in the form of marketing and access to a consistent supply chain. After a few years, the company began making its own canned food brand.
By the end of its first year, the group had expanded to include more than 150 retailers. In 1930, over 8,000 grocery stores were using the IGA name. It now operates with 5000 different location worldwide.
William Olsen was the company CEO until 1988, when he was replaced by Thomas Haggai. Haggai retired in 2016.
[
The company uses the "Hometown Proud Supermarkets" slogan. Today, many IGA grocery stores are still located in smaller cities and towns throughout the United States.]
The stores in the alliance remain independently owned and operated. The alliance oversees several resources shared among the member stores. These include, most visibly, the IGA store brand
A private label, also called a private brand or private-label brand, is a brand owned by a company, offered by that company alongside and competing with brands from other businesses. A private-label brand is almost always offered exclusively by th ...
products and the logistical network that distributes them. The alliance also provides training and assessment programs and an online advertising platform. It regularly coordinates promotional events and charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* C ...
fundraising events that benefit store communities.
Canada
In Canada (apart from British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...
), IGA is a group of independent grocers supplied by Sobeys
Sobeys Inc. is the second largest supermarket chain in Canada, with over 1,500 stores operating across Canada under a variety of banners. Headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, it operates stores in all ten provinces and accumulated sales of ...
, which franchises the name. Acquired by Sobeys as part of its purchase of the Oshawa Group
Oshawa ( , also ; 2021 population 175,383; CMA 415,311) is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of Downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the ...
Ltd., it now operates primarily in Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...
.
The IGA operations in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundla ...
were sold to Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited is a Canadian retailer encompassing corporate and franchise supermarkets operating under 22 regional and market-segment banners (including Loblaws), as well as pharmacies, banking and apparel. Loblaw operates a privat ...
(except for Edmundston, Shediac and Dieppe which runs as IGA-Co-op, previously acquired by Sobeys New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
) and were restructured under its existing brands. The company-owned stores west of Quebec now mainly operate under the Sobeys banner. In Ontario, IGA stores have been converted to the Foodland
"FoodLand" is a regional American supermarket chain based in New Stanton, Pennsylvania. The unique "F" logo of the supermarket chain is a registered trademark of Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of th ...
banner. There are, however, many IGA stores still operating in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, with one opening in Emerald Park, Saskatchewan
Emerald Park is an unincorporated community in Saskatchewan, Canada within the Rural Municipality (RM) of Edenwold No. 158. It is east of Regina and is adjacent to the Town of White City.
The RM of Edenwold No. 158 was home to 4,490 resid ...
in 2016.
IGA Extra locations are larger and carry a wider variety of general merchandise, more akin to the hypermarket
A hypermarket (sometimes called a hyperstore, supercentre or superstore) is a big-box store combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, includin ...
model. They include a pharmacy, large bakery, a bank, a bistro
A bistro or bistrot , is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant, serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. French home-style cooking, and slow-cooked foods ...
, a post office, and a larger selection of food items. IGA Extra launched in the early 2000s to take the place of Sobeys locations in the Quebec City and Montreal areas. In 2015, several Co-op Atlantic
Co-op Atlantic is a Canadian collectively owned consumers' cooperative. The cooperative is legally owned by its members and controlled by a board of directors. The head offices of Co-op Atlantic are located in Moncton, New Brunswick.
History
T ...
stores became IGA stores supplied by Sobeys Quebec after Co-Op decided to exit the grocery store business.
In Quebec, IGA also operates smaller supermarkets. These include Bonichoix and Tradition (a brand introduced in 1999).
In British Columbia, IGA stores (previously Marketplace IGA) are, for the most part, independently owned and are operated by Georgia Main Food Group.
Australia
The IGA brand in Australia is owned by Metcash
Metcash Trading () is an Australian conglomerate company headquartered in Wooloomooloo, NSW.
Metcash is a distributing and marketing support in supermarket groceries, perishables, fresh produce, alcoholic beverages, hardware, and other consumer ...
, an Australian conglomerate retailer and wholesaler. The company supplies groceries, promotional materials, and other things to a large number of locally owned Australian supermarkets, and a few other brands like Foodland and Friendly Grocer. Collectively, they are the fourth biggest competitor in major Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
n supermarkets, after Coles, Woolworths
Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to:
Businesses
* F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores
* Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shop ...
and Aldi. There are 1,400 independently owned IGA stores throughout Australia, with most running their own IGA Community Chest, which raises funds to support local communities and charities.
Philippines
Walter Mart Supermarket is the first and only alliance member in the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
with 21 locations, mostly in Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
and Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
- from Gapan, Nueva Ecija
Gapan, officially the City of Gapan ( fil, Lungsod ng Gapan), is a 4th class component city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 122,968 people.
Gapan is nicknamed the "Footwear Cap ...
in the north to Tanauan, Batangas
Tanauan, officially the City of Tanauan ( fil, Lungsod ng Tanauan), is a 2nd class component city in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 193,936 people.
It is incorporated as a city und ...
in the south.Walter Mart website
/ref>
Gallery
File:IGA in Bowman SC.jpg, Bowman IGA Foodliner in Bowman, South Carolina, in December 2008. This location closed after it caught fire on September 24, 2017; there are no plans to reopen it.
File: IGA Springboro OH USA.JPG, New IGA storefront in Springboro, Ohio
Springboro is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. A suburb of Cincinnati and Dayton, it is located mostly in Warren County in Clearcreek and Franklin Townships; with a small portion in Miami Township in Montgomery County. The city is part of t ...
, in June 2009. This location closed in 2014 and was demolished in 2016.
File:Igaqc.jpg, IGA Extra Langelier in Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
, Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...
, in December 2006.
File: IGA supermarket, Trenton, ME IMG 2445.JPG, Trenton Marketplace IGA in Trenton, Maine, in Hancock County in June 2014. In July 2020 the store was sold and affiliation changed to Shop&Save/Hannaford.
File:IGACalumetMichigan.jpg, Pat's Foods IGA in Calumet, Michigan
Calumet ( or ) is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry of the Upper Peninsula. Also known as Red Jacket, the village includes the ...
, in August 2010.
File:Tatsuda IGA.jpg, Tatsuda's IGA in Ketchikan
Ketchikan ( ; tli, Kichx̱áan) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic District.
With a population at the 20 ...
, Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...
, in June 2007. Established in 1916, the business predates the establishment of the IGA brand seen on its storefront. This location closed in 2020 after a landslide hit the store and was later demolished.
See also
* List of supermarket chains
As of September 2020, this is a list of supermarket chains, past and present, which operate or have branches in more than one country, whether under the parent corporation's name or another name. For supermarkets that are only in one country, see ...
** List of supermarket chains in Canada
This is a list of supermarket chains in Canada. For supermarkets operating in other countries, see ''List of supermarket chains.''
Major chains
*Georgia Main Food Group operates:
**Fresh St. Market
** IGA / MarketPlace IGA in British Columbia onl ...
** List of supermarket chains in Oceania
This is a list of supermarket chains in Oceania.
Australia
Coles Group
*Coles Supermarkets
* Coles Express
*Coles Local
Metcash Trading
*IGA
* Supa IGA
*IGA X-Press/Local Grocer IGA
*Foodland IGA
*Supa Valu IGA
*Eziway Food Stores (West ...
** List of supermarket chains in the United States
This is a list of supermarket companies in the United States of America and the names of supermarkets which are owned or franchised by these companies. For supermarkets worldwide, see List of supermarkets.
National chains
* Ahold Delhaize � ...
References
External links
IGA USA
IGA Mid-Eastern USA
IGA Quebec
IGA Western Canada
IGA British Columbia
IGA Australia
Burlington Retro Meet the town's first supermarket
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iga, Supermarkets
Companies based in Chicago
Multinational companies
American companies established in 1926
Retail companies established in 1926
Retailers' cooperatives in the United States
Supermarkets of Canada
Supermarkets of the United States
Sobeys
Supermarkets of Australia