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Meet the IGA retailers of the year
The Independent Grocers Alliance will honor nine operators at the upcoming NGA show
Richard Mitchell
December 7, 2022
2 Min Read
The operators were nominated by their wholesalers and are among the approximately 30,000 independent grocers in the U.S.Getty Images
The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) has named its “2023 U.S. Retailers of the Year” and will spotlight them at the National Grocers Association Show in Las Vegas in February.
The operators were nominated by their wholesalers and are among the approximately 30,000 independent grocers in the U.S. Winners include:
Joe Campos, Kingstree IGA, Kingstree, S.C. (Nominated by W. Lee Flowers and Co.)
Tate Cox, Cox Foods IGA, Jackson, Ky. (Nominated by Laurel Grocery Co.)
John Hallinan, The Richmond Shops IGA, Philadelphia, Pa. (Nominated by Bozzuto’s Inc.)
Rich Hoffman, Sky Plaza IGA, Garrettsville, Ohio (Nominated by SpartanNash Co.)
Paul Matovich, Columbus IGA Plus, Columbus, Mont. (Nominated by United Natural Foods Inc.)
Jimmy Perkins, Hometown IGA, Jasper, Ind. (Nominated by Houchens Food)
Rob Rowe, Rowe's IGA Baymeadows, Jacksonville, Fla. (Nominated by Merchant Distributors Inc.)
Mike and Sharlene Spires, Spires IGA Supermarket, Lake Butler, Fla. (Nominated by Ira Higdon Grocery Co.)
Tyler Trask, Granite Falls IGA, Granite Falls, Wash. (Nominated by C&S Wholesalers)
The awards, the highest honors IGA bestows upon its retailer members, are presented annually to grocers who have best provided leadership and excellence in their communities.
In addition, John Ross, IGA chief executive officer, along with Doug Fritsch, IGA senior vice president, retail and business development, and Bob Rybick, National Retailer Advisory Board president and 2020 International Retailer of the Year, will visit each store in January to get a firsthand feel for how the retailer interacts with employees, customers, and the community.
Based on information gathered during the store visits, each winner will receive additional recognition for their unique accomplishments, such as innovations and community service, on stage at the IGA Awards of Excellence Ceremony at the 2023 NGA Show.
The ceremony also will recognize IGA Retailers of the Year from other countries in addition to select Red Oval partners and wholesalers. Red Oval is an alliance of industry food manufacturers and service providers that support IGA retailers and their licensed distribution centers, such as by helping to develop, fund and execute marketing events and providing category expertise. At the ceremony, one of the U.S. winners also will be named IGA USA International Retailer of the Year.
“With the worst of the pandemic hopefully in the rearview and travel and events returning to normal for most of the world, IGA has the first opportunity in years to bring together our global family to celebrate the accomplishments of our members,” Ross said in a statement.
Following the ceremony, attendees will move into the Omega Mart immersive art installation, which the IGA describes as beginning in a grocery store and continuing “in a madcap journey through surreal worlds featuring immersive storytelling and interactive experiences that defy imagination.”
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