IGA’s flagship Local Grocer store at Epping, New South Wales, is using data, technology, and customer interaction to curate a bespoke offering for its local community.
Antoine and Richard Rizk, owners of IGA Epping, surveyed residents through a CBUS app that connects residents with local businesses in the development and conducted focus groups every week in the lead up to the recent store opening, to ensure the supermarket stocks products that the locals want.
The Epping store is the latest to open under IGA’s Local Grocer banner – the biggest retail brand rollout in Australia this year with close to 400 supermarkets opening with the IGA Local Grocer name.
The Mint Fresh IGA Local Grocer stocks meals to go, fresh cut cheese, in-store made salads and bakery items, liquor and more. It also has a large Asian offering as requested by locals, including frozen products, grocery items and fresh produce.
“Being independently owned, we’ve listened to the needs of our community which is reflected throughout our store, from our products, fit out and all the way through to our staff members,” Rizk said.
“It’s our promise to stock everyday products at competitive prices, a range of locally sourced goods and remain an important part of the local community by offering the best in customer service that only a local owner can provide. We’ve even chosen not to install self-service checkouts so that we can truly get to know our local shoppers.”
Metcash Food general manager of retail, Danielle Jenkinson said, “IGAs Local Grocer offering has the needs of local communities across Australia at its core. It’s these stores, run by locals, for locals that know their shoppers, offering a relevant range tailored for shoppers who buy as they need.”
She added: “Shopper research and insights have been used to inform the new format IGA Local Grocer via surveys undertaken with 5,000 households and data analysed from over 2.8 million Australian shopping trips. These insights, along with the additional data that Antoine and Richard have gathered from their local Epping community have been used to develop this new, highly personalised store, taking IGA’s tailored offer one step further by providing the community with the right range, promotions, and experiences to cater to even more shoppers.”