The annual IGA Victorian Awards for Excellence were held on April 30, recognising and celebrating the achievement of independent retailers.
IGA X-press Buronga, Ritchies IGA Mt Eliza and Champion’s SUPA IGA Whittlesea won the key awards for IGA X-press Store of the Year, IGA Store of the Year, and SUPA IGA Store of the Year, respectively.
The awards celebrate retail excellence, aiming to recognise not only stores, but also the staff who have set the benchmark for other IGA stores across the network.
Metcash Food and Grocery General Manager Victoria Paul Everard and Fred Harrison from IGA Victorian Retail Council presented the awards to the store teams.
“We’re proud to support independent supermarkets across the state that deliver a great retail experience to our community,” Mr Everard said. “We acknowledge the hard work and commitment our stores have demonstrated throughout the year across all categories awarded tonight.”
The winners were:
- Ritchies IGA Mt Eliza: IGA Meat Department of the Year Award, IGA Bakery Department of the Year Award, IGA Grocery & General Merchandise Department of the Year Award, IGA Fresh Produce Department of the Year Award and IGA Retail Transformation & Innovation Award.
- Burgess SUPA IGA Nagambie: SUPA IGA Grocery & General Merchandise Department of the Year Award and SUPA IGA Delicatessen Department of the Year Award.
- Champion’s SUPA IGA Long Gully: SUPA IGA Dairy/Freezer Department of the Year Award and IGA Community Award.
- Renaissance Square IGA Hawthorn: IGA Delicatessen Department of the Year Award.
- Daly’s SUPA IGA Portland: SUPA IGA Meat Department of the Year Award.
- Fairley’s SUPA IGA Shepparton: SUPA IGA Bakery Department of the Year Award.
- IGA SUPA Champions Whittlesea: SUPA IGA Fresh Produce of the Year Award.
- IGA San Remo: IGA Dairy/Freezer Department of the Year Award.
- SUPA IGA Terang: Service Award of the Year.
- Shayne Crawford IGA San Remo: IGA Team Member/Rising Star Award.
The state-based winners now go on to compete against IGA stores across the country in the IGA National Awards to be announced in July 2016 in Queensland.