Ground-breaking change coming to grocery stores
While Australians are still copping the effects of supply chain issues in supermarkets, many shoppers are faced with the frustration of empty shelves at their local grocer.
But now, a ground-breaking initiative could solve those issues for good.
IGA's Local Grocer initiative will allow customers to actually decide what is in stores, in what is the biggest brand rollout in the country.
With the use of technology, supermarket data and old school customer interaction, a bespoke offering will be created for locals, with no two Local Grocers will be the same, and each of the 400 stores set to open within months will cater to the specific wants and needs of their community.
IGA’s flagship Local Grocer store has just opened in the Sydney northwest suburb of Epping, and the concept is already a hit with local shoppers.
Run by brothers Antoine and Richard Rizk under the Mint Fresh banner, the Epping store is the pair’s fifth venture after working in the sector for more than a decade.
Antoine told news.com.au it was designed so that “locals can get pretty much everything they need in one place”, and he said they had even chosen not to install self-service checkouts “so that we can truly get to know our local shoppers”.
He explained they had used an app and focus group to get feedback about the types of products customers wanted to see in store before the launch.
“There’s a lot of customisation for the local Asian community, and we have quite a big range in the grocery, dairy, freezer and fruit and vegetable aisles,” he said.
“Being locals within the geographical area, we spoke to a lot of people and looked at a lot of competitors, and we also used an app … to recruit customers for a focus group."
“The survey provided us with a bunch of feedback about how frequently they cook and what kinds of products they require."
“We’ve had customers come in nearly every day since we opened, and that’s a good sign. Our customisation is a huge point of difference and it gives us a competitive advantage. Having that local knowledge is critical."
Image credits: Getty Images