Serving Shoppers the IGA Way

Jul 17, 2019

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Dr.  Thomas S. Haggai

Spend a minute with IGA Chairman Emeritus Tom Haggai as he shares his insights on serving today’s shoppers, and offers his endorsement for a digital platform that puts IGA retailers on par with national chains.

 

Hello IGA Family:

The one thing in life that is always true is that things change. We all know that the grocery industry is radically different today than it was when I first joined the IGA Alliance so many years ago. Who would have believed how different things would become if we could have seen our current future, with new store formats, online purchasing, global supply, mobile shopping, and so much more?

And yet, the basics of great retailing never really change. Our IGA retailers continue to pay attention to our shoppers, listen to their needs, and serve them like family—just as they have done for generations. Only now the word “serve” is taking on even more meaning. In addition to the personalized, instore service IGA as community centers are known for, IGA retailers also need to embrace and use digital technology so their trademark service extends beyond the store into shoppers’ homes and daily lives.

Which is why I wanted to write you, to encourage you to join our new IGA CEO John Ross and his team’s efforts to get IGA up to speed on the latest digital technology. I know he is right when he says that if IGA is going to grow and thrive, we have to have the same technological capabilities as any other big chain. In fact, we need it more!

I wrote a book called How the Best is Won: Lessons in Management Learned from the Old West. One of the chapters is titled, “The cavalry ain’t coming!”, where the point is that the leaders who win have to act fast, reject quick fixes, and adapt their business or die. It is with great pride that I watch John’s leadership bring more growth to IGA, both in the form of new stores and more Red Oval partners investing in IGA, and I trust him when he says we must jump into digital or find we aren’t serving our shoppers the way they expect.

In more than half a century with IGA, I have celebrated a number of tremendous steps forward for the IGA family and our brand. Please know that I stand by you as you take one more huge step, showing the world what I already know: no one cares about serving people the way you do.

Yours devotedly,

Tom Haggai

Chairman Emeritus

IGA

 

Want to learn more about the digital marketing platform designed make your digital services easier and better? Read the feature story Automate, Simplify, Engage: See What IGA Shopper Rewards Can Do for You.

 

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