Sumter, SC, April 6, 2010. Mr. Jimmy and Tommy Clark have announced they will be opening a new store, located at 235 West Wesmark Blvd in Sumter, SC. The new Sumter IGA Plus will open its doors during a Grand Opening celebration at 7:00 am on April 14, 2010. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9:00 am. The public is welcome to attend.
Jimmy and Tommy have been operating an IGA store on Pinewood Road in Sumter since 2005 and they jumped at the opportunity to add a second store. The store location was previously a Winn-Dixie that had closed its doors. The property was purchased and after an extensive renovation and remodel, the new Sumter IGA Plus is finally ready to open its doors.
The store features 35,000 square feet of selling space, a deli, fresh seafood department and a full-service meat department. "We are really excited about the seafood department in this particular store," said Jimmy Clark, "our Seafood department does well in our other store and we expect this one to do the same." "I am really proud of our meat department," said Clark, "which allows us to offer a large product variety and selection to our customers. By actually having several meat cutters in store, we are able to respond to each individual customers' needs. IGA has always been well known for the quality of its meat." The store will also feature expanded dairy and frozen food departments offering a wider range of items for customers.
The employees at Sumter IGA Plus are committed to customer service and value. "As a family owned business, we are focused on being in-touch with the community, yet as part of IGA, we have the buying power of the largest voluntary grocery chain in the world" Mr. Clark said.
IGA, the only global supermarket business based in the United States, is the world's largest licensed supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $21 billion per year. The Alliance includes more than 4,000 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by 37 distribution companies and master franchises. Through its alliance, IGA ranks in the top 10 in world food supermarket sales. IGA has operations in 48 states of the United States and 40 other countries around the globe.
For more information on IGA, visit the IGA online pressroom at http://www.igainc.com/pr. For more information on the Sumter IGA, please call Wil Thomy at 843.389.2731 or visit http://www.igaguy.com.
7 IGA stores were awarded IGA's prestigious Five Star rating for 2010. Out of over 1,600 stores nationwide only 213 received this honor.
| The 7 stores chosen were: | |
|---|---|
| Augusta IGA | Augusta, Georgia |
| Godwin's IGA | Rose Hill, North Carolina |
| Camden IGA | Camden, South Carolina |
| Chester IGA | Chester, South Carolina |
| Griffin's IGA | Longs, South Carolina |
| Sumter IGA | Sumter, South Carolina |
| Turbeville IGA | Turbeville, South Carolina |
The Five Star rating is part of a bold initiative to ensure IGA's independently owned and operated supermarkets are consistent in their high level of cleanliness and operational excellence. As part of this effort, an independent third party expert conducts operational assessments of each supermarket, focusing on the customer's experience. In all, dozens of items are checked, including cleanliness, product selection, store appearance, use of technology and others. To receive a Five Star rating, a supermarket must meet or exceed at least 92% of these standards.
"I'm proud to recognize these stores for their accomplishments, and even more important in the long-term, to thank them for helping to elevate our IGA Brand through this wonderful achievement" said Mr. Mark Batenic, IGA's Chairman and CEO. "This is a great honor for them and their employees. We are extremely proud that they are part of the IGA Team."
