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The IGA stores slogan ‘Hometown Proud’ is more than just a saying to Millstadt IGA owner Thomas Norrenberns (aka TJ). It’s a philosophy and a way of doing business that TJ tries to incorporate into his stores. The stores location at 625 East Washington in Millstadt, was the former location of the Millstadt Supermart. Opening in January of 2007 they will be celebrating three years of doing business at that location in 2010. But what separates the Millstadt Supermart from the major grocery chains and big box stores in the area is that they provide a wide variety of products and services while still maintaining small town values and excellent personalized service.
IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance) allows smaller grocery stores to compete with larger chain stores and big box stores in a variety of ways. While providing affordable, quality store brand items IGA also provides an identity and a means of marketing to the community. And over the last years IGA has become a global company as well. If you’d like to learn more about IGA go to IGA.com.
After 18 years of supermarket experience, TJ left his father’s company (the Tom’s Grocery chain) back in 1995 to start his own company and opened the Red Bud IGA in Red Bud, Illinois. Calling the stores by their town names was intentional and reflects the personal convictions of their owner. TJ said, “I don’t really feel like I own the store. I feel like it belongs to the community. I don’t want the stores to be affiliated with me, I want them to be affiliated with the town.” Millstadt IGA is all about service. Helping customers find what they need and get what they want. TJ said, “I really think our strong point is our service. People are starting to catch on to that. They go to some stores and they can’t find someone to help them. They can’t do it, but we can”
The emphasis on service is probably best displayed in the meat department where quality cuts and competitive prices are the norm. Their meat cutters are trained and union affiliated with many years of experience. As an independent grocery they can shop the market for the best products they can find at the best prices they can find. TJ said, “We don’t have to buy just from our central wholesale company because that’s where we get most of our meat. We can shop for the best quality and price which allows us to purchase locally as well.”
The deli has become a popular place in recent years as families who are on the go shop for quick meal solutions. The deli carries high quality ‘Boar’s Head’ meats, a variety of prepared salads and desserts as well as a variety of hot food items including ‘Champs Chicken’. TJ said, “We’ve been developing our hot food at the deli through Champs, which is somewhat of a name brand. But it allows us the flexibility to determine and adjust to the needs of our customers here in Millstadt. It has enhanced the quality of our fried chicken and our hot foods in general. Our chicken tenders are breaded here daily and are the best around. We serve fried chicken livers here everyday which brings sort of a local flair.”
Possibly the most modern convenience offered at the Millstadt IGA is the Kodak Digital Photo kiosk. The Kodak Digital Photo kiosk enables customers to download, crop and print their digital photos as well as scan other photos for us. TJ said, “The Kodak kiosk is relatively new here. We believe it has potential here because it has been a phenomenal success at our Red Bud store. My wife is our best customer because she knows that she can get high quality Kodak prints in seconds. It’s so good in it’s quality and performance.”
By having multiple providers for their produce, it enables them to get as many as five deliveries a week. On some occasions they may even get a delivery on Saturday if need be. Freshness and quality is key and great suppliers help accomplish that. While most produce comes from other states and locales, having multiple distributors enables the Millstadt IGA to sometimes offer locally grown produce when in season.
Premium beers and micro-brews have become increasingly popular and are being offered by beer distributors and the Millstadt IGA is finding them a hot item. From local favorites like Bud Light and Stag to new wheat beers and imports Millstadt IGA has it. TJ said, “We’re finding that as soon as we can put those out on display people are buying them. So if someone comes in they can find a real variety of options here.”
But the Millsatdt IGA is not just a retailer, they are an employer as well and TJ takes that role very seriously working to insure a pleasant working environment. “My mission is to create a great working environment where people want to work and participate in building a great team of people who have the same heart of service, serving each other and serving the community. Schnucks may say they’re the friendliest store in town, but if they moved to Millstadt they would not be because we have great people working here who care about each other and the community they serve.”
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