Shopping Local Matters
Story by Mitch Catlin
It is something that we all inherently know deep down, but now we have facts to back up the financial benefits of supporting “Aussie made.”
Leading global consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) was commissioned by Metcash in 2022 to conduct the first significant economic impact assessment into the real value that independent grocers provide to Aussies businesses and the overall national economy.
The results show how the power is really in our hands if we choose to support local businesses.
The independent report uncovered the following;
- IGA supermarkets contribute $8.2 billion towards the Australian economy
- IGA employs more than 65,000 locals in stores across the country – almost 30,000 of those jobs are full-time
- Furthermore, more than 40,000 additional local trades and services are engaged by IGA store owners
- More than 38,000 local producers and suppliers are supported through the IGA network and;
- More than 34,000 local community groups and organisations such as schools, sporting clubs and charities are directly funded by their local IGA and provided in-kind support
Unsurprisingly, the largest numbers of stores are in the states with the largest populations and economies – New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland. However, comparing the number of stores to the population of a state can better highlight the relative importance of independent grocers. For example, Western Australia is home to 11% of Australia’s population, however, it is home to 17% of the local independent grocers, and therefore supports a greater proportion of local businesses.
In the grocery and supermarket sector, the indirect economic impact is often just as important in supporting local community jobs and investment. For supermarkets, like IGA, this can include the purchase of equipment, consumables used in store, and services such as transport, logistics and cleaning.
For those of us that shop at our local IGA, we know that the owners are often prominent members of their local community. Roz White, owns six IGA stores on the stunning Sunshine Coast in Queensland, and is passionate about supporting her local producers and suppliers.
“I grew up on the land. My dad was a primary producer, a cattleman. I grew up riding trucks and tractors. I respect how hard it is to create food and to produce it,” she said.
Roz and her husband Michael quit their jobs at the bank 32 years ago and bought a convenience store in Marooychdore.
“We were both green. We came out of corporate world and went into in an industry that we had no idea about. We didn’t have a clue,” she said.
Over time, they learned on the job. They purchased their first IGA store in the town of Bli Bli in 2003, and the couple now employ 560 locals across their six stores.
More than a decade ago, Roz launched her unique ‘Locavore Program’ which gives local producers a platform to have their products stocked on supermarket shelves. A ‘Locavore’ is a shopper who tries to consume food and beverages, that are grown or produced, within a 200-kilometre radius from home.
Roz and her team currently partner with more than 170 local suppliers on the Sunny Coast, with the aim of increasing that to 200 during Summer.
“I just want our customers to know that this is local produce from our own backyards,” she said.
She engaged a graphic artist to create a little logo with a tractor on it that tells local shoppers that they are supporting their local community.
“We then started telling the amazing stories of our local producers in our stores. I always wanted to be authentically local,” she said.
One of the most iconic Aussie brands, Coyo Coconut Yoghurt, got its start with Roz, as part of this wonderful local program, and is now a multi-million-dollar global business. We need more Roz and Michael’s in Australia.
