Frewville Foodland still setting the world standard
FREWVILLE Foodland has been named Australia’s best IGA store for the second consecutive year.
SA Business
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FREWVILLE Foodland has been named Australia’s best IGA store for the second consecutive year.
Owned and operated by Nick and Spero Chapley of the Commercial Retail Group (CRG) for more than 27 years, Frewville Foodland tied with Taylor Road IGA in Western Australia to claim the title.
The supermarkets share the Australian International Retailer of the Year award, announced in Las Vegas on the weekend as part of the 2017 IGA Global Awards.
CRG general manager Spero Chapley thanked its customers for their support and loyalty.
“This award is really their award because, for us, we are just doing our job,” he said.
“We are always looking for improvement and we are moved by our customers’ reaction and we really want to delight our customers.”
He said since last year’s award win, the supermarket continued to expand its organic and local offering, as well as create a new flower bar.
“Just before Christmas we launched the flower bar, but it’s not a florist — we don’t do deliveries,” he said.
“It’s all about the instore experience and the intention is encouraging people to buy flowers for themselves and for their home, not just getting flowers twice a year on special occasions.”
Furthermore, Mr Chapley said CRG is committed to hiring people and not installing self-serve checkouts in the supermarket.
“We employ 300 people at Frewville and then there are many people employed indirectly,” he said.
“We have made a business pledge and a public pledge and it’s important to say we won’t put in self-service checkouts.
“It devalues service and erodes employment opportunities and we are always looking to create jobs and we do that by creating opportunities in our stores.”
He said customers expect good service and many enjoy the experience at Foodland Frewville so much they visit multiple times per day.
Apart from the supermarket, Frewville Foodland serves coffee and meals at Mr Nick’s Kitchen and Coffee Bar and holds instore events where people can sit at a table and enjoy food prepared by experts.
“We have a more regular food appreciation program where we have chefs and people sitting at tables,” he said.
“We don’t do the traditional demonstrations, as the industry terms it, like being offered a toothpick with a piece of cheese on it.”
One of its main unique selling points is live music instore, including piano and guitar, showcasing local talent.
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