IGA

IGA was founded in May 1926 when a group of 100 independent retailers in Poughkeepsie, New York, and Sharon, Connecticut, led by J. Frank Grimes, organized into a single marketing system, primarily to help independent grocers compete against the emerging national grocery chain, e.g., the now defunct A&P. IGA management provided marketing guidance and consistent supply chain access to its IGA stores, many located in smaller cities and towns across the U.S., using the "Hometown Proud Supermarkets" slogan.

By the end of its first year, the group had expanded to include more than 150 retailers, and shortly after its founding, the company began making and marketing its own canned food brand. By 1930, over 8,000 grocery stores were using the IGA name. As of 2024, IGA operated with over 6200 different locations worldwide.

William Olsen was the company CEO until 1988, replaced by Thomas Haggai, who retired in 2016. Mark Batenic replaced Haggai, John Ross — a former lot boy, store manager, president of data analytics firm Inmar Intelligence and author of Fire in the Zoo — became IGA's new president and CEO. In 2024 IGA purchased Scanner Applications, owned by Inmar, to streamline in-store promotions.

The stores in the alliance remain independently owned and operated. The alliance oversees several resources shared among the member stores, including, most visibly, the IGA store brand products and their logistical distribution network. The alliance also provides training and assessment programs and an online advertising platform. It regularly coordinates promotional events and charity fundraising events that benefit store communities.

As of 2023, IGA was located in 22 countries. There were 763 locations in 38 states and territories in the US. The states with the highest concentration are North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky.