A heavenly haven for grocery shoppers: Saints Foodland wins world’s best supermarket award!

In the heart of north-east Adelaide, a local supermarket has achieved what many would consider the pinnacle of retail success.

Saints Road Foodland in Salisbury Plains has been crowned the world's best independent grocer, a title that resonates with pride not just within its walls, but throughout the entire South Australian community.

This remarkable achievement has put the spotlight on what makes Saints Foodland stand out in a global market teeming with competition.


The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) Awards of Excellence, held on March 11, saw Saints Foodland rise above 6,000 IGA-affiliated stores from over 30 countries to claim the prestigious International Retailer of the Year award.

This accolade is a testament to the store's commitment to excellence since its opening in 2019 as part of the South Australian Foodland chain.


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Saints Road Foodland in South Australia was named the IGA International Retailer of the Year. Credits: Facebook / Saints Foodland


But what exactly catapults a supermarket to such heights of recognition?

For Saints Foodland, it's a combination of factors that resonate deeply with its customers.

The store has become a beloved community hub, known for its high-quality South Australian produce and exceptional customer service.

The supermarket's Director, Spero Tsapaliaris, and Foodland Chief Executive, Franklin dos Santos, who both attended the awards ceremony in Las Vegas, expressed immense pride in this achievement, which ‘puts Foodland IGA on the global stage’.


‘Saints Road Foodland is more than just a supermarket, it’s a destination, Mr dos Santos said.

‘When you think about the world’s best supermarkets you think about all the bells and whistles of the finest quality fresh produce... [and] an abundance of variety and first-class service.’

‘This globally recognised store has all of that and more,’ he added.

Mr dos Santos emphasised that the store's primary objective is to offer customers a ‘unique shopping experience’ and introduce a ‘foodie enthusiast paradise’ to the north Adelaide area.

‘What you don't necessarily think about are all the details on top of that that contribute to make the store extra special,’ he stated.

‘The Saints Foodland store is seamlessly efficient and environmentally friendly, which in this day and age is a necessity.’


The store's recent accolades during the Australian IGA awards for 2023, including National Retailer, National Large Store, and National Large Grocery and General Merchandise Department of the Year, are further proof of its commitment to excellence.

The international title, which has been held by Australian stores for several years, with Ritchies IGA in Maclean and the Chapley family's other store in Adelaide's Frewville winning in the past, showcases the high standards of Australian independent supermarkets.


Recently, another South Australian industry was also recognised worldwide after winning a prestigious award in Germany.

Meanwhile, an Australian supermarket brand also won in the recent 2024 Golden Bean Awards World Series.
Key Takeaways
  • Saints Road Foodland in Salisbury Plains, Adelaide, was named the IGA International Retailer of the Year, beating over 6,000 stores globally.
  • The supermarket was commended for selling high-quality South Australian produce and exceptional customer service.
  • The store's achievements include various accolades at the Australian IGA awards for 2023, such as National Retailer, National Large Store, and National Large Grocery and General Merchandise Department of the Year.
Have you visited Saints Foodland or another local supermarket that goes above and beyond? What makes your local store special to you? Join the conversation in the comments below and let's celebrate the local businesses that make our communities thrive.
 
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Can we please start getting accurate headings, your not an International Media organisation. You don't need to sell us. So this was an internal competition for members of the IGA International Group, they weren't competing with Woolworths, Coles, IGA, Walmart or any other companies. It was great for them to win it, but you needn't have mentioned other brands to make it seem they were the best in the world against all comers. Again congrats to the store for taking out an amazing title within the IGA brand.
 
Can we please start getting accurate headings, your not an International Media organisation. You don't need to sell us. So this was an internal competition for members of the IGA International Group, they weren't competing with Woolworths, Coles, IGA, Walmart or any other companies. It was great for them to win it, but you needn't have mentioned other brands to make it seem they were the best in the world against all comers. Again congrats to the store for taking out an amazing title within the IGA brand.
I agree with your comment about the headings being misleading, however these up and coming Foodland supermarkets are quite superior to any other I've been to anywhere in the world. I shopped at Saints recently and it is fantastic but my personal favourite is the Pasadena store.
 
Based on the headline (click bait). Coles and Woollies ARE NOT independent supermarkets, how could/would they be eligible.
Unless your a member of the IGA association you can't compete, even an independently owned supermarket that is not part of the buying group cannot be included. It's just like Coles or Woolies having a competition between it's own stores. IGA's have gotten better, product range and support of local suppliers is great and their prices are starting to be competitive, but still not sure I can accept an inhouse award as verification they are world leaders.
 
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The only award WW and Coles would win would be for the biggest BS artists in history.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion!

Having had a business, I did everything legally and morally (my morals not a woke belief of what morals are) I could to maximise income and therefore profits, I cannot condemn any business for doing so. If you don't like the way they operate vote with your feet.
 
Yes so did I but the big one go over board with greedy profits that’s not morals it’s pure greed buggar everyone else farmers , growers etc
 
What a joke! From my experience, these so called independent supermarkets are the worst price gougers, exceeding that of Coles and Woolies.

Same as voting for the world's most livable city which Melbourne has won regularly over the past several years.

As voted by the residents of Toorak, St Kilda and Brighton. :mad:
 
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Can we please start getting accurate headings, your not an International Media organisation. You don't need to sell us. So this was an internal competition for members of the IGA International Group, they weren't competing with Woolworths, Coles, IGA, Walmart or any other companies. It was great for them to win it, but you needn't have mentioned other brands to make it seem they were the best in the world against all comers. Again congrats to the store for taking out an amazing title within the IGA brand.
omg! hahahaha the newbie police has arrived !!! lmfao 😂 😂 😂 😂
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