CHICAGO, IL — [January 2026] — The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA), the world’s largest alliance of independently owned and operated grocery stores and a grocery consultancy offering retail solutions for independents, today announced the launch of IGA Community Development, created to support urban and rural communities working to solve the food desert crisis across the United States.
The new area of focus for IGA is designed to expand access to fresh, affordable food in underserved areas by matching funding from communities, non-profits and other developmental entities with independent retailers. This allows those retailers to open stores in markets where they are desperately needed — and where traditionally national chains won’t go.
IGA Community Development will be headed up by longtime IGA employee Ashley Page, who was recently promoted to General Manager of IGA Community Development. In this expanded role, Page will oversee national community development strategy and retail program development designed to support sustainable independent grocery operations in food-insecure areas.
Partnership development and on-the-ground retail support and technical assistance will be led by Jimmy Wright, Director of Community Store Development, who brings deep operational experience and hands-on expertise working directly with independent grocers and community stakeholders.
As IGA enters its 100th anniversary year, IGA CEO John Ross says the creation of this new entity within IGA is a necessary expansion on IGA’s mission.
“For more than a century, IGA’s mission has been clear: to serve independent retailers by providing the assets, resources, relationships, and collective strength necessary to compete successfully against chain store competitors. As we enter our 100th anniversary year, that mission does not change, but it does expand to include serving communities in need,” IGA CEO John Ross said.
“Independent grocery isn’t just a retail model; it’s a community solution,” Ross continued. “In many communities, especially those that are underserved or have experienced disinvestment, independent grocers offer one of the most viable and lasting paths to food access, local ownership, workforce opportunity, and neighborhood stability. By bringing community leaders, government, nonprofits, and other funding partners together with independent retailers, we create unique public-private partnerships that, unlike so many past efforts to address food deserts, can drive sustainable economic change.”
IGA’s Impact in Atlanta: A Model for Community Food Access
IGA’s commitment to food access work is already yielding results in Atlanta, where the organization partnered with Invest Atlanta and local leaders to expand fresh food options in the heart of the city. In September 2025, Azalea Fresh Market opened in Downtown Atlanta as a first-of-its-kind municipal grocery store developed through a public-private collaboration between the City of Atlanta, Invest Atlanta, Savi Provisions, community stakeholders, and IGA. Serving over 4,000 customers within its first week, the market was created to serve a USDA-designated low-income, low-access area, bringing fresh produce, dairy, pantry staples, and locally sourced foods to residents who had long lacked convenient access to healthy options.
IGA has provided key technical assistance and retail support as part of the project, drawing on its expertise to help shape store strategy, operations, and community engagement — efforts that have positioned Azalea Fresh Market as both a vital resource and a model for addressing urban food insecurity through local partnerships and retail innovation.
IGA Community Development Services
IGA Community Development will deliver comprehensive support to independent retailers and community partners working to increase access to fresh food in all regions of the country.
Key areas of support include:
“Having no access to fresh, healthy food is more than an inconvenience; it has a negative impact on the health, opportunity, and economic growth of whole communities and the people in them,” Page said. “Independent grocers play a critical role in addressing food insecurity by offering locally tailored solutions, creating jobs, and reinvesting in the communities they serve — communities that have often been overlooked by chains. IGA Community Development is designed to meet rural and urban communities where they are, and help ensure their grocery solutions are locally informed, economically viable, and community-driven. Jimmy Wright and I look forward to expanding on the foundation established in Atlanta to serve other communities across the country.”
“Independent grocers do more than sell food. They support health, dignity, and economic opportunity,” added IGA’s Jimmy Wright. “This is deeply rewarding work because it directly impacts families, neighborhoods, and local economies. Our role is to walk alongside these grocers, providing the hands-on support, technical expertise, and long-term partnership they need to succeed in communities that depend on them. Not just today, but for generations to come.”
About the Independent Grocers Alliance
The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) was founded in 1926, bringing together independent grocers across the United States to ensure that the trusted, family-owned local grocery store remained strong in the face of growing chain competition. IGA is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of over $43 billion per year. The Alliance includes more than 7,500 stores globally, with operations in 46 of the United States and over 25 countries.