'We don't have self-checkouts, they put people out of jobs': Shop award win

The store - which was rebuilt about two-and-a-half years ago - has been named large delicatessen department of the year at the 2024 Victorian IGA Awards of Excellence.

Daly's IGA in Koroit has been in the same family for five generations and celebrates its 106^th birthday this month.

And store co-owner Mick Daly said he liked to think of the family business as more than just a supermarket. "It's a meeting place. You can come in there and sit down and use the free Wi-Fi, and people do," he said.

"We've got a cafe at our deli that opens onto the street and into the store. That's a winner for a lot of people."

Mr Daly said more IGAs were looking at following their lead and doing something similar.

Customer service, he said, was key. "Staff greet people if they know them by name. They're allowed to stand and have a chat. It's a people's business. Strike up a conversation. Why not," Mr Daly said.

"We don't have self-checkouts because they put people out of jobs. That 's the bottomline.

"The chains all do it. Twelve express lanes in a supermarket, people should have a think when they go through there that that's 12 people's jobs."

Mr Daly said every time he saw unmanned checkouts being used, he noticed people struggling.

"I'm sure there are people that love that but you cannot beat customer service," he said. "We all love it. We all want it and we all deserve to get it."

Mr Daly said the revamped store had become a drawcard for shoppers not just in Koroit but from further afield.

"We've got people coming out from Warrnambool, we've got people coming from Port Fairy, Hamilton," he said.

"There's certain lines that we're able to source and stock that people are very happy with. A lot of people are doing the experience thing.

"Everyone can sell baked beans and Cornflakes and fight over who sells more than the rest but people are going to buy those where they want to, when they want to. You do have to have a point of difference.

"It could be the ambience of your store, friendly staff."

Mr Daly said the supermarket employed close to 100 people during the busy times of the year such as the Koroit Irish Festival and May Racing Carnival.

He said the Koroit store had exceeded all expectations. "It's just phenomenal," he said.

Mr Daly said the store's car park was good for elderly customers and those with young children but wouldn't give up on his quest to make the town's main street safer.

"We can't get the B-doubles out of Koroit. If there's one thing I'd love to do is get those B-doubles out of that main street. It wasn't designed for it," Mr Daly said.

The Koroit store was nominated in every award category which were presented by Australian actor Shane Jacobson.

He said the award win for its "world class" delicatessen was great recognition for all the work the staff do.

"We were up against some stiff competition," he said.

It is not the first time a Daly IGA supermarket has won an award.

Mr Daly said their Portland supermarket won store of the year in 2016 - a few years after it was damaged by fire leaving a $4 million damage bill.

He and brother Peter have owned the Portland store for 25 years, and the Heywood store for 19 years.