Gwen Christon, owner of Isom IGA, recognized as WGA Women of the Year

Gwen Christon, the proprietor, and manager of the Isom IGA in Isom, Kentucky, received the Woman of the Year Award from Women Grocers of America (WGA).

The award, which will be handed in Las Vegas at the 2023 NGA Show, is given every year to a female grocer who exemplifies outstanding leadership, a love of the grocery business, and a dedication to her community.

When Gwen started working at Isom IGA in 1973, her extraordinary adventure officially began. She subsequently bought the business from its original owners in 1998, ensuring that it remained in skilled hands and remained the sole grocery store within a 12-mile radius, according to WGA president Kristin Popp. 

The destruction of her shop and a large portion of the neighbourhood by catastrophic flooding last summer presented Gwen with one of her toughest difficulties. The business is scheduled to open later this year because of her patience, tenacity, and the solid community ties she has developed over her career.

"Gwen is a true role model for girls and women globally. I congratulate her on winning this honour and am forward to following her career in the years to come.

Isom IGA was submerged under 6 feet of water during the July 2022 flood, which devastated the whole structure, including freshly renovated areas of the shop. Regrettably, only a tiny percentage of the cost of the store's reconstruction was covered by its insurance coverage.

"Isom IGA started receiving gifts from people of the community straight away as they realized how essential it was to have their local independent grocery shop whether this horrible tragedy," said John Ross, IGA president, and CEO. 

"Gwen chose to donate part of the contributions she got back to the community, showing her dedication to the area. She collaborated with World Central Kitchen and Mercy Chef Kitchen to feed 10,000 individuals who had been forced to homeless by the storm while she sought to rebuild. Gwen is among the toughest people I've ever known, and she embodies what IGA stores offer to local communities across the nation.”

To lower the cost of electricity, Gwen, who was elected IGA Retailer of the Year in 2007, oversaw a significant redesign of her shop in 2016. This remodel includes energy-efficient cases, lighting, and solar power. She added self-service lanes and several other departmental improvements two months before the flood.

Gwen was essential in ensuring that neighbourhood kids were nourished during the COVID-19 outbreak, working with a professional kitchen to provide hundreds of food boxes to those in need. Gwen is dedicated to supporting the neighbourhood school system and participates in a committee to find and keep teachers, custodians, and other unfilled positions.

Greg Ferrara, president, and chief executive officer of the NGA, stated that independent grocery stores were essential to the health and vibrancy of the communities they served since they were sometimes the sole source of food and fresh produce for miles around. 

"Gwen's excursion demonstrates why Americans depend on their neighbourhood independent food businesses. She helped her community and they helped her, which serves as a reminder of the value of having a main street company that will be there for you in both good and bad times. I'm motivated by Gwen's tenacity and am forward to watching Isom IGA recover over the next years.”

For more than 30 years, the NGA Show has brought together independent grocers from around the world to share cutting-edge solutions and best practices that support and strengthen the independent supermarket channel. 

It brings together supermarket retailers, wholesalers, food producers, and service providers. In collaboration with the National Grocers Association, Clarion Events, a division of the Food & Beverage Group, produces and manages the NGA Show (NGA). 

With 15 offices in the UK, US, South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Singapore, UAE, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands, Clarion Events manages over 180 events in 50 nations. With origins dating back to 1947, Clarion takes great satisfaction in being one of the UK's first independent event planners. 

The company has lately expanded its worldwide brand portfolio. It is interested in some international vertical industries, including marketing, energy, security, and the hotel, electronics, and technology sectors. The employees at Clarion create surroundings that are incredibly effective and engaging and may be used as a base to develop enterprises, strengthen client connections, and hasten product recognition. 

The independent sector of the food distribution business is represented by the National Grocers Association (NGA), a national trade organization for retail and wholesale community grocers. A privately owned or managed food retail business that operates in a variety of forms is referred to as an independent retailer. 

Around 1.2 percent of the country's GDP or roughly $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million in employment, $39 billion in payments, and $36 billion in taxes are attributable to the independent grocery industry. Retail and wholesale grocers from every congressional district in the US are among the NGA's members, in addition to state grocers' organizations, manufacturers, and service providers.