IGA is a network of over 1,300 independent family-owned supermarkets with stores across Australia. As a brand synonymous with ‘community’, it was no surprise when two local IGA stores, in Laverton and Spotswood in busy suburban Melbourne, decided to stretch above and beyond their local impact by installing solar.

Owner Mena Mikhail, explains the company’s motivation: “Addressing our environmental impact as a business really resonated with our entire team, so installing solar felt very much aligned with the direction we are taking as a company.

“At the time, we were also looking at ways to optimise our operating costs at both sites, where electricity costs had been increasing every month.

“So while addressing our electricity usage from a commercial perspective was definitely a factor, our drive to make a more substantial impact, both socially and environmentally, underpinned the business case for solar.” 

The team met with Bright Source Australia Business Manager, Savy Naran, who would manage the delivery and installation of solar panels for the supermarkets. Mena was then grateful to learn of a payment solution in Smart Ease, that would enable them to better manage cashflow and achieve their solar goals at the same time.