Four years ago, IGA Springfield Lakes joined forces with Two Butchers to provide fresh local produce for their customers.
The partnership between the two stores began in earnest on April 16, 2019. But according to IGA store owner Terry Slaughter, it wasn’t an instant “yes”.
“Two Butchers had a really good name throughout the community,” Terry said.
“But when they first approached me, I didn’t know them from Adam!”
The Two Butchers shop, located in Orion shopping centre, is currently owned and managed by Kenneth “Ken” Kearney, one of the original “two butchers”.
They opened their doors only a few years ago – in March, 2017 – while IGA has been in operation far longer.
“Over time, however,” Terry continued, “they became renowned as having a high-quality product, and were supporting local charities and schools.”
“So I said: ‘these guys have the same DNA as us, so there should be a partnership here’.”
It became a reciprocal relationship wherein IGA was able to rely on the Two Butchers name, and, vice versa, the reach of Two Butchers had widened through the brand recognition and extended trading hours of IGA.
Business friendship
Ken, a butcher with over a decade of experience, said that what started off as a business relationship ended up more like a friendship.
“Friendships work on similar grounds and through having the same vision,” Ken said.
“Terry gives so much to the community.
“He gives back. We give back. We both love good produce and giving good quality to customers, and so we’re on the same page with that.”
Both stores are open seven days a week.
Two Butchers is open 8am to 6pm weekdays, and until 9pm Thursday, as well as morning to evening on both Saturday and Sunday, though it closes on some public holidays.
IGA’s hours are longer, open 6am to 9pm daily, 365 days a year.
“The meat’s cut, wrapped, packed, and case-ready, and delivered to the store at pretty competitive prices,” Terry noted.
With the help of Two Butchers’ social media manager Marissa Newton, the two stores regularly do crossover promotions on social media, for example for Australia Day and more recently over Easter.
At the end of June, they will be teaming up to help raise funds for the NRL Beanie for Brain Cancer Round (June 29 to July 2, 2023).
Local produce
One of the benefits of being under the IGA banner is their ability to be more dynamic in dealing with local suppliers, Terry explained.
“We can negotiate with any supplier. If somebody comes to me and says, ‘I’ve got all these carrots that I grew in my backyard and I want to sell it through your store’, there’s nothing stopping me from doing that.”
The local The Cheesecake Shop franchisee is another of the store’s partners, with their packaged cake slices and quarters available from IGA’s refrigerator.
Biltong (beef jerky), sourced from Rocklea-based De Beer Meat Co, is another popular staple of the Springfield Lakes supermarket.
IGA Springfield Lakes is located at Shop 22, 31 Springfield Lakes Boulevard – open 6am to 9pm every day.
Two Butchers is located at Shop 207A, 1 Main Street, Springfield Central – opposite Coles – and is open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday (until 9pm Thursday), 8am-5:30pm on Saturday, and 9am to 6pm on Sunday.
