Pocahontas IGA in Marlinton, West Virginia, has been named one of the 2024 U.S. Retailers of the Year by the Independent Grocers Alliance, the highest honor the organization bestows upon its retail members.
Owner Rob Hilleary and his team were nominated by their wholesaler, Merchant Distributors Inc., for their innovative store operations and for moving the independent grocery industry forward.
Hilleary has worked at the store for more than a decade, having risen from meat manager to store manager and now owner. During this time, he has learned how to navigate the ebb and flow of a region in which the different seasons impact sales and produce large swings in both customer count and type.
His secret? Consistency and a willingness to try new things.
“We’ve survived due to the wonderful customer service we offer, our loyal customer base and very reliable service from MDI and other vendors,” Hilleary said. “We also try to stay consistent with everyday items, fresh meats and produce, while keeping up to date with new items.”
Located on the banks of the Greenbrier River, Marlinton – with a population hovering around 1,000 – is the true definition of a rural town with a community atmosphere. And that’s just the way the locals, most of who have lived there all their lives, like it.
The residents lean on Pocahontas IGA for stock-ups but also are known to head on weekends to Lewisburg or one of the other bigger towns to shop at Food Lion or Walmart.
Thanks to campers, leaf-lookers and skiers, tourism runs strong in the summer, fall and winter.
Hilleary makes sure to balance his offerings to take this into account, as well as the fact that the next grocery store is more than an hour away in any direction.
With just 17,000 square feet to work with, that’s not always an easy task. Hilleary finds experimenting with new ideas has been a key reason for the store’s success. “Our customers really love seeing new things here,” he said.
The store boasts about 40 employees – 20 to 25 of whom Hilleary considers the core, having stuck it out through challenges like COVID-19. The other 15 or so come and go, for various reasons.
“Some get a different job and move on, and some just have trouble showing up for work every day. Being this is a small community, all the businesses here are vying for the same labor pool,” he said, noting that most employees live within a 15-mile radius of the store.
Hilleary’s flexible approach has been instrumental in helping him retain employees.
“We try to work around our employees’ schedule as much as we can. Most have families and we try to support as much as possible,” he said.
Creating a family atmosphere at the store has also been central to his success.
“We have special events for employees, such as cookouts and meals, and product giveaways for holidays,” he said.
Customers shop at Pocahontas for many reasons, including its friendly staff.
“Our customers like knowing the folks who work here,” Hilleary said. “Their kids go to school with some of our cashiers, and they have seen the same face behind our meat counter for the past 10 years.”
Despite the small space, Hilleary has a butcher on site, offering fresh cuts and grinding hamburger meat daily. Given the clientele, he would love to offer prepared foods, but a small deli space and trouble finding help has put those plans on hold. The store’s eight-piece fried chicken and rotisserie options are a customer favorite.
On an average day, his customers are a mix of locals and tourists, which means Hilleary stocks a lot of regional products. Customer favorites include corn meal, pepperoni rolls, honey, cookies and fresh produce.
“Tourists, and even our regulars, love anything that we can offer that is made in this area,” he added.
Hilleary tries to offer a selection of seasonal items to help cater to visitors. Last year, he experimented with selling larger grills, which turned out to be a success. His wholesaler, Merchants Distributors, was able to secure a great price, which motivated Hilleary to test the waters.
“We really have a good partnership with MDI. They encourage us to try new things and don’t lock us in on doing the same things all the time,” he said.
As is often typical of retailers in rural areas, his IGA is part grocery store, part greenhouse, selling everything from annuals and vegetable plants to fresh flowers. This allows the store to leverage interest during key holidays and other occasions to capture incremental business.
Hilleary recently completed a mini-store remodel. The interior was painted, signage added and flooring and a large percentage of shelving replaced.
“The floor refresh was much needed, as it hadn’t been updated since 1985,” he said. “We got a great deal on shelving after locating a retailer selling his one-year-old fixtures for much less than new ones would have cost us.”
The store also added its first self-checkout lanes. Hilleary was able to take out just one of the traditional lanes and replace it with four self-checkouts. The change was made based on a combination of hard-to-find help and customer requests.
“This has gone over surprisingly well. A lot of our customers like the change, especially our younger ones,” he said.
Also new this year is AppCard, a loyalty program for customers, and FreshOp for online shopping.
Up next is a refrigeration refresh. Hilleary has applied for a USDA REAP grant to help upgrade the heating and cooling systems throughout the store, including changing out the less energy-efficient open cases to those with doors.
Next year marks a milestone for Pocahontas. The store will be celebrating 50 years in business, and Hilleary plans to mark the occasion with some special events.
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