SHADYSIDE – Riesbeck Food Markets is taking a new direction, bringing the familiar IGA name into its family of area grocery stores.

The move was set into motion earlier this week, when the former Village Market in Shadyside – which has been owned by Riesbeck’s since 1997 – became the Shadyside IGA. The renovated store has new signs and a whole new look.

“We’ve invested some dollars into the store,” said Leo Braido, Riesbeck’s director of sales and marketing. “When we purchased it in 1996, the Shadyside store was an IGA that had been closed.”

Name recognition and identity is part of the overall plan, Braido indicated, and officials at Riesbeck’s decided to convert the Village Market into the Shadyside IGA as its first move toward this new, multi-banner operation.

Richard Riesbeck, president of Riesbeck Food Markets, said the Shadyside store will not merely be another IGA, but will become a member of a fleet of stores that Riesbeck’s will operate over a wide geographic area under this banner.

“We are excited for our store in Shadyside to become reunited with the well-established name of IGA,” said Riesbeck. “The Shadyside IGA will likely become one of the greater number of IGAs that will be operated by our company in the near future.”

Officials with Riesbeck’s said their IGA locations will be supplied by the Nash Finch Company’s Cincinnati Division, an IGA award-winning supplier that distributes food products to approximately 100 IGA stores within the region. Riesbeck’s, Riesbeck’s Pick ‘n Save and Value-Fresh Foods locations will not be affected by the changes.

Braido said the Shadyside store was too small to support the full Riesbeck’s store footprint. Riesbeck Food Markets have a license to operate IGA stores, like other IGA store operators in the region. Because of the different suppliers, the selection of items is different in IGA stores and in Riesbeck’s stores, Briado explained.

In addition to plans for additional IGA store operations by Riesbeck’s, the company is planning to convert its two Pick ‘n Save stores to Riesbeck’s stores. There are already seven full-sized Riesbeck’s grocery stores operating in the region.

Another step toward expanding its reach with the IGA name came with the announcement this week that Shegog’s IGA in New Concord, Ohio will soon undergo a major transition.

Although that store’s retail operation will be purchased by Riesbeck Food Markets on Aug. 20, Shegog Foods will continue to own the real estate of the New Concord location, which has been under Shegog ownership since the early 1950s.

“We are pleased that the Riesbeck organization is interested in purchasing and operating our store in New Concord,” said George Shegog Jr., “especially since our family succession is limited. Since Riesbeck’s already operates 14 stores in several communities, we feel that they will continue to bring value to the area’s grocery shoppers.”

The New Concord store will undergo a major remodeling over a period of two to three months while remaining open for business, and it will continue to operate under the IGA banner.

“Our company has recently made a major decision to begin operating a number of IGA stores,” said Riesbeck. “We have selected the IGA banner for New Concord, and it will operate as the New Concord IGA. Our entire organization is excited to soon be coming to town there, especially since our company has owned stores in Cambridge and Zanesville for many years.”

Riesbeck Food Markets is currently examining options for future operation of IGA stores in the area.

“We plan to evaluate each option and determine whether or not we believe it will be a good fit for our company and our future business,” said Braido.

Ayres can be reached at eayres@timesleaderonline.com.