IGA Breakfast Point: a world first for Australian independent retail

Last month (April 2026), Worldsmart and Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions came together at IGA Breakfast Point in NSW for a visit that will go down in the history books.

IGA Breakfast Point is the first independent retailer in the world to implement the Worldsmart and Toshiba ELERA AI Loss Prevention and Produce Recognition solution. Rance M. Poehler, President and CEO of Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, made the trip to meet the team behind it – and the innovative Worldsmart partners who made it happen.

The ELERA solution identifies produce and monitors customer behaviour in real time at self-checkout. When a customer makes an error, the system gives them the opportunity to correct it themselves without needing staff intervention. By automatically identifying non-barcoded produce, the system saves each customer over 10 seconds per item at checkout. Shrinkage is already down and the checkout experience is improved for customers and staff alike.

Rance shared perspectives on where retail technology is heading globally – the kind of intelligence that only comes from being at the centre of retail innovation across the US and around the world. For the Worldsmart and IGA Breakfast Point teams, it was a genuinely valuable exchange.

Congratulations to Phil and Michael Whitehead and the entire IGA Breakfast Point team. Backing something new takes confidence – and their willingness to lead the way has put them on the map in a way that goes well beyond their postcode.

Pictured left to right: Kelly Duke, Toshiba; Phil Whitehead; IGA Breakfast Point; Rance M. Poehler, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions; Michael Whitehead, IGA Breakfast Point, Michael de Vos, Worldsmart; James Roest, Worldsmart; Thomas Buchholz, Toshiba.