In Victoria's fast-paced suburban retail environment, smooth operations depend on more than good products and friendly service. Behind every well-stocked shelf is a logistics operation that never really stops, and the equipment powering it matters more than most customers ever realise.
Michael's IGA has been part of the local retail fabric since 1995, growing from a single supermarket into a multi-site network that today includes full-format supermarkets, a standalone liquor store, and fresh food outlets. With that growth came increasingly complex materials handling demands from busy loading docks to tight storerooms and high-traffic shop floors.
Managing that complexity falls to General Manager Domenic D'Agostino, who has spent years refining how equipment supports his teams across every location.
From frustration to a better solution
Domenic's journey toward better equipment began with dissatisfaction. Previous suppliers weren't meeting the mark on service and durability, prompting him to take a closer look at what the market had to offer.
"I wasn't entirely happy with what we were using at the time, particularly around service levels and longevity," he explains. "I began to reassess how equipment supported the team day-to-day. That's when I started looking at making a change."
That search led to a partnership with Linde Material Handling and through that relationship, an introduction to the Baoli range of forklifts and materials handling equipment.
Real-world demands, every single day
Across Michael's IGA's larger sites, materials handling equipment is essentially in non-stop use throughout trading hours. Trucks need unloading, returns need loading, and pallets need moving continuously across the shop floor and back of house. "We're unloading trucks, loading returns, and moving pallets throughout the store all day, every day," says Domenic. "In some of our larger stores, the equipment is pretty much in continuous use."
The move away from manual pallet jacks to electric equipment made an immediate difference to both efficiency and workplace safety. "From an OH&S perspective, it makes life much easier," Domenic says. "You're not pulling heavy pallets around, and tasks that once required two people can now be done by one."
Why Baoli stood out
When one of Michael's IGA's sites required a reach truck to handle specific lift heights within a mezzanine and racking configuration — all within a confined footprint — Domenic evaluated several options before landing on the Baoli ER15 walkie stacker.
The requirements were precise: adequate lift capacity, reach and side-shift capability, and a compact enough profile to navigate the site's spatial constraints without compromising on performance.
"We were previously using competitor units, but I found that Baoli offered far better pricing for an equivalent machine," Domenic says. "Same features, same reach, same side shift — everything we needed. It ticked all the boxes."
Beyond the cost advantage, the ER15's dimensions proved to be the clincher. "The ER15 was slightly more compact, which suited our setup perfectly," he adds. "We had very specific requirements, and the unit met them effortlessly."
The result has been reliable, consistent performance in a demanding retail environment — exactly what the site needed.
Advice for other retailers
Having navigated equipment decisions across multiple sites and store formats, Domenic has straightforward advice for retailers weighing their own options. "If someone was considering switching, I'd say definitely have a look at Baoli and consider what's out there," he says. "There are always alternatives in the market — it's about finding what works best for your operation."
For businesses like Michael's IGA, where equipment works hard every single day, finding a forklift solution that delivers on performance without overcapitalising is exactly the kind of win that makes a lasting operational difference.
The Baoli ER15 is on sale now, you can either purchase outright for $23,990 excl. GST or rent-to-own for $119 p/w excl GST. Click the button below to learn more about the deal on the Baoli ER15 walkie stacker, and explore other models on sale in the Baoli Forklifts range.