Pham Group IGA
How I drove 1.5M impressions and consistent 24-hour sellouts for an independent Perth grocer using zero-budget TikTok content and speed over corporate chains.
The Challenge
Pham Group IGA runs four stores across Perth competing against Coles and Woolworths - chains with actual marketing budgets, corporate teams, and nationwide distribution. We had 55k TikTok followers but inconsistent posting, barely any Instagram presence, and zero budget for ads or professional production.
The real challenge wasn't the zero budget - it was proving that independent grocers can win on agility and personality when corporate chains are stuck in approval meetings. We needed to drive foot traffic, sell products major chains didn't stock, and build community connection using nothing but a phone and speed.
What I Built
A TikTok-first content strategy built around what independent retailers do better than corporate chains: move fast and feel human.
I posted 5x weekly, self-filming everything on my phone using CapCut and Canva. Content focused on viral product drops (Chick-fil-A sauce, Takis, Dubai chocolate), staff taste tests, behind-the-scenes store content, and the #TrolleyGang community campaign that asked locals to help us locate abandoned trolleys across Perth.
The approach was simple: when something goes viral, stock it immediately and announce it on TikTok before Coles even knows what it is. Major chains take weeks navigating corporate approval. We could do it in days. That gap became our competitive advantage.
I recruited staff as on-camera talent for taste tests, adapted high-performing TikTok content for Instagram and Facebook, and created in-store signage to connect online buzz to physical stores.
What Happened
Hit 1.5 million impressions in Q1 2025 - 50% growth from the previous year's 1 million total annual impressions.
Every viral product we promoted sold out within 24-48 hours. Direct social-to-sales conversion without spending a dollar on ads.
Taste test videos consistently drove the highest viewership while requiring minimal resources - just staff, products, and a phone.
#TrolleyGang solved real operational problems through community engagement, proving business impact matters more than vanity metrics.
The bigger lesson: agility is the independent retailer's superpower. Major chains have budgets and scale. Independent stores have speed, personality, and the ability to make decisions in hours instead of weeks. That's not a disadvantage when you build the strategy around it.
