Giant Eagle offers a lesson in fruit

When it comes to specialty produce, education is key, say produce experts at Giant Eagle. The retailer teamed up with Frieda’s to share their knowledge about in-season tropical produce during a Frieda’s Produce University event in September. The produce team members were on-hand with samples and information about several tropical fruits during the chain-wide event.

Consumers were given the opportunity to see, touch, taste and ask questions about variety and lesser-known tropical fruits. Some varieties offered were mangos, Sunrise and Maradol Papayas, Zululand Queen Baby Pineapples, Young Coconuts and Brown Coconuts, and select stores also featured Rambutan.

“Educating shoppers about specialty produce is a step in the right direction towards changing the way america eats fruits and vegetables,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Inc. “Frieda’s Produce University is a great way for our retail partners’ produce teams to connect and build relationships with shoppers, while positioning themselves as expert resources. Giant Eagle’s produce managers succeeded in accomplishing this.”

Each Frieda’s Produce University session begins weeks in advance with produce manager training seminars to familiarize the team with the featured products. Frieda’s marketing team provides in-depth information on each item, in addition to point-of-sale signage and informational brochures.

For more information, visit www.friedas.com.