Giant Eagle Hosts Produce University

Produce experts at Giant Eagle shared their knowledge about in-season tropical produce during a Frieda’s Produce University event Sept. 17, when team members were on hand to offer samples and information about several tropical fruits during the chain-wide event.

Taking place at all Giant Eagle locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland, the open-house style event provided an opportunity for customers to see, touch, taste and ask questions about a variety unique and lesser-known tropical fruits.

Tropical fruit varieties offered included mangos, Sunrise and Maradol papayas, Zululand Queen baby pineapples, young coconuts and brown coconuts. Select stores also featured rambutan, also known as hairy lychee. “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.”

Each Frieda’s Produce University session begins weeks in advance with produce manager training seminars, prior to the in-store event, to familiarize the teams 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/GiantEagle.

Los Alamitos, Calif.-based Frieda’s Inc. was the first wholesale produce company in the United States to be founded, owned and operated by a woman, and is still a family- and women-owned business today.

Founded in 1931, Giant Eagle Inc. operates 170 corporate and 58 independently owned and operated supermarkets in addition to 162 fuel and convenience stores throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, north central West Virginia and Maryland.