FreshDirect Incorporates Food Pyramid Into Online Promos

LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y. -- Armed with the newly-released USDA Food Pyramid, online grocer FreshDirect is expanding its new "Green & Orange" product marketing strategy into a host of solutions for shoppers looking to follow the new guidelines.

"Basically, what we are doing is educating customers at the point-of-sale," Melissa Iglesias, FreshDirect's registered dietitian told Progressive Grocer. "Unlike a store environment, however, we bring the various departments to them."

Currently and over the next few weeks, FreshDirect is incorporating banner ads about the various recommendations for its food categories with the "Sort by Nutrition" function. For example, a shopper clicking on a banner that highlights yogurt as part of a healthy diet under the new Pyramid will be directed to the list of all yogurts, sorted by fat content. In the case of whole grains, products are listed according to fiber content, highest fiber first. "We plan on running these banners throughout the Web site, each week adding new banners that address other categories within the pyramid," said Iglesias.

The site's "Green & Orange" section, reported on in PROGRESSIVE GROCER's April 15 online daily news, will remain on the site as a subcategory within a "Nutrient Dense Foods" category on the site. This category -- to be launched sometime over the next couple of months -- will include all of the foods recommended by the new pyramid.

"Since the USDA is essentially telling consumers to make the most of their calories, we plan on creating this area to help customers find all of their healthy eating needs in one area," said Iglesias.

--Joseph Tarnowski
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