PITTSBURGH – It is well known that we eat with our eyes as well as our stomachs.
Giant Eagle, however, is looking to educate customers that cosmetically-challenged produce is just as delicious and nutritious as its more eye-catching counterparts.
Produce with Personality celebrates some of the “ugly” fruits and veggies that are often rejected by retailers. The program is a first in the Pittsburgh area, and includes items such as navel oranges, apples and potatoes.
“We are thrilled that our customers may view purchasing Produce with Personality as a means to be more environmentally friendly, all while saving even more money in our stores,” said Giant Eagle spokesperson Dan Donovan “We’re pleased to be the first major Pittsburgh food retailer to sell wonderfully weird produce with our five-store pilot program.”
The campaign follows industry news that as much as six billion pounds of produce is thrown away each year. That’s reportedly enough to fill four NFL stadiums.
Besides rescuing that perfectly nutritious potato from being wasted simply because it grew with an odd shape, there is another benefit for consumers – savings.
“Produce with Personality is product that has cosmetic imperfections,” explains Donovan. “Those imperfections allow us to offer these items to customers at very attractive prices.”
Special displays in the produce departments of the Market District in Fox Chapel (Waterworks Shopping Center) and Giant Eagle stores in Shaler (Route 8), Pittsburgh’s north hills (McIntyre Center), Seven Fields, and Peter’s Township (Donaldson’s Crossroads) will feature the Produce With Personality.
All of this Pittsburgh activity is following the success of the third largest supermarket chain in France, Intermarche, which reported that all stocks of the fruit and vegetables sold out in two days and store traffic overall increase by 24 percent.
“Whether you call them surplus, excess, seconds or just plain ugly, these are fruits and vegetables that may face rejection because they’re not considered perfect-looking,” said Donovan. “But it’s the taste that matters.
“So the next time you see an imperfect apple or orange, give it a try – it tastes better than it looks.”
About Giant Eagle
Giant Eagle Inc., ranked 36 on Forbes magazine’s largest private corporations list, is one of the nation’s largest food retailers and distributors with approximately $9.5 billion in annual sales. Founded in 1931, Giant Eagle, Inc. has grown to be the number one supermarket retailer in the region with more than 420 stores throughout western Pennsylvania, north central Ohio, northern West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana.
Source: Giant Eagle
