Edible Arrangements Franchise News

May 22, 2012 // Franchising.com // WALLINGFORD, Conn. – When Judy Annunziata purchased her first Edible Arrangements franchise in 2006, she never expected that some day she would be a face of the franchise. But that's exactly what will happen beginning May 21 when the New York-based Annunziata is featured in the latest, whimsical "World of Edible Arrangements" TV commercial.
The commercial featuring Annunziata is the second in a series of new commercials inspired by Warner’s foodscapes. The first was launched just before Mother’s Day and company officials credit the new campaign as one reason the chain set all-time sales records during the week leading up to Mother’s Day.
This is Annunziata’s first venture into the world of advertising and the owner of three New York franchises is ecstatic about being a part of the new advertising campaign...

Orders spike almost 20 percent over last year for the leader in fresh fruit arrangements.
WALLINGFORD, Conn., May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- More than ever, moms across America celebrated Mother's Day weekend with fresh fruit arrangements from Edible Arrangements this year. The pioneer in hand-sculpted fruit bouquets had its largest week ever leading up to Mother's Day with a sales increase of 19 percent over last year.
On what is annually its busiest week of the year, the company processed more than 700,000 orders for arrangements filled with 5.6 million strawberries, 1.5 million pineapple hearts and a variety of other fresh fruit for moms, grandmothers, daughters and loved ones across the country.
"These record-breaking numbers are a testament to our loyal customers and especially to our dedicated franchisees and staff who go above and beyond in making each mother's day a special one," says Founder and CEO Tariq Farid...

Whimsical "World of Edible Arrangements™" commercials launch April 28
WALLINGFORD, Conn., April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a dramatic change from the company's traditional product-focused commercials, Edible Arrangements® has teamed with internationally-recognized foodscape artist Carl Warner and Stern Advertising to take a fresh approach to its advertising.
The result, scheduled to launch April 28 in advance of Mother's Day, is a magical world in which fruit and art collide; where mom's mailbox is mango and her cozy home sits nestled next to a grove of pineapple hearts as an orange butterfly floats by.
"We didn't want just something new. We wanted to make a quantum leap and create a visually stunning campaign that would begin building a brand personality beyond just presenting our products," said Steve Thomas, chief marketing officer at Edible Arrangements International, LLC...

Opens 16 New Stores
April 17, 2012 // Franchising.com // WALLINGFORD, CT – Edible Arrangements®, the pioneer and leader in hand-sculpted, fresh-fruit arrangements, announced today that same store sales for the first quarter are up 11 percent over the same quarter last year. The 1,000+ unit chain has now experienced positive comp sales for more than 11 consecutive years.
In addition to its double digit comp sales increases, Edible Arrangements opened 16 new stores in the U.S. and 2 new stores internationally. In addition, Edible Arrangements signed franchise agreements that will result in at least 8 new locations in the U.S including Topeka, KS; Seattle, WA; Buffalo and Westbury, NY; New Bern, NC; Chanilly, VA; and Orange City, FL...

"Only in America," say pioneers in hand-sculpted, fresh-fruit arrangements.
WALLINGFORD, Conn., April 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Dream is alive and well. Just ask Edible Arrangements International, LLC founders Tariq and Kamran Farid. Today, the brothers who emigrated with their family from Pakistan as youths, opened their 1000th location in Cranston, R.I.
"It's the 'American dream,'" says Tariq, who founded the company as a teenager and serves as the company's CEO. "Every time I think about it, I get a bit emotional. I remember my grandparents, who were immigrants and told us about the possibilities in America. I think about how hard my parents worked. This is the American Dream come true."
"My hair stands on my arms when I consider what we and our franchisees have done," adds Kamran, Tariq's younger brother and COO...

Proceeds From Edible Arrangements Orange Blossom® Sales During the Month of March Benefit National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater New England Chapter
WALTHAM, MA--(Marketwire - Mar 1, 2012) - Today, the National MS Society, Greater New England Chapter announced its partnership with the Boston-Manchester Co-op of Edible Arrangements in a campaign to raise funds and awareness to stop progression, restore function and end multiple sclerosis forever.
During the month of March, coinciding with the National MS Society's MS Awareness Month, Edible Arrangements stores throughout Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire will donate a portion of their sales from every Orange Blossom arrangement purchased to the National MS Society...

Master Franchisee Secures Development Rights for All of Italy
WALLINGFORD, Conn., Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Edible Arrangements, the pioneer and leader in hand-sculpted, fresh-fruit arrangements, announced today that Dr. Fausto Petruzziello, MD, has secured the rights to develop Edible Arrangements stores throughout Italy. Petruzziello, the Master Franchisee for the Province of Rome since 2009, plans on opening the first Edible Arrangements location outside of Rome in Varese (Milan area) within two months and at least 30 stores over the next five years. All of the locations will carry the Edible To Go® extended product line that includes fruit sundaes, smoothies, parfaits, and natural, fresh-squeezed fruit beverages.
A native of Italy, Petruzziello's team has already opened three Edible Arrangements stores in Rome with a fourth ready to open its doors in the next few days...

Fresh Fruit Leader Expands Enterprise to 15 Countries and Signs 141 New Franchise Agreements.
WALLINGFORD, Conn., Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Edible Arrangements, the pioneer and leader in hand-sculpted, fresh-fruit arrangements, announced today it continued its remarkable growth in 2011 with the opening of 86 new stores. Ten locations are international stores, which includes the opening of the first Edible Arrangements in China and India. Additionally, 23 of these stores carry the Edible To Go® extended product line, such as fruit sundaes, smoothies, parfaits, and natural, fresh-squeezed fruit beverages.
For 2012, the company has set forth an aggressive development strategy to sign 185 new franchise agreements and open 125 total new stores, including 18 international units, most of which are slated to include the Edible To Go extended product line...

WALLINGFORD, Conn., Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Edible Arrangements, the pioneer and leader in hand-sculpted, fresh-fruit arrangements, announces the addition of Stern Advertising of Cleveland, OH as its national creative agency. Stern will be a part of the team that develops strategic marketing plans, and delivers the communications that execute those plans. Stern's scope of work will include a new national advertising campaign for television, online and print. Hot Dish Advertising, of Minneapolis, MN will continue as Edible Arrangements' regional advertising agency handling advertising for co-ops along with franchise development marketing.
"We have been fortunate to experience double digit growth over the past several years, but now is the time to make a true quantum leap forward as the clear leader in our category...

Fresh Fruit Leader Expands Enterprise to 15 Countries
WALLINGFORD, Conn., Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Edible Arrangements, the pioneer and leader in hand-sculpted, fresh-fruit arrangements, has expanded its international presence to China with the opening of its first store in Beijing located at the new Galleria Shopping Center, ShuguangXili Jia5#, Chaoyang District. To celebrate this momentous occasion and unveil the brand in China, Master Franchisees Jianyi "Jack" Wang and Zhigang Liu hosted a grand opening ceremony on December 8thwith over 250 people on hand.
"It was an honor to be present for the grand opening ceremony that Jack and Liu have been diligently planning to properly introduce the Chinese community to the Edible Arrangements brand," said Tariq Farid, CEO and Founder, Edible Arrangements, Inc...

Qualified Veterans Receive a More than 30 Percent Discount off Initial Franchise Fee
WALLINGFORD, Conn., Dec. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Edible Arrangements, the pioneer and leader in hand-sculpted, fresh-fruit arrangements, announced today that it has doubled its veteran's discount from $5,000 to $10,000 off its initial franchise fee. This savings of $10,000 is now being offered to all qualified U.S. veterans and further demonstrates Edible Arrangements' commitment to assisting more veterans make the transition from the military to the civilian and business community.
"The veteran franchisees in our system have proven to be incredible leaders and dedicated to operating a successful business, despite the difficult economic conditions over the past several years," said Tariq Farid, CEO and Founder, Edible Arrangements, Inc...

First Location Opens in Mumbai in Time for the 2011 Holiday Season
WALLINGFORD, Conn., Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Edible Arrangements, the pioneer and leader in hand-sculpted, fresh-fruit arrangements, announced today that it has opened its first store in Mumbai, India located at Shop No5 and 6 Marine End CHS, Juhu Tara Road, Mumbai 49, Mumbai, MAH. Last year, Hiten Bajaj, Avinash Khemani and Ishna Batra signed a Master Franchisee agreement for the development of 20 units throughout the Republic of India. With this opening, Edible Arrangements is now available to consumers in 14 countries outside the United States and Puerto Rico.
"We are thrilled to open the first Edible Arrangements store in the Republic of India," said Tariq Farid, CEO and Founder, Edible Arrangements, Inc...

New Initiative Encourages Healthy Eating To Promote Happiness WALLINGFORD, CT, August 9th, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Fruit Experts® at Edible Arrangements® are celebrating the launch of their new campaign inviting America to take "The Pledge of Health and Happiness" from August 7-13th on Facebook or at any of Edible Arrangements' 1,000 store locations. The Pledge of Health and Happiness is a simple call to action and challenge to eat at least one half plate of fresh fruits and vegetables per day, the new USDA recommendation, for the rest of the summer and beyond.

With obesity on the rise, the USDA has introduced the new food icon Myplate to serve as a quick and visual reminder to make healthy meal and snacking choices...

WALLINGFORD, CT, July 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Edible Arrangements®, the pioneer and leader in artistically designed fresh-fruit displays and chocolate dipped fruit, is celebrating its third National Dipped Fruit Week beginning today. Customers are invited to visit their nearest Edible Arrangements® store and take home a 12-piece box of chocolate dipped fruit for only $10, normally a $25 value. Fruit selection varies and includes any of the following: bananas, oranges, apples and pineapple. $10 dipped fruit boxes must be picked up at a local store and are not eligible for delivery or shipping.

With summer in full swing, National Dipped Fruit Week is the perfect opportunity to refresh one's palette. From July 10th through July 17th, Edible Arrangements®, the original fresh fruit expert, is offering an ideal summer indulgence without having to break the bank...

Leading Fresh Fruit Retail Franchise to Aggressively Expand in 2011 and 2012 WALLINGFORD, Conn., May 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Edible Arrangements, the pioneer and leader in hand-sculpted, fresh-fruit arrangements, announced today aggressive expansion plans with the goal of opening 150 new locations in 2011, and 200 additional locations in 2012.

"We started franchising in 2001 and are proud to be the experts and category leader in fresh fruit. We look forward to evolving our brand in the next several years," said Tariq Farid, Founder and CEO, Edible Arrangements, International Inc. "Over the past decade, we have grown an enterprise dedicated to creating the best fruit arrangements that are meticulously handcrafted with the singular goal of 'wowing' our customers...

New Charity Campaign to Benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters WALLINGFORD, CT, May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Edible Arrangements®, the leading purveyor of artistically designed fresh fruit arrangements announces the launch of Random Acts of Happiness®, a new non-profit campaign benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters, a national mentoring organization that creates strong relationships that enable children facing adversity to beat the odds. Random Acts of Happiness® is a nationwide program dedicated to raising awareness about happiness, encouraging optimism and celebrating role models and good deeds.

In a recent survey of 2,105 U.S. adults, conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Edible Arrangements, 86% of Americans said that giving back to their community by doing volunteer work or a simple good deed makes them happy, and 89% agreed that giving a gift is a good way to bring happiness to their family and friends...

Local Economy Benefits As Facility Opens Serving Over 900 Retail Locations in the US and Canada WALLINGFORD, Conn., April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Edible Arrangements, the pioneer and leader in hand-sculpted, fresh-fruit arrangements, announced today the opening of a new west coast design and distribution center located at 14540 Innovation Drive in Riverside, California. The new facility belongs to BerryDirect, LLC which sources and manages the containers designed specifically for Edible Arrangements' artistically designed fresh fruit products.

"As our company continues to expand rapidly across the country, there is a need for a larger, more technologically advanced distribution center to effectively serve and respond quickly to our growing franchise system," said Kamran Farid, co-founder and chief operating officer at Edible Arrangements...

Fresh Fruit Retail Leader Shows Strong Growth in 2010 and Opens 93 Stores Worldwide WALLINGFORD, Conn., Jan. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Edible Arrangements, the pioneer and leader in hand-sculpted, fresh-fruit arrangements, recently signed its 1,000th new store franchise agreement, marking a significant milestone for the company. As part of its strong growth in 2010, Edible Arrangements opened 84 stores in the U.S., nine internationally and signed 123 new store commitments. In addition to its strong franchise sales growth, Edible Arrangements also recorded a double digit percent increase in same-store sales compared to the same period last year.

"We started franchising in 2001 and the continuous growth of Edible Arrangements has been very exciting...

National Dipped Fruit Week Kicks off Holiday Planning WALLINGFORD, Conn. /PRNewswire/ -- Treat yourself to something sweet this week! Edible Arrangements, the pioneer and leader in artistically designed fresh-fruit displays and chocolate-dipped fruit, is celebrating its National Dipped Fruit Week now through October 24. Customers are invited to visit any Edible Arrangements store nationwide to take home a 12-piece box of dipped fruit for only $10, normally $25!

"This is an incredible opportunity to try our famous, chocolate-dipped fruit. Between strawberries, apples, pineapple, bananas and more, we have a great variety of delicious chocolate treats," said Steve Thomas, Vice President of Marketing for Edible Arrangements. "National Dipped Fruit Week at Edible Arrangements is just one more way to enjoy your favorite fruits and take advantage of early holiday savings...

New Franchisee to Open Six Locations; Company Expands International Presence to 13 Countries WALLINGFORD, CT - (Marketwire) - Edible Arrangements, the pioneer and leader in hand-sculpted, fresh fruit arrangements, announced today the signing of a Master Franchisee agreement with Raed Al-Mustafa for the development of six stores throughout Jordan. The first location is expected to open in 2011 in west Amman. With this agreement, Edible Arrangements is now available to consumers in 11 countries outside the United States and Puerto Rico.

A native of Jordan, Al-Mustafa resides in Richmond, VA and has extensive experience in the retail and hospitality industry. Currently, he owns a temporary staffing agency in the states and manages a hotel in Jordan...