Giant is constantly improving their fresh fruit and vegetable game
Vegans take note: Tofurky, Miyokos, Ciao are in stock
By Andrew Harris
As longtime vegetarian, I think I am qualified to tell you that the produce department at Giant Food Mart has undergone a “night and day”. Until the recent ownership change, our family rarely purchased our fruits and vegetables from Giant. Since the Kusmierski’s purchased the stores, not only has the produce improved but they now have a great vegetarian section!
I asked owner Nick Kusmeirski about the new produce look and quality and he was very happy to give a full report:
“We have been very pleased with the transformation of the produce department in the last few months. There has been a lot of hard work that has been put in by the team over there, primarily our Produce Manager, Brandon Carter, that has allowed for constant improvement. The produce department revolves around freshness and Brandon and his team are focused on freshness each and every day.”
In addition to freshness, the Produce team works each and every day to have consistency, quality and value within the department. Produce is heavily affected by market changes, for example, the recent hurricanes in Florida are severely affecting some crops and have caused costs to skyrocket.
Brandon is in contact with our suppliers to find the best pricing, or in some cases, just who has product, to be able to bring into the store. One of the best things about Brandon as a manager is that he thinks like a customer. He looks at the department through a customer’s eyes and makes sure that the produce, from a quality, freshness and value standpoint, is meeting his, and the customer’s expectations.
The seasons change and so does the produce. Local apple season is winding down, but we had some great local apples this year, great variety and quality. We are in the hard squash and cabbage season now offering local crops of those as well. We are constantly looking for local options to bring to the department and the customer’s table, because you really can’t beat local produce when it is in season.
We are always looking to make improvements and be better than the day before! We are working each and every day to make sure that the produce department and every department in the store is the best it can be.”
Nice work and thank you Team Giant!! Improving the biggest produce market in the Main Street/downtown district impacts many lives in a positive way! Check out this week’s produce specials:
