Edible Arrangements Announces Aggressive Domestic and International Expansion Goals

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.  

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"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.  Our proven franchise system, with nearly 1,000 locations, is perfectly positioned to bring healthful high-quality products to consumers everywhere; and our franchisees are the keys to our success."

After recently experiencing an unprecedented Mother's Day week, Edible Arrangements recorded another double digit increase in system wide sales compared to the same period last year.  

"We are committed to using only the best fruit from world-renowned producers and have recently announced our 'Certified Happiness' satisfaction guarantee to ensure our customers receive the highest quality fruit and customer service," said Farid.  "Right now, we have great momentum with numerous new store openings on the horizon and are looking to leverage this success to continue to build the brand."

Validating Edible Arrangements fruit expertise, heritage and leadership position, is the amount of fruit used to build its arrangements each year.  This year alone, Edible Arrangements projects it will use more than 100 million strawberries, 3.5 million pineapples and 5.5 million melons to create the company's extensive array of fresh-fruit arrangements to fulfill customers' orders.  

Over the next several weeks alone, 19 stores are scheduled to open in 10 states and 2 Canadian Provinces.  Additionally, two international locations are expected to open soon in Saudi Arabia and another in Oman.  Edible Arrangements is aggressively seeking to build on its recent success, and the company is looking to add new development agreements in the US, Canada, and internationally. Currently, Edible Arrangements has over 934 open locations and is now available to consumers in 10 countries outside the United States and Puerto Rico.

The Time is Ripe to learn more about joining the Edible Arrangements system.  Edible Arrangements is conducting two informational webinars on Wednesday, May 25th at 2PM EDT and at 7PM EDT to discuss the benefits of owning an Edible Arrangements business.  For more information or to register visit https://ediblearrangementsevents.webex.com or call 1-888-727-4258.  

Tariq Farid, the recipient of two Entrepreneur of the Year awards in 2009 from the International Franchise Association and Ernst & Young in Metro New York, developed and launched Edible Arrangements in 1999 in East Haven, CT, after many years in the floral industry.  He learned early that corporate support can make the difference between a struggling or thriving franchise.  It is for this reason that Edible Arrangements offers its franchisees comprehensive corporate and onsite level training, unparalleled technology, national brand recognition and extensive support.  

Since its inception, Edible Arrangements has earned countless accolades from the franchise industry, including its ranking as first in its category by Entrepreneur Magazine's Annual "Franchise 500" Ranking for the past five consecutive years and the winner of the ICSC's 2010 Hot Retailer Award.  In addition, the company has also ranked for seven consecutive years in Inc. Magazine's top 5,000 fastest growing privately-held companies and was most recently ranked ninth on Forbes "2011 Top Franchises to Start for the Money."

Individuals seeking to own and operate an individual Edible Arrangements franchise should possess a minimum liquidity of $60,000 and the ability to invest approximately $148,000 to $286,000.  Multi-unit store development plans and financing options are also available for qualified applicants. Edible Arrangements offers its franchisees comprehensive corporate and onsite training, unparalleled technology, daily store support and national brand recognition marketing programs.

About Edible Arrangements

Edible Arrangements International, Inc. is the leading purveyor of delicious, high quality, artistically designed, fresh fruit arrangements that are practical and healthy gifts and centerpieces for everyday occasions and events.  Brothers Tariq and Kamran Farid developed and launched the company in 1999 in East Haven, CT, after many years in the floral industry.  Edible Arrangements stores are located in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Italy, Turkey, Hong Kong, and Jordan.  Customers may order arrangements by telephone at 1-877-DO-FRUIT, at one of the company's retail stores, or on-line at ediblearrangements.com.

All franchise offerings are made only by Franchise Disclosure Document.

Media Contact:
Jenna Kantrowitz
Fish Consulting
646.454.9708
[email protected]

SOURCE Edible Arrangements