Brand Central announced this week it will be representing the wildly successful Edible brand, which turns lush fruits into incredible ‘floral’ arrangements and bouquets.
Edible is one of those companies that exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit and the importance of innovation in commerce. The company was founded by Tariq Farid, who immigrated to the US from Pakistan with his family at the age of 11. He got his early experience working at a local McDonald’s, but Farid turned the experience into the foundation of his business. Today, Farid says it was at McDonald’s that he learned the importance of business systemization.
At age 17 Farid used a $5,000 loan from family and friends to purchase a flower shop, and within two years owned four stores.
But it was the idea of ‘Edible Arrangements’ that transformed Farid into a successful franchise operator.
Farid launched the first Edible Arrangements, LLC store in 1999 in East Haven, CT. He was inspired by the rise of three trends: Americans’ growing consumption of fresh fruit, the robust growth in the specialty foods market, and the increasing amount of money Americans were spending on gifts.
The first Edible Arrangements, LLC franchised location opened in 2001 in Waltham, MA, and now has more than 1,200 stores.
Edible Arrangements is now an industry leader for the franchise sector. The company has ranked first in its category in Entrepreneur magazine’s annual “Franchise 500” for the past nine years. It places regularly in Entrepreneur’s Top 50 “Fastest-Growing Franchises” and “America’s Top Global Franchises.” Edible Arrangements was named a Top 5 business in Connecticut by Inc. magazine’s first Hire Power Awards in 2012, and ranked in Inc.’s Top 5,000 fastest growing privately-held companies for eight consecutive years.
In 2020, Edible experienced the best sales in the company history with over 45% growth year over year. Valentine’s Day was the busiest day in the company’s history with over 275,000 gifts and treats delivered.
Brand Central To Identify Licensing Extensions For Edible
That sense of constant innovation and dedication to quality is what attracted Brand Central, says CEO Ross Misher.
“We are thrilled to work with this 20-year household brand,” Misher said. “We intend to leverage Edible’s iconic equities into new product categories, from D.I.Y. gift sets to celebration products and food & beverage items.”
The elaborate fruit bouquets have made Edible an internationally recognized and beloved household brand for over 20 years. Edible boasts over 93% brand awareness, one million social media friends and 1000+ retail stores. VP of Franchise Development Patricia Perry says the company intends to accelerate both organic growth and its extension into new product segments.
“Partnering with Brand Central is the perfect way to continue making our premier products available to consumers in retailers across the country,” says Perry. “We’re excited to see how this will continue to expand our market share and help our innovative products flourish.”
Brand Central seems like a natural choice for the food-centered company. Brand Central is a global brand consultancy providing business solutions in the areas of brand extensions, representation, and trend intelligence. It also works extensively with some of the world’s best known food brands, including Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Sonic Drive In, Tapatio Hot Sauce and more.