Longo's Partners with Stemilt on Organic Apeel-Treated Apples; Mimmo Franzone and Brianna Shales Comment
TORONTO, CANADA - When great minds come to the table, amazing things can happen. Just ask Longo Brothers Fruit Markets, aka Longo’s. This fall, the specialty retailer partnered with Apeel and Stemilt on the grower’s organic Apeel-treated apples to impact shrink and create a more sustainable program in response to heightened consumer demand.
“What motivated Longo's to incorporate and partner with Apeel and Stemilt on organic apples was our desire to combat food waste and do the right thing,” Mimmo Franzone, Longo’s Director of Produce and Floral, shares with me. “Collaborating with partners that share the same vision is one of the many things we stand for at Longo's. So, this was definitely the motivation for this new journey. This partnership, along with all the other sustainability initiatives were focusing on, will allow us to make the world a better place. ”
The partnership with Stemilt and Apeel also allows Longo’s to provide guests with even fresher produce for a longer duration, creating an opportunity for them to reap the benefits of fresh and enjoy longer-lasting produce.
“It’s exciting to partner with Longos on yet another innovation for the Canadian marketplace that will benefit the consumer,” Brianna Shales, Senior Marketing Manager for Stemilt, tells me. “We are both family-owned businesses that align on our flavor focus and the consumer experience. Utilizing Apeel on organic apples is going to help us build consumer demand for organic through an eating experience that consistently delights shoppers.”
Educating guests will be crucial as well, Mimmo adds.
“Being first in our market, and even first in Canada, to have Apeel produce in our stores will make it incredibly important to familiarize our guests with the program. We will start off with POS explaining what Apeel is and then continue with social posts about the program and the benefits that come with it,” he expresses. “Were super excited about the partnership and will continue to innovate and execute sustainable initiatives like this one.”
That table we spoke of earlier, that location for great ideas and even greater partnerships—it is possible with minds like Longo’s, Stemilt, and Apeel.
