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 8with more than 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,” says Tariq Farid, CEO and founder of Edible Arrangements Inc. “Their experience, coupled with their passion for our healthy, fresh fruit products, has made them great ambassadors and we are eager for their other locations to open over the next several years. Growing our international presence has been a focal point for the brand, and opening in one of the world’s most populous cities and fastest growing major economies marks a significant milestone for us.”
Earlier this year Wang and Zhigang signed a Master Franchise Agreement to develop 40 stores throughout China over the next five years. Their second location in Beijing is slated to open within the next few months.
Natives of China, Wang and Zhigang have extensive experience in the wholesale fruit industry. Zhigang is owner and Wang is vice president of Top Chef, a company that grows cherries and produces cherry fillings for a chain of bakeries and others in the food industry. Wang first learned of the Edible Arrangements concept in 2009 when visiting Syracuse, New York.
“We are thrilled to be part of an internationally growing brand, and are excited to have opened our doors in time for the 2011 holiday season,” Wang says. “The gift giving industry in China is growing fast, and we have a new holiday to celebrate about every month. We strongly believe our fresh fruit arrangements will provide a healthier, unique alternative. Fruit has a universal appeal and we see tremendous opportunity for success and growth in China in the years to come.”
Since Edible Arrangements’ founding 12 years ago, the fresh fruit retailer has grown to 1,098 locations in 15 countries worldwide. Edible Arrangements has earned countless accolades from the franchise industry since its inception, 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, ranked ninth onForbes “2011 Top Franchises to Start for the Money” and was recently named one of Inc’s “10 Promising Franchises for 2011.”
