Economic woes thwart UK launch ambitions for Green Giant Fresh

Produce World and General Mills have shelved plans to launch Green Giant Fresh in the UK, The Grocer can reveal.

There was “no imminent launch date” for the range in the UK anymore, said Produce World, adding that the current economic climate had made it difficult to introduce a new fresh produce brand in UK retailers.

“Driving more premium branded offerings in the UK fresh category remains challenging, where UK retailers continue to be focused on price,” the company said.

Green Giant Fresh was originally slated for launch in the UK last spring - with a range of wholehead broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, peppers and lettuces - but this was later postponed to late 2011, to coincide with Green Giant Fresh launches in elsewhere in Europe.

The brand has since launched in France, where it went on supermarket shelves in mid-November with four fresh-cut salad SKUs, and in Spain, where three prepared salads and one whole fresh salad went into Carrefour this week. Further SKUs and retailers are expected to be added later this month.

Produce World is involved in the Spanish launch through UP Fresh - a joint sales company between four Green Giant Fresh licensees - and said it was pleased with the European launches to date. “Though the store launches are fairly recent, there appears to be strong consumer support for the brand in the fresh produce category,” it said.

It added it would continue to work to develop products for the UK.