"Inglorious" Produce Campaign Is Major Success for French Grocer

A major French grocery chain, Intermarche, has launched a novel campaign to curb food waste and

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Grotesque apple

“Grotesque Apple” poster
market visually flawed produce. The “Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables” campaign aims to revamp the image of imperfect and non-conforming produce, much of which is thrown away by growers because it doesn’t meet grocery retailers’ standards. Intermarche began welcoming the “Grotesque Apple,” “Ridiculous Potato,” “Hideous Orange,” and other infamous items to its shelves, created posters to explain that the produce is as nutritious and flavorful as the more attractive versions, and reduced prices by 30 percent. The campaign was an “immediate success,” Intermarche says: Stores nationwide sold 1.2 million tons of “inglorious” fruits and vegetables in the first two days, and overall store traffic increased by 24 percent.