Rouses Teams Up With Produce for Kids

9/9/2020

Rouses' six-month campaign in partnership with Produce for Kids features an array of family-friendly healthy recipes, with participating produce companies donating 100,000 to local Feeding America member food banks.

Rouses Markets has joined the Produce for Kids initiative, with the aim of teaching shoppers the advantages of healthy eating while supporting local Feeding America member food banks.

The campaign, which began Sept. 9 and will run through the end of the year, features signage near each of 10 produce company partners aligned with the initiative, as well as family-friendly recipes highlighted in-store with scannable QR codes to access the recipes. Campaign details will also be included in the weekly circular and in My Rouses Everyday, a magazine available at more than 65 of the grocer’s stores. Further, throughout the campaign, Rouses registered dietitian April Sins will host a series of Facebook Live sessions showcasing partner products in recipes designed for families, and podcast episodes, videos and blog content will target shoppers through direct email outreach along with social media ads and posts. Rouses shoppers can share their own healthy recipes tips on social media during the campaign, using the hashtag #produceforkids, and they can find even more resources online.

“At Rouses Markets, we are focused on helping our shoppers achieve a well-balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables,” noted Sims. “Implementing the Produce for Kids campaign offers yet another avenue for us to support our families through inspiring recipes while also giving back to people in need.”

Produce brands taking part in the campaign, among them Curation Foods, Dole, Earth Greens, Mountain King, Pure Flavor, Schraad Sales & Marketing, Shuman Farms, Sage Fruit, Sunkist, and Marzetti, are donating 100,000 meals to Feeding America member food banks in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

“We are excited to kick off this new partnership with Rouses Markets with such a great round-up of produce companies,” said Trish James, VP of Orlando, Florida-based Produce for Kids. “We know Rouses Markets is dedicated to nutrition and supporting their communities so the Produce for Kids campaign is a perfect fit.”

One of the largest independents in the country, Rouses has stores in Louisiana, along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and in lower Alabama, and employs more than 7,000 associates. The Thibodaux, Louisiana-based company is No. 80 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer's list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.