Chiquita celebrates 25th consecutive Category Captain award win

For the 25th year in a row, Progressive Grocer has honored Chiquita as a Category Captain award recipient.

The honor celebrates the brand’s continued leadership in category innovation, sustainability, and shopper engagement, according to a news release. Chiquita says the award underscores its dedication to driving category growth and delivering superior-quality bananas to consumers worldwide.

"Each year, our editorial team is proud to honor Chiquita as a Category Captain due to the brand’s commitment to innovative category management efforts like the EZ Vent Box and its sustainable products and practices from this past year including the Yelloway One," Gina Acosta, editorial director and associate publisher of Progressive Grocer, said in the release.

"It’s an incredible honor to receive this prestigious award year after year," said Juliana Furlan, director of marketing for Chiquita North America. "This milestone reflects our commitment to sustainability, innovation, and supporting our retailers in enhancing shopper experiences, and we’re proud to continue delivering on that excellence."

The Progressive Grocer editorial team recognized Chiquita for its groundbreaking efforts in 2023-2024, which focused on innovative solutions, sustainability advancements, and meaningful consumer campaigns, the release said:

Innovation:

• EZ Vent Box — Chiquita says its EZ Vent Box changed banana management for retailers, offering enhanced airflow for consistent ripening, reduced bruising and created labor savings. This packaging innovation streamlined in-store operations, reducing handling time from up to 40 minutes to just a few minutes, minimizing shrink and improving customer satisfaction.

Sustainability

• Yelloway One — Chiquita says its Yelloway initiative achieved a milestone with the introduction of Yelloway One, the first non-GMO, disease-resistant banana variety. Developed in collaboration with KeyGene, MusaRadix, and Wageningen University and Research, YW01 addresses threats like Tropical Race 4 and black leaf streak disease. The initiative has already produced over 32,000 seeds and 150 successful crosses, laying the foundation for a sustainable banana industry.

Consumer engagement, creative campaigns

• Chiquita's dynamic brand campaigns in 2023-2024 included:
  
  • "Pop by Nature" — A collaboration with artist Romero Britto celebrating art and nature.
  • "Small Change, Big Difference" — Raising breast cancer awareness with pink stickers in collaboration with the American Cancer Society.
  • Seasonal campaigns — Engaging families with back-to-school and holiday-themed contests, reinforcing Chiquita as a healthy, fun snack option.

"Our dedication to innovation and customer engagement is at the heart of everything we do," said Jamie Postell, sales director for Chiquita North America. "Whether through groundbreaking solutions like the EZ Vent Box or collaborations that enhance the retail experience, we remain committed to delivering the highest quality to consumers while supporting our retailers in driving category growth."

With expanded secondary displays in nearly 2,000 stores and impactful shopper marketing programs, Chiquita says it continues to inspire impulse purchases and cross-category attention.