Doylestown Giant Produce Manager Named Among Best In The Nation

PLUMSTEAD TOWNSHIP, PA ? A Doylestown area supermarket manager has been named one of the best in the nation.

Breanna Norris, who has managed the produce department at the Giant store at Cross Keys Place for the past two years, has won the 2023 International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Retail Award.

Nominated by her store manager for the award, Norris is one of only 15 produce managers throughout the country, and the only Pennsylvania honoree to receive the award. She will be flown to California this fall to officially receive the award during the Global Florist and Produce Show in Anaheim.

"It feels really cool," said Norris, of winning the award. "I put a lot into my work so to be recognized by all of my peers, it feels great. I just go to work every day, serve the community and do the best that I can. That is what's so cool about being recognized. I don't feel like I'm doing anything special, but I'm being recognized in a special way."

Representatives from Giant were at the Doylestown area store on July 24 to officially recognize Norris during a special in-store presentation.

The association is honoring Norris and 14 other managers from across the nation for their commitment to fresh produce, innovative merchandising, community service, and customer satisfaction. Click here to read about each of the award winners.

The award pays special recognition to produce managers ? essential workers of the food supply chain?s front lines ? who work every day to increase sales and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.

As produce manager, the IFPA says "Norris is strategic and thoughtful" in her job.

"Her creativity elevates displays, particularly amplifying special events, holidays, and promotions to tell the stories of The Giant Company?s brand and supplier partners while driving sales. She is also an exemplary leader, manager, and role model, directly overseeing Giant's 10-15 team members."

Norris began her career with Giant at the age of 16 working part-time in the store's produce department at the 25th Street Shopping Center in her hometown of Easton. She later worked at Quakertown, Hatfield, and then New Hope before coming to Doylestown (Plumstead) a month before the new store opened its doors two years ago.

"It's a beautiful store. It's big and pretty. When we first opened, you could see the customers mouthing the word 'wow' as they walked in," said Norris. "It's the most beautiful store I have worked in. I don't know what it is about it, but it has an energy about it."

In the first year at the new store, Norris and her team broke the company's weekly produce sales record.

"The old store was 20th in the company. We went from 20 to 1 in one year," she said, something she is especially proud of. "Moving into a new building, we expected a sales increase but the number of the increase was astronomical. We rose to be the number one store in the brand and we broke the company's record."

So what does it take to be a successful produce manager?

"It's a lot of hard work. It involves merchandising the product and dealing with a lot of customers," said Norris. "There's a lot of interaction - helping people. That's especially true with produce because people want to know how to pick out a cantaloupe and other produce. You have to have knowledge of the product. It's not just throwing it on the shelf.

"We don't expect every part-timer to know how to do things like that, but me in leadership I've been doing it so long it's my craft. Those are the things I love the most about the work," she said.

Norris, who has been working as a produce manager for the past eight years with Giant, also focuses a lot of attention on merchandising and making sure the produce is always fresh, from its fruit and vegetables to its exotic and ethnic varieties.

"I do competitor checks to see if they are doing anything that we're not. And every time I walk back into my store, I feel like we're doing it all right here," said Norris. "The customer base always seems happy and receptive. There are so many nice people in the community."

During the awards recognition at the store, Norris said multiple customers came up to congratulate her. "It's always been a warm store for me," she said. "That makes it easier for me to do my job because I'm trying to feed the community and give them the best thing they deserve."