Contest, trip for sales leads deepens ties between ProChile, Giant Eagle

In September 2022, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania U.S.A.-based retailer Giant Eagle announced partnership with ProChile for its campaign “Chile on Board” to promote Chilean seafood at its retail locations across the U.S. states of Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. 

With the promotional partnership, ProChile organized an eight-week sales contest for Giant Eagle’s retail seafood leads and managers. The eight contest winners received a fully expensed trip to Puerto Varas, Chile to tour the fisheries, factories, and facilities producing the seafood they sold. The trip took place from 27 March to 1 April, with a full itinerary of facility tours, tastings, sightseeing, meet and greets with company executives, and a ProChile seafood sustainability seminar. 

“The contest provided incentive to win a trip that we may not otherwise have taken. The seafood team leaders went after the prize by building impactful displays of the contest items and engaging our guests at Giant Eagle with their product knowledge and service expertise,” Giant Eagle Seafood Merchandising Manger Dee Amarillo told SeafoodSource. “The trip was so informative and enlightening of the salmon and mussel aquaculture [in Chile].” 

Companies involved in the contest and tours included Camanchaca, Manuelita Acuicultura, Multi X, Salmones Aysen, and Integra Chile. Representatives of each company augmented the tours with presentations on fishery practices and sustainability practices, encouraging the retailer's seafood leads to spread work on their efforts back to their customers.

“My biggest takeaway was the integrity of the fisheries and production facilities. The strict sanitation and safety standards, and care they put into their facilities was exemplary,” Giant Eagle Seafood Lead Christopher Koegel said.

The contest not only provided strong incentive for the seafood leads to sell Chilean products, but expand their knowledge to optimize sales. 

“Being able to tell a customer that I physically got to experience the whole process in Chile and explain to them the best practices will now definitely be my best-selling points,” Giant Eagle Seafood Merchandising and Event Coordinator Kerry Williamson told SeafoodSource.

As a part of the itinerary, ProChile ... 

Photo courtesy of Kerry Williamson/Giant Eagle