Market research, provided by the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that the average U.S. consumer spends a little more than $100 on Valentine’s Day. Yet, there are not any laws stipulating that it’s inappropriate to spend less than $50. Based on various fresh fruit bouquet companies, a bevy of chocolate dipped fruit should satisfy him or her for less than $40, but make note of the fruit bouquet delivery costs and policies.

Chocolate dipped fruit is a logical and appropriate for the day dedicated to love and romance. Symbolic of an aphrodisiac, chocolate dipped strawberries, blueberries and cherries are in ample supply at behemoth, online gift basket retailers. However from the Chocolate Covered Company, Edible Arrangements, to Cherry Moon Farms the cost differs by $5 to $20 depending on the fruit bouquet delivery costs.

Best Discounts
Among the top brand gift fruit basket companies, Cherry Moon Farms shows a selection of marked down chocolate covered fruit. The”full dozen gourmet dipped swizzled strawberries are normally $44 and on special for $29.98. However, the fruit bouquet delivery cost is hefty, starting at 12.99 to $17.99.

When is VDday? Valentine’s Day falls on Tuesday, February 14th 2012.

Edible Arrangements has discounted some of its chocolate dipped fruit inventory. The featured deals are 10 percent off the original price of a box of 12-strawberries cloaked in dense layers of chocolate. In order to nab the $35 special deal, the fruit bouquet delivery order must be placed prior to February 12th, 2012.

Also, it is noteworthy that Edible Arrangements uses UPS as its delivery service, so to avoid any delivery issues and to save a minimum of $10, its best to pick up from a local franchise.

Best Chocolate

The Chocolate Covered Company owned by Golden Edibles swathes strawberries, grapes, blueberries in a dark Belgian chocolate. Thirty-nine dollars and ninety five cents includes the dipped fruit bouquet delivery and a choice of the a half a dozen pieces of chocolate dipped strawberries; a dozen Belgian chocolate dipped blueberries or grapes. If the recipient is a dark chocolate epicure, then Chocolate Covered Company should satiate.

The gift purveyor also features a no fee fruit bouquet delivery cost for its chocolate dipped fruit. The fruit company owned by Golden Edibles swathes strawberries, grapes, blueberries in a dark Belgian chocolate.

Normally, Edible Arrangements charges $25 for the boxed of chocolate dipped fruit. In recognition of the fresh fruit basket company’s National Dipped Fruit Week (January 15 -22^nd), this is a $15 saving for any customer, who picks up the gift box in store.

As with any discount, the box of chocolate dipped fruit promotion accompanies a few restrictions:

• The deadline to order the $10 box of dipped fruit expires on January 22, 2012.
• All ordered gift boxes have to be picked up by Tuesday, January 24^th.
• The special discount was not mentioned at Edible Arrangement’s subsidiary website, DippedFruit.com. Chocolate covered fruit and other fruit dipping orders may qualify for a $4 discount by using the coupon code: DFHP0112.
• Other coupons, discounts and specials are not recognized with this Edible Arrangements chocolate dipped fruit special for catalog item number: 1654.
• As the discount is more than a 50 percent savings, the National  Dipped Fruit boxes are available ‘while supplies last’. Prior to placing an order, contact the local fresh fruit bouquet franchise of Edible Arrangements and inquire whether the store is participating in the special. Also, note that fresh fruit selection of dipped fruit varies, depending on the store.

Remember to get a jump start on any Valentine’s Day gifts by requesting to see the various prototypes of available edible fruit bouquet sizes and selection of chocolate dipped fruit boxes.

But while some consumers complain about such unsavory fruit basket delivery fiascos,  certain facts and delivery terms often reveal  the potential for an edible fruit bouquet order to go wrong.

Fruit basket deliveries, just like any other consumer purchase can go awry. Regardless of the merchant, the fresh fruit basket is not impervious to rotten scenarios. Nonetheless, consumers can forgo fruit basket delivery travesties by reviewing each gift basket company’s delivery policies.

Be sure to place fruit basket delivery for the holidays well before the rush.

On the FAQ page of the Edible Arrangements’ website, delivery terms recoomend ordering well in advance during busy periods such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Mother’s Day.

In cities, where Edible Arrangement franchises are located, many rely on ecommerce to bolster sales. However, the fruit bouquet company depends  on UPS to fulfill fruit basket deliveries, which may or may not influence the freshness of fruit basket delivery.

When possible and to save a minimum of $12, schedule an in store pick-up. This way the consumer can evaluate the quality of the gift basket’s contents.

Edible Arrangements, Harry & David and other gift basket purveyors with brick and mortar shops can prepare gift baskets for you to deliver.

A spoiled  gift basket is sometimes the byproduct of ordering the wrong fruit basket for an unsuitable recipient. An example is the edible fruit bouquet, resembling a flower arrangement  delivered to a remote address.

Given other deliveries and distance, these fruit basket deliveries can go awry, particularly in warmer climates.

To ensure sending a fresh fruit basket, select a fruit bouquet company, where the gift basket consists of full pieces of fruit (not sliced). Sliced fruit bouquets have an abbreviated freshness window, before oxidation sets in.

Finally, make sure that the gift basket company guarantees the fruit basket delivery. Cherry Moon Farms, a sibling of ProFlowers does not guarantee deliveries in rural routes. Moreover, the company submits order to partnered gift shops,

The best fruit basket companies, dominating sales for more than a decade have fine tuned their brands and here are their most redeeming offerings:

Cherry Moon Farms
Cherry Moon Farms vends traditional fruit baskets, where the contents often appear more like a work of art than an edible bouquet. Nevertheless, Cherry Moon Farms is best forits extensive variety of organic fruit baskets, candy, cookies and other novelty gift baskets. The fruit basket company packages its gift baskets with some of the most recognized brand names in snacks: Ms. Fields.Ghirardelli, and Mrs. May’s Cashew Crunch.

Harry and David
Among the best fruit basket companies, Harry and David is the oldest organization. The fresh fruit purveyor is know best for its organic pears. This year, Harry and David released a new product of chocolate dipped pears. Harry and David’s make for the best source for Hanukkah and corporate gift giving.

Edible Arrangements
With locations in more than 900 countries, and a first page rank under the keywords: fruit bouquet, Edible Arrangement is the prototype for an effective online marketing campaign. Renowned for its adorable arrangements of fruit carved to resemble flowers, the fruit basket company has become a classic gift basket idea. (This fruit basket wows the recipients that has never seen or received an edible fruit bouquet)

The Fresh Fruit Company
Dubbed FFBC.com, “The Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company” is popular among account managers, sales representatives and other professionals. Although The Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company’s offerings are similar to Edible Arrangements, the fruit baskets are generally costlier. The higher cost is attributable to the fruit basket companies limited locations in California, Florida, North Carolina and Kansas.

What do you consider the “best fruit basket company”?

The online marketing strategy is ingenious as it captures  a high percentage of Internet shoppers searching for dipped fruit. On Google, the search terms: “dipped fruit bouquet” and “dipped fruit” both top the number one position in page rank.

Moreover, Edible Arrangements owns the trademark to dipped fruit, which toppings include: truffles, strawberry, chocolate, crushed almonds and coconut, peanut butter, white chocolate sprinkles embedded in chocolate and cinnamon spice.

While the Dipped Fruit concept is a not a new fangled approach to gift baskets and easy gift ideas per se, some customers are ready for a new menu of flavor options. The editors of Fruit Bouquet compiled a list of favorite desserts that would make irresistible toppings for the Dipped Fruit company.

Reminiscent of spumoni ice cream, this dipped fruit recommendation consists of strawberries dipped in a combination of pistachio and chocolate. This unique dipped fruit concept would make a delectable new edition to Dipped Fruit’s collection– as it incorporates the chocolate dipped fruit with other familiar desserts.

As for an American classic dessert that could be transformed into a dipped fruit product, an upside down pineapple cake represents another new flavor idea. Here, pineapples could be caramelized and then heavily coated in a white, buttery frosting finished with a honey glaze. Potentially named, “Upside down Pineapple Dipped Fruit, this edible fruit gift would be a contrast of sweet and tart.

Pleas click “chocolate dipped fruit recipe’ for an easy DIY strategy or visit Food Network, an easy recipe describes each steop.

To accommodate chocolate lovers, some customers consider toppings made of 64 percent dark cocoa smothered over dried oranges, apricots and banana chips- an easy new product to introduce. This chocolate dipped fruit medley could be sold as snack for about $10 for a packet of five, and be aptly named, a Chocolate Dipped Fruit Indulgence.             

Best Chocolate Dipped Fruit Baskets

But while the aforementioned dream dipped fruit are a palate’s figment of satisfaction, there here’s a list of the best chocolated dipped fruits available at Dipped fruit.com:

A $35 Appreciation Bouquet includes approximated two-dozen of chocolate dipped strawberries, arriving in a ceramic Edible Arrangements mug.

One dozen pineapples, shaped to resemble daisies arrive covered in chocolate and dotted in coconuts.  (This edible fruit concept would also work if the daisies resembled footballs, baseballs and other popular sport balls).

For less than $40, Dipped Fruit.com’s 30-fruit truffles  for $39 affords another easy gift idea. Pears and apples arrive swathed in an assortment of truffle toppings.

Do you like chocolate dipped fruit? What is your favorite flavor of dipped fruit?

When franchisees decide to venture into the business of fresh fruit baskets, proprietors should have a minimum of a $300,000 investment of  capital and other unforeseen expenditures.

Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company (FFBC) imposes a $25,000 franchise fee, which covers, the learning materials, the business model and a few marketing materials. Unlike Edible Arrangements, where franchise owners often overlap territories, Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company (FFBC) gives its franchisees “large exclusive territories.

Purveying, tasty, top-sellers, low in calories is where Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company (FFBC) outdistances its competitor Edible Arrangements. The  Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company earns top grades in brand loyalty because it gives its consumers a reason to stop in when they are not in need of a fruit bouquet for a celebratory occasion. Yogurt parfaits, frozen yogurt and  trademarked Fruplosion typify the highly addictive treats available at the Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company (FFBC).

Most customers need more enticement than juice fashioned from the fruit supply chain and chocolate dipped strawberries are not as ’s franchise business offerings. Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company (FFBC) produces quality products. It’s  chocolate vendor exemplifies this philosophy. The fruit bouquet franchise uses French chocolatier based in San Francisco, Guittard Chocolate, traced to 1868.

In terms of dipped fruit, Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company (FFBC) takes fresh fruit to another level with a fine selection of caramel dipped apples.

Presently, the fruit bouquet company is touting a simple yet genius holiday gift idea.  With each order, shoppers include a photo of the family, which is printed on a greeting card template.

What is your favorite: Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company (FFBC) or Edible Arrangements.

Harry and David a fresh fruit bouquet company renowned for edible fruit bouquets, the tower gift basket and its organically cultivated Royal Riviera pears, shows a new holiday or Christmas gift basket. Loaded with baklava, cake, cookies, a sextet of the fruit company’s pears are among the 17 more items. And for $149.00, this 9-pound Christmas gift basket accommodates a team of six to eight recipients.

As of this article publication date, FruitFlowers.com another forerunner of the edible fruit bouquets did not have it Christmas gift baskets or fresh fruit baskets on display.

The Happy Holiday Gift basket sold at Wine Country Gift Baskets arrives chock full of goodies that consists of Ghirardelli milk chocolate, Godiva white chocolate, hot cocoa, peppermint and most of the fixings reminiscent of the Holidays. With free shipping and economically priced at $39.95, this is not the type of gift basket that will remain available for long.

The fruit bouquet market leader Edible Arrangements instituted an innovative approach for Christmas gift baskets or in this case fresh fruit baskets. Featuring a special section on the website, under holiday, Edible Arrangements provides shoppers with Christmas gift baskets segmented into four sections: by recipient, perfect gift, holiday table centerpieces and chocolate dipped fruit.

Fresh fruit baskets and fruit boxes, start at $25 at the fruit bouquet company Edible Arrangements presents a cornucopia of gift and entertainment ideas with of edible fruit bouquets. Party planners can also find delicious recipes and celebration tip on the fruit.

However, it is noteworthy that the chocolate dipped strawberries at Cherry Moon Farms cost $3 less than the chocolate dipped fruit at Edible Arrangements. We also found that Cherry Moon Farms fresh fruit bouquets and Christmas gift baskets showed a markdown on its “Christmas best sellers.”

When do you plan to do your holiday shopping? Will you opt for edible fruit bouquets or  Christmas gift baskets?

 Cherry Moon Farms, another fruit bouquet company, selling organic fruit bouquets at comparable prices to Harry and David.

Fortunately, Harry and David maintain an inventory of other organic fruit baskets.It appears as though the fruit bouquet company  won’t be committing the same mistake they made during the holiday season of 2010, when they had excessive inventory, causing the firm to to reorganize.

If one prefers to score the best  fruit baskets, favorites such as the Organic Light Size Triple Treat ® Fruit Collection for only $39.95—won’t be available for very long. In fact, Harry and David even suggests that consumers place orders now to ensure a December delivery.  The Organic Triple Treat Fruit Collection falls under the same pre order specifications.  These fruits baskets are comprised of an organic pear, apple and orange.

Royal Riviera ® Pears is Harry and David’s registered trademark for its organic pears, which are cultivated at an orchard in Oregon.

For some me strange reason, Harry and David’s Organic Fruit Basket does not fall under the same high demand fresh fruit bouquets. Perhaps, it the 69.95 price tag. Nevertheless, this fruits baskets consist of organic contents: pears, apples and oranges.

Would you like to receive n organic fruit baskets as gifts from colleagues? Or, would you be more apt to send a fruits baskets for a holiday present.

In this bi-monthly installment of FruitBouquet.org, we’re deconstructing consumer myths pertaining to fruit baskets.

• Myth: The basket of an edible fruit bouquetis consumable.

On the contrary, the container of the fruit bouquet is not ingestible. The term “edible fruit bouquet” is derived from the fruit bouquet company: Edible Arrangements. The name is often misconstrued with edible basket.

• Myth: All organic fresh fruit bouquets resemble Pablo Picasso‘s interpretation of the “Bread and Fruit Dish on a Table.”

At one point in history, approximately previous to the establishment of Edible Arrangements that fresh fruit bouquets consisted of full pieces of fruit, comparable to Mr. Picasso’s paintings. However, Tariq and Kamran Farid changed the game. When the duo opened the first fresh fruit bouquet company in 1999, carving fruit to resemble a flower bouquet, the face of the fruit bouquet was forever altered (in a positive way of course).

• Myth: All fresh fruit baskets consist of the same contents.

Fresh fruit bouquets do not contain the same contents. Edible Arrangements, Harry & David and Cherry Moon Farms epitomize three distinctive fresh fruit bouquet companies, offering different interpretations of the fresh fruit bouquet.

• Myth: A fresh fruit bouquet is only organic if it is ordered online.

Specific cultivation requirements, mandated by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), represent the authenticity of organic fruits. When ordering online be sure to make sure any organic fruit has a USDA organic certification.

• Myth: Fresh fruit bouquets for less than $20 are non-existent.

On the contrary, chocolate dipped fruit (strawberries, bananas, apples) are available for under $20 with specific rules at Edible Arrangements and Cherry Moon Farms.