Edible Brands didn’t have to look far for a new CEO.

Somia Farid Silber will ascend from the role of president, where she has served for two of her eight years at the company, to CEO.  She replaces the company founder, Tariq Farid, who is also her father. Tariq started the company in the backroom of his parents’ Connecticut floral shop in 1999.

Fast-forward to today, and Edible Brands, which rebranded itself from the long-used name Edible Arrangements in 2021, is based in suburban Atlanta. It operates a portfolio of businesses, which Silber will oversee. Those brands include:

• Edible: The network of over 1,200 franchised stores
• FreshFruit.com: A subscription-based, direct-to-consumer fruit delivery service
• Edible.com: The online version of the main brand’s physical store
• Edibles.com: A holistic health online store focusing on CBD
• BerryDirect: A supply chain services company
• Netsolace: An ecommerce and point-of-sale software and services company

Edible Brands ranks No. 169 in the Top 1000 Database, Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest North American online retailers. There, Digital Commerce 360 categorizes Edible Brands as a Flowers & Gifts retailer. Digital Commerce 360 projects that Edible Brands online sales will reach $530.07 million in 2024.

Edible Brands web sales by year

Edible’s next steps under its new CEO

Somia Farid Silber, CEO of Edible Brands | Image credit: Edible Brands

“As we move into Edible’s next chapter, my focus is on strengthening the connection between our digital and brick-and-mortar properties to enhance the customer experience,” Silber said in a released statement. “With more than 25 years of established success and operational expertise, Edible is well-positioned to expand our market presence while continuing to deliver customizable and experience-driven gifts that our current customers and future generations crave.”

During her time at Edible so far, Silber has led the expansion of Edible’s ecommerce footprint. She also launched a one-hour delivery guarantee, facilitated a partnership with third-party delivery services like DoorDash and Uber Eats, and launched FreshFruit.com.

Tariq Farid praised his daughter’s leadership vision in an announcement from the company.

“Somia’s varied experience and leadership in diverse roles within the company, particularly her achievements as president, have strengthened Edible’s business and positioned the brand for continued growth in its exciting new chapter,” said Farid, who will now be partner and CEO of BroadPeak Capital Group, a private investment firm and parent company of Edible Brands as well as its subsidiaries.

Silber has been involved in the family business for many years, pre-dating her arrival full-time in 2016.

“My earliest memories are being in the store during the holidays,” Silber said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I just remember it being like almost pure chaos, just a lot of people, a lot of friends and family, making arrangements.”

The company is known for its themed platters of fruits and candy for all occasions. Those creations defined its offerings as Edible Arrangements. Last year, the company sold 37.5 million chocolate-covered strawberries, many of them on Feb. 13 and 14. The company is privately held.

Edible’s emphasis on the connection between physical and virtual

Edible’s focus on ecommerce is the right move for the company, said West Paschal. Paschal is the co-founder and chief revenue officer at Alpine IQ, a retail analytics platform.

“Silber said she’d focus on strengthening the connection between Edible’s brick-and-mortar properties and its digital experience,” Paschal noted. “If she follows through on that, it’ll be the right move at the right time.”

Paschal’s view is supported by a September 2024 ecommerce report from Ryder Systems, Inc., which found that 77% of consumers also use their mobile devices to search for products while physically in the store.

“So when Silber says she’s aiming to strengthen the connection between digital and brick-and-mortar, she’s going in the right direction,” Paschal stated.

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