There was a distinctly fruity flavour at The Co-operative Food store in Kilgetty on Monday as staff swapped their uniforms for giant fruit costumes to celebrate the start of Fairtrade Fortnight.

Customers were greeted by staff dressed in larger-than-life banana, grape and blueberry costumes as The Co-op throws its weight behind the campaign in Kilgetty and its 3,000 stores across the UK.

The event coincides with the start of Fairtrade Fortnight (February 28 to March 13), the annual celebration of Fairtrade aimed at raising the profile of FAIRTRADE Mark products, which guarantees a fair price for producers in developing countries and provides an additional social premium to fund vital community projects.

Customers who make the switch from conventional to Fairtrade products will help growers in some of the world's poorest countries, including Chile, from where The Co-operative is sourcing the world's first fresh Fairtrade blueberries.

The Co-op is the UK's leading supermarket supporter of Fairtrade, and its extensive Fairtrade range, covers everything from chocolate to cereals, hot and cold drinks, fruit and nuts, and a market-leading wine range.

Chris Perkins, store manager at The Co-op Food store in Kilgetty, said: "It's not everyday you find giant fruit walking around your local grocery store, so hopefully our oversized antics will encourage shoppers to stop and think about the global benefits of picking up Fairtrade products locally."