contents 48 38 10 14 56 42 FEATURES 20 RETRO WITH A TWIST Find out what your customers crave and offer them products that will keep them coming back. Often, new twists on old flavors keep your ideas fresh and your customers interested. 27 MAKING IT PERSONAL When developing new products, think about the seasons, think about local and community attitudes and favorites, but most of all, trust yourself, and look within. 31 SEASONAL TRANSITIONS Adapting your store’s appearance and selection to complement the season or holiday contributes a sense of change and variety to your store. 35 FINISH FOR PROFIT Cupcakes represent one of the trendiest items in the current retail bakery environment. But without artistic finishes and gourmet ingredients and toppings, a cupcake is just a cupcake. DEPARTMENTS 08 10 12 14 16 News Bites Management Tax Tips Labor Front Legislation 18 38 48 56 62 Ingredients Cake Bread and Baking Cafe Product Trends COVER Issue No. / 5 BUSINESS. ACCURACY. KNOWLEDGE. EXECUTION. Society Bakery in Dallas, TX, gets innovative with the classic whoopie pie. Combining traditional favorites with classic flavors gives Society customers a plethora of choices. Photography by Jason Janik (page 20) THE MERCHANDISING ISSUE: retro with a twist inside FINISH FOR PROFIT Artistic designs generate more profit MAKING IT PERSONAL New tips for personal expression SEASONAL TRANSITIONS Plan ahead for summer through fall bakemag.com | MAY 2012 > 05http://www.bakemag.com