instore - July/August 2013 - 34

special topic

SPECIAL TOPIC

labor savers
I

nstore bakeries and delis are faced with the daunting task of doing
more in less time than ever. Today’s consumers demand more,
more and much more. So how can retailers keep pace? For one
thing, they can depend on important new innovations from the bakery/
deli supply side to help them keep labor costs to a minimum.
Food manufacturers, equipment and packaging companies, and
bakery/deli suppliers are all rising to the challenge of making the
retailer’s life more manageable and cost-effective.
Introducing new products becomes easier, of course, when there are
fewer back-of-the-house hurdles to clear. Take the Greek yogurt craze,
for example, which is enjoying unprecedented, double-digit sales
growth in the supermarket arena.
General Mills Bakeries & Foodservice has just introduced a new packaging option for easy-to-assemble yogurt parfaits that includes proportioned plastic bags containing Yoplait Greek Yogurt, along with packs of
Natural Valley Granola. Just tear open the bag, squeeze into individual
containers, and toss the bag to make yogurt parfaits in half the time.
One container includes everything needed to make 40 yogurt parfaits.
Greek yogurt parfaits make sense for the instore deli because
consumers are craving different types of products than they used to
at the supermarket. Ice cream, shakes, smoothies, and pizza bars all

“Try to eliminate all the things that
create a bad service experience and
concentrate on all the things that
lead to a great experience.”
Jack Li, Datassential

scored high with consumers when asked what they’d like to buy in
the deli department, according to Datassential’s new research for the
International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association.
“Consumers want more and more of these kinds of things,” says
Datassential’s Jack Li, who adds that shoppers are also being driven to
experiment more with food and beverage purchases because of their
quests for culinary adventures. “We have more license to experiment
these days than we ever have in the past,” he says.

Enhancing the food experience
Family meals are a current initiative at a wide range of instores, which
are working hard to supplant restaurants as a viable dining out option
for everyday meals.
Examples of instores receiving accolades for family meal planning
include Redner’s Warehouse Markets, which operates 44 stores in
Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, Meredith Mensinger, registered dietitian and coordinator of the Health¢ents Program at Redner’s
Warehouse Markets, oversees a program that includes a bi-monthly
health and wellness newsletter, weekly informative circular ads, and a
merchandised “better for you” end-cap in all stores.
Food (55%) is the No. 1 factor in what creates a great experience at the
instore bakery and deli, according to IDDBA’s new consumer research,
followed by promotions (21%) and service (17%). On the flip side, service
(named by 47% of respondents) was the top factor in determining a
poor experience, followed by food (27%) and promotions (12%).

34 • JUL + AUG 2013 • instore

instore - July/August 2013

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