In the dough - Lesaffre April 2021 - 2

Adapting to
Changing Behaviors

L

eading instore operators are focusing
on lessons learned
from the past year and
looking to turn them into
strategic opportunities
for 2021 and beyond.
That is one key takeaway
from professionals who
spoke about " Adapting and Innovating: The
Omnichannel Channel "
during the recent American Bakers Association's
virtual convention.
" This time we're in right
now, this window, this
bubble, is a gift, " said
Bob Villapiano, director, fresh bake division,
Wakefern Food Corp.,
Keasbey, NJ. " It's a gift in
the sense in that we have
a heightened awareness with the consumer.
They're engaged. They
want to get back into
celebration mode from
the big holidays to the
little ones and everywhere in between, and
now is not the time
to throttle back. "
Additionally, Villapiano
pointed out that he's
" very excited about the
growth in the bread
category and all segments, " which includes
a pent-up demand for
packaged bakery, instore bakeries and the
foodservice channels.
" Bread is just on fire for
us and we're just trying

to ride that wave of
growth as well as push
ourselves and challenge
ourselves to some new
innovation sooner than
later and not just rest
on our laurels, " he said.
Metcalfe's Market is a
three-store gourmet
grocer in Wisconsin with
a fourth, small location
nestled in the Dane
County Regional Airport
in Madison, Wis. The
company specializes
in fresh baked breads
and pastries from 25
local bakeries, more
than 500 varieties of
artisan cheeses, Boar's
Head deli meats, and
a large variety of local
and organic produce.
" Right from the
beginning, we knew there
would be a constant
level of change in our
organization. We're used
to change, but not such
rapid change, " said Tim
Metcalfe, president and
co-owner of fourthgeneration, family-owned
grocer Metcalfe's Market
in Madison, Wis. " We
knew that even when we
get out of this, there will
be a question of what
is the grocery business
going to be like. "
Metcalfe said company
officers monitored the
situation closely from
the start, tracking global
news developments in

China, Italy and elsewhere. First and foremost, they determined
protection of workers
and protection of customers are paramount.

AFTERNOON
OPPORTUNITIES

Despite total US
restaurant traffic being
down across dayparts
for most of last year and
through February 2021,
late afternoon and after
dinner snack visits -
otherwise referred to as
the PM snack daypart -
have increased, according
to The NPD Group.
NPD's daily tracking
of how consumers
use restaurants
finds that consumer
visits to foodservice
establishments during
this snack period, which
ranges from 3-5 pm and
9 pm-5 am, increased by
+5% in January and +3%
in February compared
to same months year
ago. The pm snack
daypart also gained a
3% increase in share of
occasions in the last
calendar quarter of
2020 while every other
daypart posted declines.
" Because of the
pandemic and the
disruption of our normal
commuting patterns
and daily routines, we
have more flexibility
in deciding when and
In the dough - Lesaffre April 2021

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