Supermarket Perimeter - April 2022 - 20

Bakery: Branded baked goods
" Ultimately, the instore bakery is an indulgent
department, and there's a fine line to balance
when you are marketing to the customer, "
Skinner said. " In some ways consumers
can perceive products that have too
many health claims as not tasting as
good. If you can embolden features
like real sugar, no preservatives
and no artificial colors or flavors,
you are in a decent spot with the
consumer. "
Skinner also said targeting
specific market segments is a
valuable strategy for an instore
bakery brand. He said many
instore bakery products are private
label products, and to achieve
exposure on the shelf, it's essential
to offer products that are innovative,
unique and have a strong segment of
consumer support.
Skinner said their most popular offering is
currently Danish strips because of the product's unique
flavors and textures. He said many of the flavors of the product
come from the dough, as the company manipulates the fermentation
process and provides the dough the proper environment for the
right amount of time. While letting the dough rest in a controlled
environment for 24 to 36 hours may seem inefficient, it's critical to
providing unique flavors, he said.
Targeting future growth
As important considerations in product development, Buenning said
consumers are increasingly interested in how their food connects
with their wellbeing, and they are looking for transparency when it
comes to what is in their food. She said consumer desire to see brands
focused on sustainability is leading them to examine the lifecycle of
their products, from how ingredients are grown to the manufacturing
processes and the impact of packaging.
While considering all these trends, brands and retailers need to be
cognizant of costs.
" We love to introduce new flavors and formats,
but we also need to be aware of the costs
associated with new ingredients and
formats, " Buenning said. " We work to
overcome this by being judicious and
strategic when we introduce new
concepts. We don't want to create
something that is so drastically
different that people are hesitant
to try it. We try to formulate our
new products so they feel familiar
to consumers but also offer new
flavors that are different and make
consumers want to taste test it for
themselves. "
In the future, Buenning said
La Brea hopes to introduce more
products with whole grain nutrition
as well as different styles of artisan
breads in both unique and familiar formats.
Specifically, she said La Brea plans to launch
new take-and-bake bread varieties as well as more
thaw-and-sell items to help with accommodate for labor
constraints and consumer demand for sealed packaging due to
safety and hygiene concerns.
Baker said St Pierre's focus this year has been on delivering products
in the most relevant formats and pack sizes for retailers.
" Spotting where growth is coming from and then understanding
if you can create a product that meets consumer need in a way that
does it better than anyone else - taking that approach has delivered
successful new product launches, the most recent examples being the
seeded brioche burger bun and our brioche bagel, which was the first
product of its type to market last year, " Baker said.
Baker said St Pierre has also added a six-count chocolate and
hazelnut crepe to their breakfast offerings. Additionally, he said the
company started this year with a $10 million investment to ensure
that the 98% fill rate they achieved in 2021 continues through 2022,
especially during the peak grilling season.
Skinner said his company is looking to introduce new products that
combine chocolate and indulgence, and they also desire to experiment
with more innovative inclusions, designs and flavors.
" Defining the consumer you are targeting and trying to develop a
product that truly meets their needs can be the most difficult part (of
developing new products), " Skinner said. " One would think that having
access to seemingly endless amounts consumer research would be
beneficial, but mining and interpreting that data to apply in a real word
scenario is a difficult task. In addition, innovation drives foot traffic to
the in-store bakery, and while it can be risky for manufacturers, that risk
needs to be taken in order to grow in different consumers segments. "
With both space and labor at a premium for instore bakeries,
expanding what products are made in-house can be challenging. In
this environment, branded products present opportunities for grocery
store bakeries to offer a wider range of products that meet consumer
trends and increase traffic to the bakery.
20 - APRIL 2022
supermarketperimeter.com
TAKE-N-BAKE, J. SKINNER
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - April 2022
