supermarket PERIMETER - May 2021 - 16

Bakery

Cakes
Five ways to recapture customers
BY JENNIFER BARNETT FOX

Meet consumers where they are

Embrace the pivot

CATEGORY REVITALIZATION: Synonymous with celebration and
gatherings, cakes are poised for a great year with the long-anticipated
return to in-person gatherings and celebrations. As life picks up speed
again, consumers will return to the perimeter in search of fresh options,
said Eric Richard, industry relations coordinator, IDDBA, Madison, Wis.
" We're seeing some improvement in most of the bakery categories,
and we're due for a market that's going to revert back to where it was, "
Richard said. " I think we'll see a reset for instore bakery products,
including cake, with more people gathering and more in-person
occasions. "
Mintel predicts products made for safe sharing, including those
in portion control packaging, will find favor for both safety and
convenience. Seventy-four percent of respondents said they mostly
prefer to buy products with packaging that will protect the contents
from contamination, and another 62% said it's more important to
protect food hygiene than it is to minimize plastic packaging and waste.
INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: An increase in foot traffic in supermarkets
over the last year has led to some consumers discovering or
re-discovering the instore bakery as an alternative for other bakery
locations they've considered before, said Sarah Hickey, senior director
consumer insights, Dawn Foods, Jackson, Mich.
" This is an opportunity to wow consumers with the quality of
instore bakery cakes and to showcase new and innovative items, "
she said. " Retailers that take advantage of this opportunity will see
continued growth even post-pandemic. "
Acknowledging the stronger competition this year as a result of the
at-home baking boom and increased penetration of packaged treats,
Gretchen Hadden, marketing manager, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate,
North America, Minneapolis, recommended the instore bakery space
prepare to continue delivering innovative and novelty flavors in
pandemic-friendly formats to win with consumers.
VARIETY AND INTEREST: With smaller gatherings becoming
the norm for the foreseeable future, Stratas Foods, Memphis, Tenn.,
forecasted opportunity around build-your-own cakes made of single
servings. To help bakers adjust to smaller sizes, Roger Daniels, Stratas's
vice president of research, development, innovation and quality,
recommended making cakes unique, using oversized toppers, bright
colors and texture contrasts.

STREAMLINING PRODUCTION: Fewer large-sized gatherings have
led to calls to accommodate smaller sizes and smaller counts. Over
the past year, Unifiller, Delta, B.C., has offered new developments to
streamline dessert production. Its RP depositor finishes mini cupcake
bites with buttercream frosting and sprinkles at 15+ across. Unifiller's
Pro and Multistation depositors with a custom cupcake head can finish
eight cupcakes at a time, and its robotic module can finish six, eight
or 12 cupcakes in shell packaging. Dawn Foods suggested gourmet
cupcakes as another way to meet trends for customization and cravings
for small indulgences.
INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: " Bakers can meet consumers where they are
by offering more premium, higher-priced offerings like smaller cake
sizes, individually wrapped items and increasing the amount of smaller
baked goods like cupcakes, " Hickey said. " Leveraging the increased
consumer demand for smaller cakes and other baked goods, combined
with other item sales, can help offset the decline in purchases of bigger
items such as half and quarter-sheet cakes. "
EASY COMFORT: Although the trend of at-home dining is predicted
to continue for some time, consumers returning to offices and kids to
classrooms will seek out convenient, quality breakfast and snack items
that make life simpler and their families happier. Smaller, on-the-go
mini sizes will also find favor as consumers again focus on ease of use,
quick consumption and portion control. Comfort foods like coffee cakes
satisfy this desire perfectly, according to Jayne Kearney, director of
marketing, Bake'n Joy Foods, Andover, Mass.

16 - MAY 2021

MANAGING LIFE: Downsized baked foods also offer an opportunity
for indulgence among consumers who seek to temper the ongoing ups
and downs of life. As consumers begin venturing back to stores, there
will be additional browsing opportunities to satisfy these cravings with
impulse buys of individual-sized treats.
INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: " Indulgence remains the top driver for shoppers purchasing cakes, but given today's emphasis on healthy eating,
many are looking for ways to mitigate the guilt, " said Jamie Mavec, marketing manager, Cargill. " These smaller sized formats allow consumers
to indulge in a sweet treat but with fewer calories and less sugar. It's the
best of both worlds: an indulgent eating experience without the guilt. "

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DAWN FOODS

Tempting indulgence

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supermarket PERIMETER - May 2021

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