inStorebuyer - July 2011 - 26

consumerinsight
CONSUMER TASTES AND TRENDS

Q A
InStore Buyer had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Valerie Windham of CSM Bakery Products, who offers keen insight into the latest trends happening in the instore bakery today. What do you see as the single biggest trend influencing today’s instore bakery, and why? Mini and individual desserts is an impactful trend and will likely continue.  For consumers whose households and budgets are shrinking, it is an opportunity to indulge without a substantial cost or impact to one’s diet. It is also a perfect way for ISBs to differentiate with unique signature items that drive sales. How is CSM Bakery Products addressing bakery shoppers’ needs in each of the following categories: Health & Wellness — We have just commercialized Sensibly Indulgent Cupcakes.  These are greattasting 120 calorie cupcakes that allow consumers to indulge without the guilt associated with traditional indulgent treats. These cupcakes are great for celebrations, entertaining or for the whole family as an indulgent

with CSM Bakery Products

snack. We expect to continue to bring Coffeehouse Collection Muffins inthese kinds of better-for-you product clude nine varieties of inspired flavors solutions to the market in the future.   that are among the most decadent in Other big news for us this year is that market. Consumers are still willing to we now have a full line of completely spend on these affordable luxuries, as Trans Fat Free cake. From layers and they seek moments of escape during icing to fully finished and decorated gloomy economic conditions cakes, our entire cake and icing line What strategies can instore bakis TranSmartTM (zero grams trans fat). Convenience — We continu- ery merchandisers use to effectively ally invest in the research and de- leverage these trends? Consumers are reacting to the velopment of products that bring convenience to the bakery and to economic downturn by making fewer consumers.  A great example of this is trips and by spending less per trip. our new Message Cookie Card.  It is a This heightens the need to be laser focused on meeting condecorative sleeve for quarter sumer needs. Understandsheet message cookies that ing the specific purchase provides bakery operators drivers of consumers within with a low-labor product/ a particular market area packaging and merchanand designing a marketing/ dising solution while demerchandising program to livering a creative, giftable point the consumer to the option for consumers. WINDHAM bakery and drive impulse Indulgence — Indulgence is at the core of our business. purchase is more important than ever We continually develop new products before. Tactics to drive impulse purchase that are based solely on consumers’ desire to treat themselves. In par- include eye-catching visuals, crossticular, we have found that consum- merchandising with prepared foods ers are indulging in bakery items and/or fresh coffee stations, featurtypically associated with breakfast ing better-for-you products in high more throughout the day. Our new traffic areas.

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inStorebuyer - July 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of inStorebuyer - July 2011
