Boost Dessert Sales With These Sweet Tips

Understanding Consumer Preferences: As Seen in CSP Daily News

 

November 2017

 

When it comes to dessert, people have different definitions of what it means to them, as well as different eating habits and what their favorite types are. To appeal to more consumers and increase interest in desserts, understanding their habits, as well as what they define as dessert, is key.

 

What do consumers think of when they think of dessert?

 

In Technomic’s 2017 Dessert Consumer Trend Report, powered by Ignite, 62% of consumers say they define dessert as anything sweet eaten immediately or shortly after lunch or dinner. Though some people say they define desserts as items like fruit, alcohol beverages, ice cream or frozen treats, most consumers (71%) say they define dessert to be traditional sweets such as cookies, pie and cakes.

 

Therefore, desserts can be loosely defined as something sweet that is usually indulgent. Though some consumers think of things like cheese plates, or even a cup of coffee or tea as desserts, and others classify dessert as something sweet or indulgent that’s eaten anytime, a majority differentiate a dessert from a snack by when it’s eaten – after a meal.

 

How often do consumer’s eat dessert?

 

So how often do consumers eat dessert? Knowing now what dessert is defined as, it’s easier to find out how often they eat it. After all, eating a piece of fruit for breakfast probably wouldn’t be considered dessert, while eating one after dinner might be. According to the Technomic report, 32% of consumers say they eat desserts after a meal twice a week or more, while 25% say they eat it often – at least once a week. On average, consumers eat dessert 4.8 times per week.

 

When it comes to the “why” of eating dessert, 75% of consumers say that compared to their typical behavior, they are more likely to eat dessert when they want to treat or reward themselves, while 58% say they’re more likely to eat dessert when they’re happy. Other factors contributing to indulging include being stressed, being sad, or having a bad day, but overwhelmingly, consumers eat dessert more when they’re feeling good or when they want a treat.

 

Desserts that are gaining popularity.

 

While the tried and true desserts like cookies, cakes and ice cream will likely always be crowd pleasers, some other desserts are on the rise – according to Technomic’s MenuMonitor, trifles and layered-dessert mentions have increased about 11% on restaurant menus year over year, while sticky toffee pudding has increased about 13%. Lemon cheesecake and blueberry cheesecake are also becoming more common.

 

In c-stores, baked goods are up about 9% year over year, with instances of chocolate cake up 25%, cinnamon rolls up 14% and brownies up 8%.

 

Dessert mentions overall in c-stores are up 5% year over year as well – in other words, it’s a safe bet to say that dessert isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, no matter what diet craze is taking over.

 

Which desserts get the most love?

 

When consumers reach for something sweet, according to Technomic’s Dessert Report, they go for these treats at least once a month:

 

• Cookies: 74%

• Baked goods such as brownies, muffins or scones: 67%

• Cake or cheesecake: 65%

• Donuts: 54%

• Pie/cobbler: 49%

• Ethnic desserts such as churros or cannoli: 31%

 

Diving deeper, when diners choose cookies or baked goods as their desserts, the top five choices they make are:

 

• Brownie: 63%

• Chocolate-chip cookie: 55%

• Cinnamon roll: 45%

• Chocolate cookie: 39%

• Donut: 37%

 

Other top dessert choices include cookie with candy pieces (such as M&M’s cookies), peanut-butter cookies, oatmeal-raisin cookies and dessert/cookie bars. Retailers should be sure to stock a variety of baked goods such as cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls and more to ensure every customer finds something they like.

 

Dessert foods as snacks.

 

Consumers eat dessert foods after meals, of course, but many consumers say they’d purchase a dessert as a snack, as well – and considering 83% of consumers eat a snack once a day, according to Technomic’s 2016 Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report, there’s a big opportunity to Technomic’s 2016 Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report, there’s a big opportunity to offer popular desserts as snack items. In the same report, 48% of consumers say they purchase snacks at least occasionally from c-stores, so retailers should cater to those snackers.

 

When choosing a dessert as a snack, 53% of consumers say they’d choose a brownie, and 55% say they’d choose a cookie. Offering several options of brownies and cookies can be a great way to draw in snacking dollars.

 

For retailers looking to sell more dessert items, the solution is simple: Give consumers the choices they crave most.

 

SOURCES: “Boost Dessert Sales With These Sweet Tips” by Prairie City Bakery and CSP Daily News. As seen in CSP Daily News on September 21, 2017. http://www.cspdailynews.com/category-news/snacks-candy/articles/boost-dessert-sales-these-sweet-tips

Individually Wrapped Cookies & Snacks

Delicious Cookies & Snacks from Prairie City Bakery

 

April 2017

 

Prairie City Bakery’s delicious line up of individually wrapped cookies & snacks are bound to be top sellers in your store. Their down home quality bakery items are fresh, indulgent and will make your customers say “Mmmm!” They offer a wide variety of individually wrapped products for convenience stores like fudge, cookies, brownies, and more!

 

Gourmet Fudge

 

Prairie City Bakery’s individually wrapped, bite-sized pieces of indulgent creamy butter and chocolate fudge are the perfect size for a convenient, decadent treat! For the ultimate impulse sale, simply place Prairie City Bakery Fudge in its own attractive merchandiser on the front counter for fantastic fudge selling. Available in two fudgy flavors: Chocolate and Creamy Butter!

 

Down Home Cookies

 

Our super-sized down home cookies are soft and chewy, loaded with chunks and chunks of the finest ingredients and a new butter formula, providing an amazingly rich down home flavor. They look homemade with their hand-wrapped look and feel. Zero trans fats, and a full 21-day shelf life. They’re available in four great flavors: Chocolatey Chunk, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Chocolatey Candy.

 

Big n’ Fudgy Brownie

 

We don’t call it Big n’ Fudgy for nothing! Our award-winning brownie has the “WOW” factor! Big n’ Fudgy Down Home Brownies are studded with chocolate chips and boast a delicious fudgy flavor – perfect for any sweet tooth. Set up by your cash register for incredible impulse sales.

 

Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes

 

This decadent two-layer treat originated in St. Louis. The bottom layer is a delicious buttery yellow cake, while the top layer is a rich mixture of cream cheese, sugar and egg. Available in single packs, these delicious treats make the perfect snack. This wildly popular brand is available in five delicious flavors: Original, Lemon, Cinnamon, Chocolate Chip, and Sea Salt Caramel. The Original flavor is also available in two foodservice options: a 10oz pan Pan that is perfect for take-home dessert applications and the slice-and-sell 2.8lb Sheet Cake that can be used as a versatile dessert base.

 

Chocolatey Dipped Pretzel Sticks

 

The perfect sweet and salty snack. Quality pretzel sticks dipped in rich white and dark chocolatey fudge. Each 7 ½” pretzel stick is hand dipped in rich chocolate fudge than drizzled with the opposite color chocolate. Individually wrapped with a UPC on each pretzel. Place the container near you cash register, and you’ve got a sale.

 

Prairie City Bakery is Bakery, Simplified. Everything we do, we do with you and your customers in mind. We’re created the Simplified Bake Shop program for both Foodservice and C-Store industries. We offer bake shop quality in convenient Foodservice 4-packs and cost-effective bakery case programs. Our award-winning cookies and brownies are created with a homemade look and feel for incredible impulse sales. And our Individually Wrapped Pastry program allows for freshness and convenience. Free merchandising options are available.

6 Tips for Boosting Snack Sales

Brought to you by CSP and Prairie City Bakery

 

January 2017

 

Snacking continues to be a popular meal-period option, and with more than three-quarters of convenience store customers visiting to buy snacks, it is crucial that retailers get it right. So what are consumers looking for? According to Techomic’s 2016 Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend report, more than half of consumers say portability is key.

 

Profitability is influenced by size, shape, packaging and ease of purchase. According to NACS, 83% of goods purchases at c-stores are consumed within an hour and an impressive 60% are eaten immediately. What’s more, the top five dessert snacks are all packaged and portable, including cookies, ice cream, brownies, frozen treats and cupcakes, according to Technomic data.

 

So why not give your customers the kind of quick options they want? Here are some tips to keep in mind:

 

Capitalize on All-Day Breakfast

Portable, packaged breakfast pastries make great grab-and-go snacks throughout the day. Portable baked goods appeal to consumers looking for small, easy-to-eat indulgences. Consider offering items like danishes, muffins, cinnamon rolls and bear claws near the register for quick convenience.

 

Go for Bundles

With more c-stores upping their coffee game, packaged snacks (especially premium baked goods) make the perfect complement. Market coffee-and-a snack deal for all customers, or offer them as a loyalty reward. About 57% of younger consumers say the availability of breakfast combo meals influences their decision to visit a foodservice establishment, according to Technomic data. Similarly, be sure to merchandise bakery snacks by the coffee bar to increase bundled purchases.

 

Cater to Hispanics

As the Hispanic population grows, so does the purchasing power of this important consumer group. As this demographic is comprised of heavy c-store users, Hispanic consumers are a big opportunity for c-stores. Offer a selection of packaged authentic Mexican pastries, as Hispanic consumers over-index on c-store bakery items. In fact, while 77% of all c-store foodservice patrons buy bakery items once a month or more, that number jumps to 87% for Hispanics, according to Technomic data.

 

Be Bold

Consumers are receptive to bold, spicy flavors. Fill the roller grill with flavor-packed global snacks like egg rolls, spicy bread sticks and more. Consider offering an easily accessible line of flavor packed condiments for hot dogs and other grab-and-go handhelds.

 

Drink It Up

With more female c-store customers seeking healthy, portable snacks, expect to see a jump in drinkable yogurt sales and other protein-packed drinks. Brands such as Chobani, Dannon and Yoplait all have no-spoon needed yogurt drinks on the market.

 

Conquer Craveability

Consumers continue to seek out indulgent snacks. Some 49% of consumers ay they indulge when snacking, according to IRI data. Technomic reported that the desire to treat oneself is one of the biggest motivators for snack purchases, second only to hunger. Consumers are likely to purchase indulgent snacks in the afternoon, as studies show consumers are more willing, and more successful, at rationalizing a treat later in the day.

There is an opportunity to maximize indulgent snack sales throughout the day by placing popular impulse items in key positions around your stores. Play up seasonal craveability with holiday treats featuring peppermint or caramel flavors. Look for bite-sized indulgent snacks offered in cups or resealable bags, which are perfectly suited for grab-and-go impulse items.

 

As snacking continues to grow, and as consumers seek out craveable flavors, the opportunity for boosting snack sales grows, too. Prairie City Bakery has a variety of portable, mouthwatering snacks to entice impulse purchases in your store.

 

View article here: http://www.cspdailynews.com/category-news/snacks-candy/articles/6-tips-boosting-snack-sales