Hard-pressed commuters are eating breakfast on the go. Time to break out the bakery?
A typical piece of advice dished out to people who want to lose weight is ‘don’t go shopping on an empty stomach’. That’s because, allegedly, people buy more food when they’re hungry. If that’s true then retailers should especially welcome hungry customers. And the best time to catch hungry folks might be in the mornings.
Data from the Lantmannen Unibake Bread Barometer survey suggests more than half of Britons now eat breakfast out of home and of those a quarter do so while on the go.
“This is due to increasingly busy lifestyles, time restraints and the growing need for convenience. This trend presents a big opportunity for convenient, on-the-go breakfast bakery products in retail and foodservice,” said Rachel Shoosmith, marketing manager at Lantmannen.
With so many people leaving home on an empty stomach (and presumably likely to buy more food than otherwise) she recommended retailers provide quick, easy-to-eat, takeaway breakfast food, perhaps paired with hot drinks to increase value.
“Retailers are perfectly positioned to tap into the morning rush,” she said. “Prominence on shelf, a front-of-store location as well as positioning bakery items alongside hot drinks machines are great ways to drive incremental sales, especially for snacking products or quick convenient breakfast options.”
She said French pastry lines within the in-store bakery category is currently seeing growth, with a value increase of 3.27% to £84.3m and unit sales up by 2.36% year on year, suggesting that consumer demand for French pastries is continuing to rise. She recommended stocking pastries such as Schulstad Bakery Solutions All Butter Croissant, Pain Raisin, Pain Chocolat, Chocolate Croissant, or Almond Croissant.
For retailers who want to include non-bake-off lines in a breakfast range CSM Bakery Solutions suggests using ‘thaw and serve’ products like its own muffins.
“Constantly providing fresh snacks at all key points throughout the day ensures that sales do not drop and that retailers are making the most of each meal time,” said Lisa Boswell, trade marketing manager at CSM. “Thaw and serve products are perfect for convenience and ensure there is a constant fresh supply, as they are so simple to prepare.
“The American trend of muffins for breakfast has helped boost sales of the treat as this is now enjoyed at various times throughout the day and can be offered as a morning good, lunchtime dessert or afternoon snack.”
CSM’s recently-launched range of topped and filled muffins are available in Triple Caramel, Chocolate Nougat, Banana & Toffee, and Raspberry & Yogurt.
