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BROUGHT TO YOU BY MODERN BAKING
Tracking Bakery Consumer Buying Trends
WHAT DO THEY WANT?
Young and old, male and female, or any other demographic your bakery is trying to reach all bakery consumers share key factors in deciding whether or not to make a purchase.
"Freshness is always the top reason for shopping in the category," King says. "If you don't have freshness, your sales will be affected." Cleanliness of the store and appearance of the product also are top factors. "People buy with their eyes first, and will come back if it tastes good and is fresh," she adds.
Beyond the obvious factors, "product variety" can make or break a sale. Customers will easily shop at another bakery or opt not to make a purchase if they don't find the product they are seeking or the product line is lackluster. In-store bakeries, in particular, need to fend off a "cookie cutter" approach to product lines and merchandising.
HOW CAN YOU KNOW THEM BETTER?
"Having fresh bakery, deli and produce departments is so important to compete," King says. "Some supermarket companies promote these assets really well, while others could do more."
Particularly for in-store bakeries, supermarket chains can lose site of what their customers really want in the bakery department. In addition, customer preferences often vary store to store depending on the demographics of each location. Retailers need to keep that in mind.
King advises to throw away the comment boxes and get qualitative responses from customers through in-store surveys, e-mailed surveys or mini focus groups. In-store bakery departments should take advantage of their company's loyalty card programs to identify frequent in-store bakery shoppers. Keep any surveys short and simple, and offer a coupon or other reward for participation.
"It is so important to learn what your customers want in that particular store versus the overall general trends that may not be applicable." King concludes.
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