Creative thinking boosts competitive edge

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Clever ideas for in-store bakeries will be on display at the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association's (IDDBA) Dairy-Deli-Bake exposition to be held June 1-3 in New Orleans.

“Today, more than ever, in-store supermarket bakers need to leverage their staff, their equipment, their products and their customers,” says Carol Christison, IDDBA executive director. “The people that we talk to are so pressured from trying to get the most out of the least, that they welcome ideas and strategies that will help them do that.”

The Show & Sell Center Retail Food Merchandising Pavilion addresses these needs. The 10,000-sq.-ft. center will feature actionable concepts for in-store bakers seeking to boost merchandising success. The show's theme, “Super Mardi Gras,” which combines supermarket and Mardi Gras, will be visible in all of the demonstrations and throughout the show. The ideas to be presented can apply to any bakery nationwide.

One example is the Voo Doo Bread or Cupcake Bar, each giving customers a new way to look at shopping for baked products. Another is the “Feed the Crave” display that examines how coffee and pastry items work together to drive breakfast sales.

Christison says the volunteer merchandisers in the Show & Sell Center also pride themselves in repurposing equipment, products and ingredients. Every retailer has an unused piece of equipment sitting in the storage room.

Last year, the team turned a pegboard dairy case into a grab and go bread center. The idea helped bakers turn commodity items into value-added, customer-pleasing profit centers.

“We think bakers will be checking their own storage closets to see what they can adapt to their own operations,” Christison says. “In this industry, we can't work any harder, so we have to be working smarter by increasing operational efficiencies wherever we can. That means getting creative.”

Decorating challenge

Three supermarket cake decorators will vie for top honors in IDDBA's 13th annual Cake Decorating Challenge.

The contest begins with a wedding cakes competition. Day two requires contestants to create enough product to fill an 8-ft. pastry case. The final day gives contestants the freedom to put their creativity on display with a “Decorator's Choice” theme. All three contestants receive a free trip to New Orleans, where they compete for trophies, bragging rights and publicity.

The show of shows

The show attracts the top 100 retail supermarket chains, as well as the top convenience stores, wholesalers and industry decision makers. More than 8,000 attendees are expected to take in the more than 1,500 booths.

The line-up of scheduled speakers mirrors IDDBA's emphasis on creativity. John Cleese, of Monty Python's Flying Circus fame, will present “The Importance of Creativity.” Culinary rock stars Emeril Lagasse and Paula Deen top the list of other speakers on hand to address the food industry and beyond.

“It's important to learn what your competitors are learning and at the same time, so you don't lose your competitive edge,” Christison says.

Dairy-Deli-Bake exhibitors
(for in-store bakers)