Supermarket Perimeter - January 2025 - 34

Cheese
Cheese departments can
create unique experiences
for consumers with
cross-merchandising.
merchandising
By Hayley Hyer
AFTER THE WINTER HOLIDAY SEASON ENDS, limited-time holiday
cheeses sell out, and consumers assess their post-holiday budgets,
what's next for a retail cheese department?
Indulgence
Many instore bakeries have already been exploring how to offer
consumers a reason to celebrate any day with fun, single-serve treats.
Cheese departments can lean into the trend as well.
Indulgence is in demand, and understanding the different motivations
consumers have for indulging can help with merchandising.
One motivation for indulgence is celebration. Someone may want a
treat to reward themselves for giving a great presentation at work and
unwind after the high-energy day. That might look like a glass of wine
with a specialty cheese and some crackers when they get home.
Or maybe they are celebrating their high school senior's acceptance
letter to their top school choice. They might want to prepare a special
dinner at home with a starter like baked brie for the family to share.
Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans Food Markets works many different
types of kitchenware, potted plants, and decorations into its cheese
department to paint a picture of how shoppers can use the products
at home. Stores can merchandise cheeses for small celebrations with
things like candles, greeting cards, flowers and miniature cakes from the
instore bakery.
Another motivation for indulgence, according to Chicago-based
Datassential's 2025 Trends Report, is the complete opposite of
celebration. The report highlights " living for the now " as a top trend
shaping purchasing decisions.
" A reaction to uncertainty in the world is driving indulgence, little
treat culture, and more, " Datassential said.
According to the report, 89% of consumers said they eat an indulgent
food item at least once a week, compared to 69% the year prior.
34 - JANUARY 2025
" I was pretty surprised to see how pervasive the idea of doomerism
and 'living for the now' has become, " said Renee Lee Wege, trendologist
and senior publications manager at Datassential. " We covered
indulgence last year and saw that Gen Z in particular was indulging
in food- or beverage-related treats, more than other demographics
overall, but little treat culture has come in really hot and strong quickly. "
Cheese is an excellent comfort food and can be merchandised with
fresh soft breads, boxes of tea, hot cocoa mix, cozy mugs, face masks,
bath accessories, chocolate, and anything else that comes together to
tell a story of comfort to a shopper looking for a pick-me-up.
As social status drives impulse purchases for some consumers, Gold
award winners from the 2024 World Cheese Awards in Portugal can be
perfect to highlight as indulgent treats.
Stoughton, Wis.-based Emmi Roth received gold awards for two
different Gruyère cheeses handcrafted in Switzerland:
* Emmi Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP: " Each wheel is recognized
instantly by the color of its rind - an
unmistakable rustic brown patina
- and its flavors of dried stone fruit,
spice, black tea and hazelnuts with
an earthy depth, " Emmi Roth said. " The
texture is smooth with a slight flake and
pronounced crystallization. "
* Emmi Le Gruyère AOP: " Aged a minimum
of 5 months, Le Gruyère AOP slowly
matures in the cave-like atmosphere of the
Emmi cellars as each wheel is delicately
turned, lightly brined and brushed, "
the company said. " This brings out the
inimitable flavor featuring notes of
candied walnuts, dried fruit and spice. "
supermarketperimeter.com
Post-holiday
Studio Light & Shade, Mara Zemgaliete, bigacis - stock.adobe.com
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - January 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - January 2025
