Supermarket Perimeter - September 2024 - 31

olive oil are trending in the West; cherry in the Midwest; Hummingbird
(coconut and banana) in the South; and tiramisu and cake with crème
Anglaise in the Northeast.
LTOs and seasonal flavors, especially when offered outside of the
typical season, can be a good way to make connections and capitalize
on important family traditions. Flavors such as sticky toffee, graham,
peanut brittle, key lime, baklava, oatmeal chocolate chip and caramel
apple highlight flavor opportunities for connection.
Research from Cargill found 63% of consumers are motivated to
make purchases when they see an item in a new flavor. An IDDBA
FlavorConnect webinar, How to Choose Flavors that Cue Fuel and Fun
in Sweet Snacks, from FlavorSum, Kalamazoo, Mich., highlighted flavor
trends of " Help me make memories " and " Delight me. "
Connecting with consumers
Rich Products emphasizes two important consumer segments for cake:
the Engaged Explorers and the Special Treat Seekers. Engaged Explorers
tend to be curious and adventurous and more likely to buy a cake on
impulse if something new and interesting catches their eye. Special
Treat Seekers prioritize sweet and craveable offerings. Treat Seekers
are most likely to purchase familiar, nostalgic flavors and brands. Both
segments are loyal shoppers with an expectation of the delivery of
great, quality flavors and textures and visual appeal, Heiler said.
The company teams with its retail partners and cake decorators
to demonstrate how to riff on viral sensations and expand on them.
It also offers proprietary bakery shopper segmentation, developed in
partnership with Circana, Chicago, to understand specific shopper
needs, motivators and occasions. It is also teaming with Circana's
National Eating Trends to dive into the Who, What, Where, When and
Why of celebrations.
Cargill also invests in proprietary consumer research to help
customers understand what consumers want and to identify emerging
trends. Dawn partners with its customers to grow their business and
inspire bakery success as consumer needs evolve. Its website provides
more than 1,000 inspirational recipe ideas, such as the experiential
Pinata cake filled with candy. DecoPac offers the Celebration IQ
platform, a technology solution that provides an online ordering option
for bakeries.
Nimble approach
A multitude of touchpoints coupled with the ubiquitousness of social
media means there's a never-ending stream of cake concepts. Unique
ideas can originate from instore bakery decorators, home bakers and
independent bakers alike. The lifecycle of a trend often begins in fine
dining, ethnic markets and even mixology. Artisanal bakeries also play a
critical role in trend development and can be a bridge between a trend
in the inception stage and one that could become widely available. " For
most instore bakeries, it's tough to transfer a direct cake idea seen on
social media by an influencer, but by working with a cake decorator,
there's a greater chance of achieving a reasonable version of what's
being seen on social media, " Gardner said.
While inspiration abounds on Instagram, Pinterest and Tik Tok, trends
with staying power typically follow a path of progression from specialty
grocer and artisanal bakeries before continuing on to mainstream
supermarketperimeter.com
SEPTEMBER 2024 - 31
Trending cakes
Textures for indulgence: mousse,
tiramisu, meringue, Tres Leches,
lava cake and filled cupcakes
Sustainable
use of local and organic
ingredients, reusable cake stands
and composting cake scraps
Interactive
secret message cakes,
burn-away cakes and pull-me-up
cakes that reveal a surprise
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Supermarket Perimeter - September 2024

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