As the supermarket bakery sector examines effective strategies for the all-important holiday season, bakeries are stepping up to the plate to offer inspiring products and strategies that help guarantee success.

“Shoppers are always looking for inspiration, but this is particularly true around holidays,” points out Neil Pittman, sales director, US for St Pierre Bakery. “Reports from IDDBA demonstrate that sales see an uplift across sectors around public holidays. Occasion-led buying is big business for deli and bakery departments and Thanksgiving and Christmas are key occasions that savvy retailers will be looking to maximize.

“We have long held that the instore bakery and deli are about providing the experience and inspiration for shoppers that cannot be delivered in the same way by the commercial aisles. It is imperative, especially now that bakery sales are in growth, that retailers deliver on the customer expectation – both of the shopping experience and the product range available.”

The St Pierre product range is designed to deliver authentic, premium options for shoppers looking for something to elevate at-home menus, Pittman says, adding “the premiumization trend is here to stay and it’s particularly important when we are looking at occasion-led purchasing.”

Brioche, on the whole, is a category on the up – both in value and volume sales (+18% and +9% respectively according to Nielsen Xaoc data from September 2023), says St Pierre.

That’s no mean feat in the current climate and bucks the trend of the wider bakery category and many others, Pittman explains. Offering quality brioche as an upgrade is the perfect way to increase basket spend because it also drives incremental sales in other areas of the store. Shoppers spending more on quality bread carriers are more likely to spend on better quality meats and cheeses, for example. 

“The other key consideration for retailers driving sales during the holidays is offering versatile products that cater to multiple demand moments – and are suitable for sharing,” he says. “Products that cater to sharing – such as our Cinnamon Twist, Brioche Sliders and Sliced Brioche Loaf all experience boosted sales over the holidays. Brioche provides a simple way to upgrade family meals so hosts can impress guests easily, with relatively little extra investment from cost-conscious shoppers.”

Merchandising solutions that highlight quality and authenticity will help retailers to drive sales, especially in the current climate, Pittman says.

“Our Eiffel Tower racks not only act as a trip trigger, driving footfall into the instore bakery and offering a little extra ‘theatre’, but they also communicate our unique proposition – authentic French products that can elevate everyday meals,” he says. “In communicating that, we are automatically addressing the ‘why pay more’ question. Shoppers will pay more for quality – especially during the holidays.

“What happens when consumers ‘feel the pinch’, is not that they spend less money necessarily, but that they become more discerning with where and how they spend that money,” he adds.

That means that brands and suppliers offering quality goods have an opportunity. The financial difference for consumers between buying “good” or “best” is marginal, therefore, shoppers are more likely to opt for the better quality, or premium offering, Pittman adds. It’s different if you’re talking about cars or high-value purchases, but everyday grocery brands are subject to a different purchase journey – and savvy brands – and retailers – will be ready to highlight quality goods to shoppers, he says. 

“This also creates an opportunity for St Pierre specifically; because we win out in independent taste tests on taste, texture and flavor, we understand that driving trial is key,” Pittman shares. “By providing a better experience in-store, we are driving trial and providing inspiration.”