Baking & Snack - November 2024 - 39

TRENDS
Sweet Goods
30% OF MILLENNIALS SAY THEY
REGULARLY EAT GOURMET CUPCAKES.
Datassential
play for market share. Mid-sized
bakeries such as Toronto-based
Bond Bakery Brands, which counts
Coco Bakery Inc. and Portofino
Bakery Ltd. as part of its portfolio;
Dutchland Foods, Lester, Iowa; and
Ethel's Baking Co., Shelby Township,
Mich., are also establishing a name
for themselves with their original
brownies, cake pops, cupcakes, macarons
and pastries.
Overall, the category is lagging,
which is reflective of the downward
trend seen across the board in
center-store bakery and the perimeter.
According to Circana OmniMarket data
for the 52 weeks ending Aug. 11, both dollar
sales and unit sales are down in center store
desserts/sweet snacks (-2.2% and -5.6%, respectively).
Things are slightly better in the perimeter,
where dollar sales are even and unit sales show only a
slight dip at -0.8%.
When it comes to sweet goods, however, the total
numbers don't necessarily tell the entire story. Center
aisle dollar sales for cookies (+0.5%), pastry/Danish/
coffee cakes (+3.6%) and pies (+2.8%) all increased;
brownies/squares/bars (-1.6%), cakes (-4.7%) and snack
cakes (-3.7%) all took a hit. The perimeter numbers
for the same period paint a slightly different picture.
Brownies/squares/bars (+5.8%) and cakes (+0.6%) rose
in dollar sales; cookies (-0.7%), pastry/Danish/coffee
cakes (-0.2%), pies (-2.9%) and specialty desserts
(-2.0%) all dropped.
The big winner in the category is croissants, according
to Jonna Parker, principal II, fresh foods client insights
group, Circana, who, in the " Food! The Biggest
Influencer: A Circana Deep Dive " webinar, revealed the
French puff pastry is up a whopping 8.9% (center aisle)
and 3.7% (perimeter bakery) over the past 52 weeks.
Donuts also performed well during this same period,
seeing 0.8% and 4.6% growth, respectively.
Take it on the run
Recent trends in the sweet goods category have targeted
smaller portions aimed at consumers seeking more portable,
on-the-go snacks and baked foods.
" Through our bakeries, Bond Bakery Brands is noticing
increasing demand around single-serve sweet goods
offered in unique and easy-to-go formats, " said Kayla
Rochkin, chief growth officer, Bond Bakery Brands. " We
continue to see growth in snacking, especially in products
that allow consumers to satisfy their sweet tooth
craving during the day while on the go. "
Dutchland Foods is also noticing a push toward
smaller serving sizes, according to Monty Van
Layered snack cakes with... candy?
At the forefront of innovation today is
Hostess Brands Inc., a subsidiary of The
J.M. Smucker Co., Orrville, Ohio. The
company is continuously introducing a
variety of unique snack cakes and desserts,
including Baby Bundts, Bouncers, Ding
Dongs x Twinkies Mashups, Donettes and
Meltamors.
One of the company's more recent
creations is Kazbars, a candy bar-inspired
snack that combines six layers of soft
chocolate cake, crème, candy crunch and
caramel or chocolate fudge. The cake bars,
first introduced last year, are available in
two flavors: Chocolate Caramel and Triple
Chocolate.
" Hostess Kazbars is a first-of-its-kind
confection-inspired innovation within the
sweet snacks category, " said Tina Lambert,
vice president, marketing center of excellence
at Hostess Brands. " The latest
Hostess innovation combines layers of
moist chocolate cake, crème, candy crunch
and ooey-gooey caramel or smooth chocolate
fudge. The cake bars are covered in a
rich chocolate-flavored coating and topped
with a delightful drizzle. "
Kazbars reflect the company's eagerness
to attract young male consumers who
seek both comfort and convenience in their
snack foods. The company now has two
major channels with two slightly different
offerings: full-size Kazbars for the convenience
store channel for young men and a
multipack of eight mini Kazbars for grocery,
dollar and mass stores for young families.
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