LOS ANGELES — With its latest innovation, Otis Spunkmeyer, an Aspire Bakeries brand, is offering in-store bakeries (ISBs) a low-labor solution to bring eye-catching desserts for consumers.
“Supermarket ISBs are facing unprecedented labor constraints, so there’s a significant need for high-quality, delicious desserts that don’t require high labor investment,” said Paul Stippich, director of marketing for Otis Spunkmeyer. “Delivered in frozen, ready-to-bake cookie dough pucks, Otis Spunkmeyer Red Velvet Cookies — which are only available to ISBs — just need to be baked, packaged and sold.”
The Red Velvet Cookie is the first of several flavors set to roll out this year. Otis Spunkmeyer’s use of Neufchatel cheese in the product recipe nods to the traditional flavor. The cookies also include white chocolate chips that contrast the deep red dough.
Due to continuous consumer demand for handheld, portable desserts, the new addition to the portfolio helps ISBs appeal to that interest as well as the “newstalgia” trend.
“The cookies feature a classic flavor usually seen in cakes and cupcakes, offering something different than other common cookie varieties,” Stippich continued. “Additionally, the cookie’s rich red color allows for a number of marketing windows throughout the year — not only can consumers enjoy it every day, but it also creates a prime selling opportunity for Fourth of July, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day, all of which are holidays that people associate with the color red.”
The cookies also offer multiple selling zone opportunities for ISBs, Stippich continued.
“When packaged in small clamshells, they can drive impulse purchases from the bakery case,” he said. “They’re also an impressive addition to catering trays when contrasted with other varieties of cookies.”
Red Velvet Cookies from Otis Spunkmeyer are packaged as frozen pucks in two different sizes: a 240-count case of 1.5-ounce pucks or a 140-count case of 3-ounce pucks.
