ANAHEIM, CA — Understanding consumer trends is critical for artisan and in-store bakers, especially when their needs are changing at a faster pace than ever.
That rapidly evolving demand is greatly impacting what’s trending inside the bakery, too.
“When looking at trends, there are two pieces to the puzzle,” said Sarah Hickey, senior director of marketing and insights at Dawn Foods. “There’s a consumer perspective and the operator’s mindset.”
In Dawn’s most recent Global Trends Report, the company identified four key trends that are impacting the bakery sector: Technology Transformation, Experience Exploration, Daily Delights and Mindfulness Matters.
During the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association’s IDDBA 2023 tradeshow, consumers’ increasing demand for convenience was a hot topic. That demand is having a major impact on bakery operators, and where consumer demand and operator trends meet, technology is sitting in the intersection.
For bakers to offer convenience for consumers, they first must have convenience in their bakery. That’s a big challenge given today’s labor market. It’s what Dawn calls the “three-headed monster,” when bakers are fighting through labor challenges, supply chain shortages and inflationary costs and still deliver on consumer needs in convenient ways.
“Technology Transformation can help with that convenience upload, in terms of how it can help bakers create a more convenient process to get products to consumers more easily,” Hickey said. “Technology has increased the advancement of that and serves the ‘What I want, where I want it and how I want it’ consumer mentality.”
While technology is on the rise in the traditional sense with tools like e-commerce, digital payment and delivery methods, food science technology is also helping bakers more easily offer convenience for their consumers.
"The Technology Transformation can help with that convenience upload, in terms of how it can help bakers create a more convenient process to get products to consumers more easily."
— Sarah Hickey | senior director of marketing and insights | Dawn Foods
“Convenience is about how we can make things simpler for the consumer to get to that end state they’re looking for,” Hickey said.
For example, just a decade ago, vegan diets were just starting to take hold, and the process to make an item like a vegan cupcake was highly labor-intensive. Today, Dawn offers products such as mixes and bases that allow retail bakers the convenience to add vegan muffins and donuts to their case every day.
“You don’t have to spend as much time anymore to deliver the things that consumers are looking for,” Hickey noted. “That’s really powerful.”
Technology is also enabling bakers to bring traditional items to their case more easily and offer better shelf life without sacrificing quality.
At IDDBA, Dawn showcased its latest Pak Perfect thaw-and-sell donut technology. The product can be frozen for a month and, once thawed, has a five-day shelf life in the case, and the quality remains consistent.
“That’s gives the consumer a completely fresh donut experience,” Hickey said. “It’s delivering on the consumer expectations but through the lens of what the baker needs.”
For more information, visit the Dawn Foods website.
