Monitoring the “evolving target” of consumer inclination
People have been advocating for health and wellbeing for years, looking for healthier options in a variety of dietary categories. However, Todd Hale, principal at Todd Hale, L.L.C., who spoke with an expert panel during the American Bakers Association’s annual convention, which took place in Scottsdale, Arizona, from April 14–18, stated that the truth is that they still want to indulge.
Among the panelists were Carrie Jones-Barber, CEO of Dawn Foods; Andy Muller, executive vice-president of bio-based ingredients for Corbion; Brian Dwyer, vice-president of manufacturing and operations for The Kroger Co.; and Rick Stein, vice-president of fresh foods for the Food Marketing Institute (F.M.I.).
“Wellness and health are important, but so is indulgence,” Mr. Hale stated. “In this era of people trying to lead healthier lifestyles, there are a lot of indulgent categories that are really doing quite well in terms of driving growth.”
The retail periphery is where it’s at when it comes to the popularity of indulgent products, according to Mr. Hale. This is partly because sweet goods are perceived as being fresher than center-store offers, giving them a little advantage over them.
“I find it fascinating how customers are capitalizing on the perception of fresher products and how it’s assisting retailers in achieving growth,” he remarked.
Because of the sights and scents of fresh produce, Mr. Hale described the experience of entering a supermarket as “walking the gauntlet of sweet goods.””Cookies, cakes, and donuts are now available in really attractive packaging; you don’t need to visit the center store to purchase these items,” he stated. “During your walk around the store, you can get them.”
He also mentioned stores like Hy-Vee, which exhibit opulent goods visually using technology like large-screen televisions.
According to Mr. Dwyer, Kroger is responding to consumer demand for fresh, decadent goods by expanding its single-serving cake slices and six-count donut bundles.
It’s crucial to remember that customers who choose healthier products are probably also the ones who don’t mind indulging. According to Ms. Jones-Barber, everything depends on the time of day and even the day of the week.
“It is our duty to ensure that we are creating innovative solutions that combine indulgence with health and wellness, offering fantastic products that satisfy customers’ cravings for indulgence while also offering healthier options,” the speaker stated. “Both of them are significant.”
According to Ms. Jones-Barber, manufacturers of sweet goods may develop decadent products with cleaner labels thanks to Dawn’s Bakers Truth line of mixes and bases.
Furthermore, “truth” is crucial in light of the growing customer need for openness, according to Mr. Dwyer. The Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organic brands from Kroger have had some of the quickest growth the firm has ever seen.”With cleaner labels and organic ingredients, it offers our consumers a healthier alternative,” he stated.While it can be difficult to understand in a literal sense, current customers actually want to revel in their healthy foods as well as have them. This is known as “having your cake and eating it, too.”
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According to Mr. Muller, Corbion is witnessing an increase in indulgence as well as in health and wellbeing, and the company is investing in both sides of innovation.
He remarked, “The challenge is creating something indulgent and healthy at the same time.” “We’re putting a lot of effort into making that happen in that area.”
Because health and wellbeing can imply different things to different consumers based on their particular context, Mr. Muller noted that needs connected to health and wellness frequently appear to be a “moving target.”
Mr. Muller advised, “You need to define what your consumers and customers feel about wellness and health.” In order to meet those objectives, ingredient providers must be adaptable and quick, and they must have a full toolkit at their disposal.
When making health and wellness items instead of decadent ones or combining the two, bakers should take certain situations into account, such as using enzyme blends for sugar reduction, trans-fat-free solutions, or organic and clean label components, according to Mr. Muller.
Additionally, Ms. Jones-Barber underlined the value of tailored solutions and one-on-one interactions with bakers.
According to Mr. Stein, who tracks trends for F.M.I., he has noticed a rise in consumers’ concerns about health and wellbeing in their general purchasing behavior. He also pointed out that trends originate in science.
“I think that as science advances, more innovative ideas will result from it,” he stated. “You can’t go down a grocery aisle without having the word “protein” thrown at you; this is because research has shown that protein is higher in calories and more satisfying. And considering the data we now possess on fiber’s role in supplying energy, the baking sector has the opportunity to utilize this information to craft a message and apply science to drive innovation.
It’s often as easy as turning on the TV to anticipate what customers will demand next.”It can truly be a shifting target,” Mr. Dwyer reaffirmed. “Depending on who shows up on Dr. Oz, things can move quickly.” Then, without warning, you havea completely new fad, which is quite difficult.