Instore - June 2018 - 47

and generate customer interest with limitedtime offers.
Whether they're traditional or innovative,
cookies must grab the passing shopper's attention, Docherty says. "Over half of cookies
are purchased spontaneously because they
catch the consumer's eye and look too delicious to pass up."
Among the newest products for Brill is its
DecoPro, a decorating bag pre-filled with
Brill buttercreme. Perfect for cookies, cakes
or cupcakes, it provides quick setup and
easy cleanup, improving efficiency for customers and reducing waste, Docherty says.

Variety, convenience,
clean-label
Consumers' desire for novelty, combined
with customers' desire for labor-saving techniques, are among the reasons Kate thinks
Dobla's Cookie Toppers have been such a
big hit with instore bakery customers. "Dobla has a lot of amazing chocolate curls and
decorations for cookies, but our most exciting product is the Cookie Topper," she says.

she says. "We started with simple designs
and have evolved into an incredibly precise
printing process where we can recreate, on
chocolate, almost any image you send us."
In addition to Toppers, Dobla's chocolate
barks and other toppings help instore bakeries make a statement, Kate says. In addition, exotic fruits and spices and other less
traditional flavors are beginning to assert
themselves in the cookie world. "Multiple
layers and depths of flavor and unexpected
surprises are also finding their way into
cookie jars," she says. "The staple chocolate
chip and pink frosted sugar cookie are the
constant pillars that shouldn't be touched.
However, we fully support the bold boutique
combinations that are popping up everywhere, pushing the conventional ideas of
this great pastry."
Demand for cookies is always high, Kate
says, but in general she wouldn't categorize
it as "growing." Within the category, however, there are certainly pockets Dobla is eyeing for growth. "The demand for something
fun and unexpected is definitely growing at

Introduced in 2016, Cookie Toppers are premade discs that are placed on top of instore
bakeries' fresh-baked cookies, meaning bakers can skip the frosting process entirely.
The discs quickly melt, but the printed design remains intact as it sets, Kate says. Toppers come in up to four different colors in
each of a variety of designs. Twenty-five designs are standard, and custom designs are
also an option. Dobla research shows that
consumers are willing to spend significantly
more for a cookie topped with chocolate
and a unique image or message.

a rapid pace in our customer base, and we
are happy to meet their creative demands,"
she says.
Docherty says consumers are looking for a
cookie that's fresh, looks delicious and tastes
great. Brill's cookies, when baked, provide
the authentic, homestyle appearance that
shoppers prefer. Brill also separates itself
from the pack, he says, through the use of
an exclusive chocolate chip formulation that
delivers a unique, premium flavor.
As with other food industries, Brill has seen
consumers become more concerned about
what they eat, Docherty says. Over three‐
fourths of consumers indicate that a simple
ingredient statement is important, and more
than half choose products with fewer processed ingredients. To help its customers
address this need, Brill has expanded its
cookie repertoire to include Simplicious Everyday Cookies, which contain no high-fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors or colors.
The line includes Brill's most popular cookie
varieties and also comes in a higher-end version, Simplicious Premium cookies, which
are made without bleached flour.

Toppers are currently Dobla's main focus
when it comes to cookies, Kate says. "It
gives a premium look to an everyday product with minimal labor that achieves consistency and enhances the consumer's overall experience. By pairing a cookie with a
Dobla's Topper, you take an everyday item
and give it an unparalleled visual appeal that
quite frankly makes a cookie irresistible."
In their brief time on the market, Toppers
have already evolved, through a close collaborative working process between Dobla and
its customers, Kate says. "Over time we've
worked on getting the chocolate compound
formula just right in flavor and texture,"

Photo: Brill

Dobla's Cookie Toppers can save labor and
increase margins. Photo: Dobla

"The Simplicious line allows retailers to
clean up their everyday cookie offerings or
provide a clean‐label option in addition to
their current offering," Docherty says.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Instore - June 2018