Instore - July 2018 - 51

merchandising

Flavor variety is also key for Buffalo, New York-based Rich Products
Corp. and its instore dessert cake program, says Krista Corigliano, the
company's marketing manager for instore bakery desserts. "Carrot,
red velvet, cookies 'n crème and traditional chocolate are always top
sellers," she says. "Size is important, too - we know consumers like to
have options, so we offer everything from single-serve cake slices and
mini bundt cakes to larger 8 in double layer cakes."
Instore bakeries are definitely seeing an increase in individual dessert
sales, Corigliano says. Five in. cakes and individual cake slices are two
examples from the dessert cake category.
Richmond, California-based Galaxy Desserts, part of the France-based
Brioche Pasquier family of baking companies, also has capitalized on
the single-serve trend.
Master pastry chef Jean-Yves Charon, Galaxy's co-founder, has taken
several dessert classics and turned them into refrigerated single-serve
items for instore bakeries. Chocolate Lava Cake, New York Cheesecake
and Amaretto Cheesecake are among the company's big instore sellers,
Charon says, and demand is only headed up.

Chocolate cakes, always popular, will
get a twist from exotic spices like
Espelette peppers.
"We're doing more and more of that every year," he says. "That's where
the repeat business is at. What works well in instore is refrigerated
grab 'n go."
Also on the cake side, Galaxy sells a full line of mousse cakes:
Chocolate Truffle Marquise, Triple Mousse, Chocolate Grand Teton,
Royale, Four Seasons, Cappuccino and Tiramisu.
When it comes to trends, expect to see more gluten-free and vegan
versions of dessert cakes in instore bakeries in the near future, Charon
says. On the ingredient side, matcha should continue to be a dominant
force for some time, he says. And chocolate cakes, always popular, will
get a twist from exotic spices like Espelette peppers.
Despite all the doom-and-gloom about the fate of brick-and-mortar
grocery, Charon is optimistic about the future of the instore bakery.
And other parts of the store should show their gratitude - it's the
instore bakery, he says, that often draws people into the store in the
first place.

Similarly, stores that crossmerchandise instore items with
items in other parts of the grocery
stand a lot to gain, Charon, and
it's a trend that's only growing.
Pairing instore dessert cakes and
other sweet baked goods with
Champagne and wine is one good
example among many, he says.

Cheesecakes...and beyond
When "cheesecake" is one of the words in your company name,
it's pretty obvious what your specialty is. But Chicago-based Eli's
Cheesecake Co. makes a variety of other baked goods for sale in instore
delis, including dessert cakes, says Debbie Littmann Marchok, the
company's vice president of marketing.
Basically, if Eli's retailer partner wants a dessert cake or other noncheesecake option, Eli's will do everything it can to make it happen.
"We work with the instore bakery to create a program with products
that work for both their bakery team and consumers," Marchok says.
Eli's markets its instore cheesecakes, dessert cakes and other items in
both domes and single-serve containers, Marchok says. Where product
is marketed is constantly evolving, she says, but the trend toward grab
'n go is definitely hot.
"The number of SKUs and volume move around the bakery and
participate in different product categories or the same categories with
different sizes," Marchok says. " For example, Eli's White Chocolate
Raspberry Cheesecake traditionally sold by the slice in the service
case can be seen packaged on-premise in a clamshell and sold in the
retailer's refrigerator self-service case. We are continually introducing
new products and refreshing product selection to meet the needs of
the consumers."
Among those new products are several that cater to current consumer
trends. Eli's new single-serve Vegan Belgian Chocolate Cheesecake
and gluten-free Double Marshmallow Crispy Bar meet dietary needs,
and Pumpkin Tart (made with Stahlbush Island Farms pumpkin) and
Florentine Honey Almond Bar (made with honey from the Chicago
High School for Agricultural Sciences) cater to those looking for local.
Also new at Eli's: a retro Chocolate Lava Cake and a Gooey Butter Cake
for those craving nostalgia and comfort foods; and a Cookie Butter
Cheesecake to capitalize on the cookie butter trend.
In addition to keeping up with trends, Eli's also stands out for its
commitment to quality, Marchok says. "Eli's offers something different

instore * JULY 2018 * 51

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