**Originally appeared on Kraft Heinz Away From Home**
As the bakery landscape changes, so does the way in which manufacturers need to service bakeries better. In order to help manufacturers make more informed, strategic decisions, the Internal Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) surveyed 1,200 independent bakeries on their purchase behaviors.
This research, summarized below, provides new insights into the mindset, sourcing behaviors, and purchase considerations of modern bakeries.
The #1 motivator for bakery decision-making should come as no surprise: customer satisfaction. Providing what customers want is the foundation and primary motivator of all bakery decision-making.
Following customer satisfaction, there are five additional primary motivators for driving business forward:
- Having the best staff
- Having loyal customers
- Maximizing profit margins
- Driving customer traffic
- Using highest quality products
These motivators are essential to virtually any bakery, but with so many manufacturers targeting these areas, it’s important for manufacturers to create a specific message unique to their target bakeries and distinguish themselves from the pack.
What Drives Brand Appeal?
There’s a clear hierarchy of product tier preference among bakeries. 54% of bakeries prefer premium products, while 39% prefer average-tier products. It’s important to note that, super premium and budget-tired products are outliers, used only by 7% of bakeries cumulatively.
These figures are in line with the primary driver among all bakery types, namely ‘exceptional quality standards’. But beyond general appeal, generating specific messaging based on the factors that are more important to your target bakeries can produce more positive results.
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