Convenience for both consumer and baker

The market for convenience products keeps growing. But convenience for the consumer does not always mean convenience for the baker. Yet you can benefit from this lucrative market too. You just need to think and act differently.

From pizza slices to sandwiches: everything we eat as we go, outside the traditional mealtimes, is classed as convenience food. This market has been expanding for years. At many petrol stations, for example, sales of convenience food are accounting for an increasing  proportion of sales. Predictions suggest that this market will double in the next ten years (source: Datamonitor). A lost opportunity if you fail to cash in on this.

Features of convenience products

But how can you get a piece of the pie in this growth market? You must first be aware of what constitutes a convenience product: the right product at the right place at the right time. If someone feels hungry at work or en route somewhere, this hunger must be stilled straight away with something tasty. The price doesn’t really matter; people will readily pay more for a quality sandwich.

Out-of-the-shop

How can you get your convenience products close to where they are wanted? After all, your shop restricts you to a particular location. Whilst convenience food is often eaten outside, at different places. That calls for you to literally think out-of-the-shop. One possibility is to visit business parks, schools or events, for example, with a mobile facility. Ask your local authority about any licences you might require.

Profile your business

Another possibility is to supply your bread to a lunchroom or sandwich bar that is at the right location. For them, the cost of the bread is just a small percentage of the total cost price. Therefore, such firms often don’t worry about paying that bit extra for quality rolls from the baker. This is also an opportunity for you to profile your business. For example with a notice in a lunchroom: ‘Our rolls are supplied by baker…’ In this way, you use the name of your company as a brand.

Limited range

Are you already at the right location and do you already sell sandwiches? Then perhaps you  could take a critical look at your range. According to the ‘Voedingscentrum’ (nutrition centre), consumers pay great heed to hygiene and freshness when buying food. A choice of up to twenty different kinds of sandwich makes them think: so many, they can’t possibly be fresh. You should therefore limit yourself to the top three sellers; they often constitute eighty percent of your turnover. Add one or two seasonal items. Then make sure that these sandwiches are presented exquisitely.

There are also opportunities for you in the sort of product you supply. For the traditional evening meal, consumers often want to make something themselves, but keep the cooking side simple. You can meet this need. For instance by selling focaccia or pizza packs, with ready-made bases, tomato purée and grated cheese.  

Vikorn There are also opportunities for you in supplying tasty, well-balanced products. Research by the Dutch ‘Voedingscentrum’ has revealed that many people (72%) who buy convenience food worry about the shortage of vitamins. The main thing is that convenience products must be  tasty (67%) and healthy (63%). Use Vikorn, for example, as the basis for your sandwiches and filled rolls.

Finally, you could consider using cards or signs in your shop stating that these products are healthy. Consumers very much need this reassurance with convenience products.