Running a successful bakery operation requires much more than simply placing your baked goods in baskets, shelves, and wooden racks. A bakery operator must draw customers into their store through the use of creative and eye-catching displays, get them to spend more with the right cross-marketing, and provide the right products and level of service to keep them coming back time and time again. This article will help bakery operators engage all five of their customers’ senses, which will result in more customers, more impulse sales, and more repeat business.
1. Do your research
The best way to serve your customers is to know what they want. You need to communicate. Talk to your customers, take a survey, take an online survey, create a message board on your website or Facebook or Twitter account, or other social media tools. Ask them what they think of your products, what else they would like you to offer, what you could be doing better, whether or not your staff are providing the best service. It is also important to research your competition to always be one step ahead of them. Selling the right mix of products will ensure all of your customers are happy and keep coming back for more.
2. Create an Eye-Catching Display at the Store Front
A bakery window display is the most important key to attracting customers to the store. The window should present a truly eye-catching display that can be seen from afar and from all angles. If necessary, hire a professional display or window dresser to create something magnificent. Showcase your best sellers and the most visually appealing items. Consider using artificial foods instead of real items to prevent mold or stale items, or if your store window is too hot or too cold. Also consider using items typically used for baking, such as large sacks of flour, rolling pints, sheaves of wheat, and other accessories, as these will help convey the idea that your bakery makes everything from scratch.
3. Don’t forget the interior
Inside the bakery, use only the freshest ingredients and food on your displays. Display bakery items like bagels, baguettes, cookies, and dessert bars using unique plates, platters, and rattan baskets set at different heights and depths. This can be achieved by using accessories such as wooden boxes, metal cans, two, three or four level plates or risers. Use fresh fruits, fresh and dried flowers, plus ears of wheat and corn to add to your displays. Tilt the shelves of your wooden display cases to give customers a better view of breads, pastries and other items. Make your products visible from all angles and make sure your displays are changed at least every 10 days.
4. Add bright colors
One of the most important factors in the marketing of baked goods is the use of color. Since most breads and cakes tend to have the same shades of beige and brown, more colors need to be infused. This can be achieved by interspersing your colorful cakes and cookies, as well as selling other items such as sweets and confectionery. Bowls of fresh fruits and vegetables can also add more vitality to your operation.
5. Keep Them Stocked
There’s nothing more depressing than walking into a bakery with a few items on the display case and a lone bun or two dumped in a bin. Make sure your bakery is fully stocked at all times, and as you start to sell products, consider combining existing products into one or two baskets so that the baskets always look full. Make sure you have all your best sellers and customer favorites in stock at all times.
6. Have fun with cross-merch
Cross-marketing is a marketing method that helps build momentum and additional sales. Whether your bakery is a standalone operation or located in a grocery store, much can be done to market and sell your bakery items with other relevant products. Show specialty breads marketed with the ingredients used to make the bread. Display fresh herbs near your herb breads. Sell cans of soup next to sourdough breads, candles and cake lifters next to cakes, bottles of olive oil and vinegar next to your focaccia, or lox and cream cheese next to bagels. Coffee is also a great cross-market item for baked goods. The possibilities are endless and the end result is increased sales.
7. Use samples and scent marketing
A bakery has a great advantage over other businesses in that the smell of freshly baked bread or freshly baked cookies is so powerful that it can instantly attract unsuspecting customers. Put a fan in your kitchen to bring the aromas from your kitchen into your store, keep the front doors open so the aromas reach the streets, or pump the aroma through your exhaust so the aromas can be smelled for miles .
Give out free samples of your products so customers have a chance to try your delicious products. It’s a great way to oversell products or showcase new products to your customers.
