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Tesco mixes things up when it comes to bakeries. In the past few months it has unveiled a new in-store bakery concept, removed the pouches from its ISB bread and launched a range of NPDs including Biscuit Cakes and Scandi-style Cinnamon Buns.
With all this change, British baker caught up with in-store bakery buying managers Amanda Hart and Nicola Jamieson to find out what the retailer’s strategy is for bakeries.
Hart and Jamieson share the role of category buying manager at Tesco, with Jamieson working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while Hart works Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
“Job sharing is not yet a ‘normal’ way of working in the baking industry or retail and I’m really proud of the fact that both Nicola and I have been doing this for a year at ISB, supported by Tesco,” Hart explains.
How would you summarize Tesco’s in-store bakery strategy?
Amanda Hart (AH): Our in-store bakery strategy is all about delivering exceptional quality to customers. We have recently invested in quality in a number of products, one of the best examples being our croissants, which now have a higher butter content and 24 layers of crispy dough, which gives a light buttery taste that melts in your mouth.
How does the new concept fit into this?
Nicola Jamison (New Jersey): The new concept is the amalgamation of a new layout, in-store presentation and packaging design and a range of new products that we are trialling in just six trial stores, all underpinned by our focus on quality.
Based on customer research, we completely changed the flow in these sample stores and separated the fixtures into the three areas: Tea Time Treats, Signature Bakes and Everyday Favorites. Only in trial stores this terminology is used in the POS store. The new layout and design helps our customers find what they are looking for and showcases our trial products alongside our most innovative products like Cookie Cakes.
What are consumers looking for from ISB and how does Tesco achieve this?
AH: Quite simply, innovation, quality and value. That is why we have brought together our best and premium confectionery and bakery products in our sample stores under our Signature Bakes banner to showcase the new product innovation we have developed for customers.
However, it’s not just Finest that has seen this investment in quality – we’ve been working very hard with our supplier partners in other areas such as cakes and donuts – products that customers expect to taste fantastic, yet offer great everyday value.
Tell me about some of the notable new products in this channel for Tesco.
AH: There are so many products we are proud of. We’re particularly proud of our new range of specialty breads, which took over a year to go from concept to shelves in our six trial stores.
My personal favorite is the new seeded sourdough, which is larger than the current standard and has significantly more seeds, making it not only a great source of dietary fiber, but also imparts a warm, almost nutty flavor. It’s perfect for toasting and serving with butter or dipping into tomato soup when the weather gets colder.
What are your key areas of focus for the coming year?
New Jersey: Our focus for now and longer term is on quality, innovation and value because we know that’s important to our customers, and our experienced team has an exciting range of product and packaging enhancements planned for next year.
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