Bakery ingredients supplier Puratos has gained new consumer insights which it hopes to share with manufacturers in order to help them fill the gaps in the bakery offerings of the major retailers.
A survey carried out by the ingredients company has revealed how consumers categorise bakery products and what needs drive their purchases.
Puratos supplies baking and confectionery ingredients mainly to in-store bakeries as well as small-scale bakeries and craft producers. But it hopes to use the new research to forge partnership with some of large bread and cake manufacturers.
It discovered typical purchase drivers for bread and cake products include: the desire to have show-off products when friends come round, to have indulgence products as treats, sharing products for family bonding, and products that offer functionality and convenience.
The research also showed that consumers categorise breads into: crusty treat breads, wholesome breads, rolls, bread to share, sliced bread and emergency bread. Cakes, meanwhile, were categorised into: muffins or buns, naughty but nice cakes, everyday cakes, indulgence whole cakes and celebration cakes.
By plotting a retailer's current product lines on top of a plan of the consumers needs (as discovered in the research), any gaps in the product range can be quickly be identified.
Md Michael Thomas says: "There is a category approach being driven by the retailers and by looking at their range and asking what haven't they got in their offering, we can help them and manufacturers as well."
Puratos hopes to work with third party manufacturers, supplying ingredients for the new products that will fulfil the needs of the retailers.