***Appended with new content 11-25-2015
The Holidays are just around the corner and baked good sales are beginning to rise! From holiday cookies, to apple pies, pumpkin pies, and anything and everything pumpkin related, there’s no shortage of things to buy in the bakery section of your local grocery store! Some grocery chains like the southeastern Publix stores, Walmart, and Trader Joe’s are looking to get people back into their kitchen and making their own baked goods with specialty recipes, made with ingredients purchased from their stores of course.
So how can you keep your local bakery full of customers this fall and not in their kitchens spending more money on ingredients than necessary? Take a page or two from Trader Joe’s whimsical Fearless Flyer! It’s fashionable design (in that new old-fashioned sense) strikes customers as trendy, unique, and not to mention a far cry from the same old cookie cutter type ads that have shown up in Sunday papers for as long as anyone can remember. An eye-catching flyer might be just what your business needs to get more people in the door this fall and winter season!
Pictures of your scrumptious and made to perfection baked goods (not to mention maybe a coupon or two) is just the thing you need! After all, it’s easy to see some super delicious looking treat either on TV, or in a magazine but to actually make it is an entirely different thing altogether and not often as fast and easy as your prospective customers may think. Not to mention it’s extremely rare for something to come out looking as good as something seen on Pinterest, a food blog, or a magazine!
Ultimately, offering your neighborhood the convenience of fresh baked good without the hassle will be most appreciated when everyone is feeling the pressure this holiday season. Use a fun but still professional looking flyer to get them in the door and then let your employees handle the rest!***
Crafting sweet pastries and mouth-watering breads is a year-round task. However, bakeries located in big cities and tourist destinations both experience higher levels of traffic during the spring and summer. The Name Tag Wizard himself seldom brings donuts into the office for everyone, but once in a while he feels particularly generous, and we get to reap the rewards. But as the weather gets nicer, people tend to want to spend more time outdoors enjoying a tasty snack or two, and we here at Name Tag Wizard are no different. With that being said, Spring is the perfect time for making a few changes in your bakery for improved sales! These five tactics are all affordable and easy to implement in just a week or two which will leave you and your employees with plenty of time to enjoy the rush!
Work On Alternative Options
With food allergies on the rise and many people pursuing alternative diets, it’s a good time for expanding your menu to reach a broader audience. Start out with a few gluten-free ideas, even if you can’t convert your entire kitchen over to a completely allergen-free environment. Consider some vegan products that don’t use any animal byproducts, or breads made with minimal ingredients for customers that react to flavoring additives and dough conditioners.
Add Name Tags
It’s always smart to polish up the professionalism of your bakery and the crew running it. Start with name tags for all your employees so your customers know who to address when placing a custom order. For a touch of charm, pick one of our bakery name tag designs that features a bread loaf icon to match your bakery’s theme. Dozens of color options help you pair the name tags with the uniforms your employees usually wear.
Standardize Your Labeling
Once you start adding vegan or low-sugar muffins to your sales case, you’ll need to differentiate between these new products and the other options. Try taking some time to standardize your approach to labeling products in the bakery. From identification cards in the bakery case to prices listed on board signs, you need to update the information across the board to reflect your changes. Be sure to update your employees on what the new signs say as well to avoid mistakes at the counter or checkout lane.
Spice Up The Displays
Blooming flowers and budding leaves make for great displays, both inside the cold cases and in the windows of your bakery. Draw attention to your business with the power of nature’s beauty. Even the Name Tag Wizard can appreciate a cute daffodil or delicate orchid, even when he won’t admit it. Edible flowers also attract attention during the spring and early summer months. Topping cupcakes with violets or rose petals is a fun way to brighten up your products.
Expand Your Advertising
After taking the time to make these changes in your bakery, let the community know with an advertising campaign. There’s no point in changing menu items or sprucing up your employees when no new customers drop by to appreciate your hard work. A single ad in a local newspaper or magazine is enough to get the ball rolling with attracting new traffic. Your customers will quickly become regulars as they get to know your friendly team and enjoy your tasty treats.