It can be rather tough for sweet goods products these days. The huge movement to better-for-you items hasn’t exactly been good news and a smooth fairway for this category. But bakers and manufacturers of sweet goods, snack cakes and other delectable treats are watching the demands just as closely as producers in other bakery market segments, and heeding the calls.
John Rzeszut, senior brand manager at Dawn Food Products Inc. in Jackson, Mich., admits that the packaged sweet bakery category has definitely been stuck in a bunker from so many economic challenges affecting the broader grocery industry. “We see this being manifested in two ways: In the form of pricing actions across most segments; and through more aggressive stock-keeping unit (SKU) rationalization of underperforming items,” Rzeszut says. “As a result of the economy, consumers are demanding greater quality and value from the purchases. That’s one of the main reasons we relaunched our Weight Watchers muffins with improved formulations and a higher piece count (four muffins versus three previously) for the same price in-store.”