Rising to the Challenge

Checking Out Savoury and Sweet Trends

By Karen Barr

For many grocery shoppers, the deli and bakery are more than convenient stops along the way to the checkout. Instead, each department is a destination. The aroma of freshly baked bread draws the customer closer. Ready-to-go deli foods encourage customers to grab the breakfast they missed at home this morning, or a lunch away from the office.

What’s trending when it comes to deli and bakery items? How can these items be merchandised for maximum shopper appeal?

On the Savoury Side

“We like to buy local and support local not only in our deli, but throughout the stores,” says Mike Wadsworth, deli specialist for Country Grocers, with 11 locations on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Wadsworth says the grab-and-go section is filled with comfort foods like lasagna, cabbage rolls, perogies and curries. “We have a successful sandwich program in store that customers really love. Some of the breakfast sandwiches include bacon and egg or sausage and egg. Plans to expand the panini program are underway, and top sellers right now include roast beef and triple cheese with ham. Another popular sandwich is the turkey and Havarti croissant.”

For more than 65 years, Brandt Meats has been proudly creating artisan-quality deli meats in the European tradition. It all started in 1958 when Gerhard and Ida Brandt began crafting their traditional sausages and deli meat products in Canada. “Our top three selling items at Brandt are our Kolbassa lineup, including our Original, Extra Lean and Turkey; our Black Forest Ham; and Salami, both the German and Hungarian,” says Melissa Brandt, vice president of sales and marketing at Brandt Meats, in Mississauga, Ontario.

A classic European favourite, the Kolbassa is crafted from lean cuts of ham and seasoned with a blend of garlic, pepper and select spices. Next, it is naturally hardwood smoked for a rich, traditional flavour. The Extra Lean version contains extra-lean ham, while the Turkey is made using select lean turkey. Brandt Meats’ Black Forest Ham is crafted from naturally hardwood-smoked select ham. The German and Hungarian Salamis are made by blending seasoned beef and pork, then dry-curing and naturally hardwood-smoking. The German variety uses an original family recipe from 1958.

When it comes to deli favourites, Ritesh Patel, Director of Operations at Elman’s Food Products Ltd in Winnipeg, Manitoba, says. “Pickles remain the heart of Elman’s business. Our whole garlic dill pickles and various cuts remain among our most successful items because they deliver the classic deli experience customers expect—crunch, garlic, and balanced flavour. Our unpasteurized sauerkraut, which is rich in probiotics and fibre, is also performing exceptionally well. We’ve also seen a resurgence in traditional deli products like pickled eggs, horseradish, and pickled herring as consumers seek authentic, familiar flavours.”

When it comes to sandwiches, Patel says, “The pickle is often one of the most overlooked components of a sandwich. While the focus is usually on meat, sauces, and bread, the pickle provides the essential contrast that prevents a sandwich from tasting flat. A good pickle resets the palate. Whether paired with smoked meat, fried chicken, brisket, or a rich cheese sandwich, its acidity and crunch keep every bite as enjoyable as the first. Without this balance, even a well-crafted sandwich can feel heavy.”

Onward to salads, another hit at Country Grocer. Some of the top sellers Wadsworth points to include classics like Greek or Caesar, but Santa Fe chicken salad and the Thai sesame salad are equally enjoyed.

Michael Meyers, merchandising lead at Country Grocer, talks about deli merchandising. “We place the cheeses in the cheese boat open coolers, and there are displays on top to give customers an idea of how to pair them with other foods. We’ll showcase various jellies, jams and breads to go with.”

“Cheese is an expanding category for us, especially global and artisanal cheeses,” says Meyers. “We’ve added about 15 new varieties. It’s a mix of everything from grass-fed cheeses from New Zealand to cheese shaped like various fruits such as pears. The deli also has three new types of Mexican quesos, which customers like.”

Colour and packaging design is everything. “I’m always drawn toward colour, especially for deli, to add vibrancy to displays holding meat and cheese. Graphics make a huge difference too. I might have three colourful boxes of crackers facing front, above a cheese display, with enough room for a fourth box turned sideways. The graphics on the side of the box need to be just as exciting as the front to make the display work.”

The deli has recently been rejuvenated with wooden pallets, white bowls, and rectangular white plates. Meyers says, “We decided to go for a more earthy farm-to-table look. The white colour makes everything look clean and refreshed.”

As for tricks of the trade, Meyers says the old merchandise adage, “pile them high and watch them fly,” works. He implements risers to achieve this look. “We bought new, wooden slanted risers so that even if displays are only two products high, the upward tilt makes the display look more abundant.”

Wadsworth is exceptionally proud of the company’s in-house sushi program. “We have California rolls, and tempura rolls, but the Tofino smoked salmon rolls are a top hit. Even customers that have never been keen on sushi before, like me, shop for this variety of sushi.”

From Bread to Sweet Treats

What’s trending in the bakery? OK Frozen Dough, in Spallumcheen, British Columbia, uses Prairie wheat from Okanagan Valley neighbour Roger’s Mill, just down the street, to make quality SRS-certified bread and bun doughs. “We sell wholesale to bakery customers who proof and bake—or at least finish and bake—the products in-store before choosing their own packaging and merchandising approach,” says Channce Fuller, CEO, at OK Frozen Dough.

Starting in 1994, with just two pieces of equipment, the product lineup today includes bread doughs, categorized into white, whole wheat, crusty breads, rye breads, variety breads, and dessert breads. Bun doughs include crusty rolls, soft rolls and buns, variety rolls, submarine buns and bagels.

“Our grocery customers are looking for products that help differentiate them from their competitors. Beyond the core, everyday SKUs, they’re looking for unique items that give consumers a reason to choose their bakery over others. Having something different or exclusive is becoming increasingly important. From a product selection perspective, the biggest trends we’re seeing right now are variety, premium offerings, and fibre.”

For new customers, Fuller suggests starting with the top 10 SKUs in the OKFrozen Dough lineup. “These are our highest-volume products. Since these tend to be the more traditional offerings, we also encourage rounding out the assortment with a few specialty items. For breads, we suggest carrying staples such as white bread, whole wheat bread, multigrain bread, rye bread, and French bread. From there, adding specialty products like cheese bread and cinnamon raisin bread helps create a more complete and appealing selection.”

The same philosophy applies to buns. Fuller says, “We recommend carrying core items such as hot dog buns, hamburger buns, Kaiser buns, dinner buns, Portuguese buns, Vienna rolls, and our other consistently high-volume SKUs. Grocery store customers can then complement those with seasonal or specialty offerings, such as Hot Cross Buns and golden sweet rolls.”

And then there are newer products. “Our pizza dough is most used by bakery departments for making fresh pizzas, whether in-store as part of a bakery or prepared foods program. Many retailers also sell individual dough balls for customers to take home for a homemade pizza night. One interesting trend we’re seeing is customers using pizza dough for other applications. It’s becoming increasingly popular for making calzones. In contrast, others cut the dough into strips to create fresh breadsticks, finishing them with garlic butter, parmesan, or even cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat.”

OK Frozen Dough’s new cookies and scones have been receiving exceptional feedback. “Our top-selling cookie varieties are the classics. Chocolate chip, peanut butter chip and oatmeal raisin,” says Fuller. “Very close behind are our seasonal favourites, such as the white chocolate pumpkin spice cookie. On the scone side, it’s hard to compete with our cinnamon chip scone. It consistently outsells every other flavour we make in that category.”

Fuller says, from a premium standpoint, demand continues for higher-end products and premium formats. “Consumers appear willing to pay more when they perceive added value through quality, ingredients, or presentation. And they may be paying for the experience as much as the product itself.”

On to merchandising. Meyers says the grab-and-go glass cases in the bakery at the Country Grocer locations now have contemporary chrome and wire racks as an eye-catching refresh. “We use a lot of nesting tables for bakery displays, and bakery racks for the fresh-baked appeal. The bakery is one of the areas we like to incorporate flowers from our floral department to add pops of colour. Home décor also works well here, like rows of cookie jars above cookie selections.”

Meyers and the team really enjoy bakery cross-merchandising. “We’ll put blueberry pies in the produce department beside containers of fresh blueberries. At checkout, we sell a lot of impulse items, like candy, as other grocery stores do. But we wanted to add some alternatives. We change it up with fruit, a six-pack of homemade cookies, or a four-pack of muffins.”

Together, the deli and bakery departments offer grocery retailers an opportunity to deliver something shoppers can’t get from a shopping list alone. It’s about the experience of enjoying convenience, inspiration and engaging the senses. From prepared meals, fresh-baked products and indulgent treats, these departments can turn everyday grocery shopping trips into reasons to explore and, ultimately, reasons to come back.