Why limited time baked goods can create a buzz for your business

FOMO (fear of missing out) is real, and it’s a principle you can use to your advantage if you’re looking to boost baked good sales. Producing limited time or volume products and creating a sense of urgency and scarcity drives consumers to act before it’s too late.

There’s even science behind it. The scarcity principle, created by Dr Robert Cialdini, states that the rarer a product, or the harder it is to get hold of, the more valuable it becomes. As consumers, we don’t want to miss out, so we’ll go out of our way to make sure we get to try that on-trend cake or cookie everyone’s talking about.

Expectation can be good as the experience itself

The first pumpkin spiced latte of the season, the first of many mince pies – seasonal bakes bring expectation, tradition and comfort into consumers’ lives in even the smallest of moments. So, it’s important to preview limited time goods well ahead of their launch to build excitement and anticipation.

So much of seasonal shopping is about sharing the experience with friends and family, so if your Easter, Halloween or wholesale Christmas cakes and cookies look great too, all the better. Adding seasonal ingredients, toppings and visual interest makes even the most common cake instantly more Instagrammable.

 

Try before you buy (your stock in)

If you’ve got an established range but want to experiment with new flavours and formats of baked goods, limited time ranges can be a great way to see what works without committing to bulk or ongoing orders. You might want to try a handful of new flavours in a format you know your customers love – say traybakes, loaf cakes or muffins – and stock them all simultaneously to see what sells best.

You might want to introduce the best seller into your permanent range, or continue to switch flavours in and out, if you find your customers respond best to revolving newness.

But don’t forget the old favourites

Limited time baked goods are great for driving interest and repeat custom, but it’s important to keep some old favourites in stock too. Many customers want the comfort and security of a cake, cookie or muffin they know they love, so finding the right balance of continuity and newness in your baked goods range is key.

You can’t beat a good chocolate brownie, a luscious lemon drizzle loaf cake, chewy chocolate cookies and buttery flapjacks. If you want to add some newness without deviating too far from the flavours you know your customers love, why not try twists on classics for seasonal newness instead? Think mince pie cookies for Christmas, muffins infused with pumpkin spice for Halloween or lemon and white chocolate loaf cake for spring.

Want to explore how limited time baked goods can help grow your sales? Queensland Bakery Company can help you with fresh, thaw and serve and pre-wrapped cakes, cookies and traybakes in a range of sizes, formats and flavours. Get in touch to see how we could support your business.