World-class supermarkets showcase in-store bakery departments

By Carol Meres Kroskey, baker-editor

Contents
Investment in training pays off
Proper merchandising makes a strong visual impact
European pastries set bakeries apart

In-store bakeries have the same problem finding good help as independent retailers do. To make things more complicated, 24-hour supermarkets must have an appealing display of products for all their customers, regardless of what time they choose to shop. Thanks to judicious product selection and an emphasis on quality, Marsh Supermarkets wow customers while keeping the in-store bakery departments profitable.

At one time, Marsh's in-store bakeries did much of their own baking, says vice president of foodservice, deli and bakery operations, Gianfranco Di Carlo. "But the skilled labor is disappearing," he says, "and it's difficult to find any bakers who have in-depth training. So we decided to outsource the best products we could find, and bring the highest quality to our customers in our bakeries." As a result, while most of the Marsh in-store bakeries do some baking, Di Carlo notes that, on average, about 70% of the products arrive already made up. For example, many of the breads come in frozen and just require proofing and baking, while other bread products are parbaked, and just need a few more minutes in the oven to reach their peak.

"It's expensive to bake on the premises," Di Carlo says. "By eliminating the need to buy mixers, sheeters and other equipment, we were able to cut down on the capital needed for each new bakery we open. And we're able to keep products consistent from store to store. For the products that are made in the bakeries, we've developed an extensive training program backed up by videotaped and written materials to ensure the quality of our finished products."

Investment in training pays off
Di Carlo is assisted by a corporate team that oversees the day-to-day operations in the individual bakeries. While he is responsible for seeking out and evaluating products for possible inclusion in the stores, category manager Mary Hillen and field merchandising specialists Helen Farrar and Connie Jordan make sure the bakeries execute the corporate vision. For example, Di Carlo explains, "we have a minimum standard assortment that each store must carry. Certain breads and cakes are basics in the bakeries. But Helen and Connie and their staff of merchandisers constantly evaluate each store to see what additional items they should carry to serve their neighborhoods. It's an ongoing process, because the neighborhoods around the stores keep changing."

For example, Di Carlo recently decided to offer tres leches cakes in the bakeries. While the cake is a Mexican specialty, Di Carlo is confident that it won't stay an ethnic item. The cake, which starts with a lean sponge layer that is drenched with a rich mixture of cream, milk and condensed milk, is purchased already prepared.

Another recent addition was a line of parbaked artisan breads that will be merchandised under that bakery's brand name. To help in-store bakers keep up with new products and to ensure they're made and merchandised to best advantage in each bakery, Di Carlo and his team prepare training materials before the products are rolled out.

Often, a supplier is invited to talk about the product, explain the finer points of production and display, and provide troubleshooting tips, with visual aids to back up all the explanations. Typically, the tapes don't run any longer than 20 minutes, and are left in the store to act as reference materials for new hires and as refreshers for other employees.

The videotapes are filmed at Marsh's headquarters, where a fully equipped studio allows the tapes to be edited and duplicated for all 70 of the Marsh stores. The bakery department sends out a videotape bimonthly. When there are no new products to be introduced, the topic intead might be a detailed explanation of flower-making for cake decorations, a close look at how to maintain a particular piece of equipment, or a demonstration on how to put together an effective product display. "We want the message to be consistent to all the stores," says Di Carlo, "and we've found that today's employees learn better when they see a visual presentation. Of course, we also follow up with written materials. For example, our cake manuals show a picture of a finished cake, explain how to assemble the cake, and show the potential profitability for each variety."

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Proper merchandising makes a strong visual impact
Customers entering a Marsh Supermarket are greeted with a riot of color that appeals to the senses. The bakery department, which can occupy from 2,000 sq. ft. to as much as 3,000 sq. ft. in new Marsh stores, is especially impressive because of the nature of the displays. For example, a wall of fresh breads highlights the selection of crusty French and Italian loaves, as well as the hand-shaped artisan breads in a large variety of shapes and sizes. Another wall of self-service donuts and pastries, next to an extensive display of fresh bagels means a customer doesn't have to repeat a breakfast selection for months. Meanwhile, individual displays highlight Marsh's gourmet pie program, as well as its selection of cakes and pastries decorated with fresh fruits. Other display cases highlight a tempting array of European tortes and pastries, while a cake-decorating station shows off the skills of the employees who fill the special orders.

The visual impact is no accident. Each of the stores follows a planogram carefully assembled by the bakery merchandising team. And, to keep the displays fresh, Helen and Connie review the planograms on a constant basis, resetting individual stores when necessary to refresh the displays and to generate new sales.

Merchandising and packaging also are under constant review. "When we introduced focaccia, it took a while to take off," says Di Carlo. "First, we used the standard amount of topping, but the product sold slowly. But we upgraded the focaccias by increasing the amount of toppings, and as a result, product movement more than doubled. Usually, we give a new product about six months to allow customers to familiarize themselves with it. But, if it doesn't take off, we'll take the product out of the stores, and plan to reintroduce it in the future. Sometimes, we're just ahead of the times, and we have to recognize that."

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European pastries set bakeries apart
Specialty pastries aren't part of the basic assortment each Marsh bakery stocks. Instead, about 25% of the Marsh stores—especially the "new generation" stores that represent the future direction Marsh supermarkets will follow—feature showcases full of items like mousse cakes, tira misu and a variety of individual French pastries. Says pastry chef Pierre Giacometti, "In many stores, there's a place for upscale pastries. Now, each of the bakeries that carries these kinds of pastries has its own pastry chef. The pastry specialties are supplemented by product purchased from other bakery suppliers."

Surprisingly, the Marsh bakeries don't really bring in a lot of seasonal products. "When it makes sense, we bring in products that are unique, high quality and suitable to the Marsh customers," says Di Carlo. "Because we already have large variety of different items that customers can choose from, there's not much need to supplement them."

Tempting variety, smooth operations, profitable sales—it seems as if Marsh Supermarkets' bakeries have struck the right balance between production and merchandising, thanks to teamwork and training.

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Carol Meres Kroskey, baker-editor at Bakery Online, is the award-winning, former senior baker editor of Bakery Production and Marketing magazine. Her baking experience includes stints at various retail, hotel and supermarket bakeries as baker and pastry cook. She also spent several years as an experimental baking technician for the American Institute of Baking and as a test baker at The Long Co., a co-op for independent wholesale bakers. Carol can be reached at carol.kroskey@prodigy.net