25 Jan 2023
Many things change, but the role of sweet goods, patisserie creations and chocolates on Valentine’s Day is not one of them. February 14th is a fantastic opportunity for bakers, patissiers and chocolatiers to attarct new customers to their business and delight their loyal customer base.
This day is the best excuse for consumers to exchange vast quantities of sweet baked goods, patisserie creations and chocolate items. Everyone is looking for something unique to treat their loved ones.
In recent years, we have seen that Valentine’s Day is no longer just for significant others, with the concept increasingly expanding to friendship groups and family members. What an excellent opportunity to make your business stand out as the go-to place for the delicious heart-warming gifts!
Ahead of this busy period, we prepared 5 tips and tricks to help your turn this Valentine Day’s season into a very successful one:
1. Offer your customers some new and unique Valentine’s Day creations.
Taste Tomorrow consumer research revealed that 59% of consumers agree that beautiful-looking food creations are tastier. Consumers are also increasingly looking for fun, quirky and Instagram-worthy treats for their loved ones on this special day, which means thinking beyond the usual hearts and flowers theme. Delight your customers with unique and creative sweet goods and expect them showing your creations off on social media.
Of course, taste remains the key motivator for consumers when purchasing patisserie and sweet bakery goods. In 2022, 60% of consumers are keen to try a new taste or combination of unusual tastes, which is a small but notable rise from previous years. However, insights also reveal that when trying new types of food 67% of the consumers would like to still have a familiar element in it. Texture is another important factor to take into account here. 2 out of 3 consumers globally would like to try out food with new and different textures.
Therefore, innovation is welcome, but it needs to build upon a strong tradition of artisanal craftsmanship, experience and knowledge to be embraced by consumers.
This season, we want to help you make all consumers happy: the ones that look for familiar classic patisserie creations, the ones that look for permissable indulgance and sweets that are healthier and better-for-you, as well as the sustainability-conscious ones.
2. Online presence to help your customers in finding the best sweet treats
There has been a 70% increase in online purchases of bakery items since last year, according to Taste Tomorrow. This shift, which perhaps started from necessity, has quickly changed into a continuing expectation. 2 out of 5 consumers had already ordered their pastry, cakes or fine patisserie online at least once last year, with a similar number expressing interest in doing so in future. Today like never before, it’s extremely valuable for your business to have an online presence and for you to offer online ordering and delivery services.
Lots of people start online searching for Valentine’s Day gift ideas weeks ahead. 47% of consumers like to get inspired by product offers of local shops they spot online. Don’t miss the chance to promote your beautiful seasonal bakery goods and patisserie creation well in advance! Allowing your customers to place their orders online might as well set you apart from the competition. And for the forgetful, last-minute people and the procrastinators, your social presence might be crucial in helping them find their last-minute Valentine’s gifts.
Looking to start selling online and don’t know where to start? Discover many insightful tips in this article. Also, check out Bakeronline, a technology that allows bakers to create a personalized web shop, making it extremely easy for you to sell your products online.
3. Attract more Valentine’s Day shoppers by decorating your bakery
Seasonal merchandising and decorations are a great way to attract new traffic, drive incremental profits and create an image of a special occasion hot spot. Putting in a little extra effort on the visual display, seasonal decorations and purposeful packaging can pay off big time.
Decorating your store well in advance will also remind your customers to place their orders with you on time. 59% of people look at the visual store/product display before they buy a something.
To help you with store decoration for Valentine’s Day, we’ve prepared some beautiful posters, stickers and much more.
Download store decoration for Valentine’s Day here for FREE:
4. Help make this Valentine’s Day special for consumers
Craftsmanship and personal approach are main motivators for people shopping with artisan bakers, patissiers and chocolatiers. And although more people buy online, 77% of global consumers do not want physical store to disappear. Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to go the extra mile to show how much you care about your customers. Here are some ideas:
- Tie elegant red ribbons around your boxes and add simple Valentine’s tags that can also be used as cards. The last-minute gift-buyers will love and appreciate you for this one.
- Work together with your neighbouring floral shop and explore the possibility of cross-selling you items. Why not offering their flowers for sale in your bakery? With sweets and roses in their hands, your customers will be forever loyal to your shop.
- Share your personal story behind your Valentine’s Day seasonal patisserie and bakery creations. Maybe you can inspire your customers with a romantic story when gifting that sweet baked good to their significant others. At the end, consumers are attracted not only to artisanal craftsmanship, but also to that personal touch.
Need inspiration for Valentine’s Day cards? Download a template we created for you!
5. Add more occasions to celebrate love!
Perhaps the most important relationship in life is the one you have with yourself. Valentine’s Day is not a reason to forget about your single shoppers. Encourage them to be good to themselves on a day they otherwise might dull. Or jump on the trend of Galentine’s day, which is celebrated on February 13: a day for women to celebrate their friendships with their lady friends. This way, you create more opportunities to promote and sell your sweet baked goods.
We hope to have inspired you with some ideas and wish you a great preparation for the upcoming Valentine’s Day. If you have any questions or need support, feel free to reach out to one of our Puratos representatives in your country:
