Rich Products Corp., Buffalo, NY, has created a new lineup of desserts and sweet goods designed to prepare in-store bakeries for the next anticipated wave of consumer demand for pumpkin spice-flavored foods.
Just in time to help its bakery customers get ready for the fall run on everything pumpkin-flavored, the company has developed a portfolio of pumpkin spice-flavored items that includes Jon Donaire Praline Cheesecake, cake doughnuts, cookie dough, fully finished variety cake, uniced cupcakes, Bettercreme Whipped Icing and the Our Specialty Sweet Middles cookies.
“The pumpkin spice flavor long ago transcended its original role in the coffee space,” explains Courtney Erickson, associate marketing manager for customer shopper marketing in Rich’s In-Store Bakery & Deli Division. “With demand for a variety of pumpkin spice-flavored products at an all-time high and continuing to grow, consumers have made it clear they want more from this distinctive taste, especially when it comes to their fall traditions. By infusing popular bakery treats that consumers already know and love with on-trend pumpkin spice flavors, Rich’s is providing in-store bakeries with more opportunities for incremental sales, through this new mix of offerings that have built-in relevance for their key audiences.”
While the market for pumpkin spice products typically hits its peak in the fall, the key selling season each year has been pushing the calendar in both directions, Erickson points out. “Nearly 20 percent of all pumpkin-flavored food items are now introduced to consumers in August, well before the official start of fall,” she notes. “Each year, the demand begins a little earlier and lasts a little longer, contributing to stronger sales. We’re already helping customers place orders for our new pumpkin spice-flavored lineup, so they won’t be caught off guard a few months from now.”