Oser Communications Group

YEAR IN REVIEW GOURMET NEWS DECEMBER 2013 www.gourmetnews.com 19 Top 8 Food Trends in 2013 5 6 7 8 Popularity of Cupcakes Waning, but Another Baked Treat Waiting in the Wings With gourmet cupcakeries now in shopping centers across the country and with cooking competitions popping up on television devoted entirely the tasty treats, it is safe to say the American market has experienced quite a love affair with the cupcake over the past decade. However, recent falling profits have some in the industry worried that the commercial cupcake market is in jeopardy. As such, companies are diversifying their product offerings in an attempt to build a sustainable business plan moving forward. One possible candidate for replacing the cupcake is the "cronut," a cross between a croissant and a doughnut. Recently featured by both the New York Times and the Associated Press, this newly developed sweet treat is undoubtedly hot. The Dominique Ansel Bakery in SoHo, which offers cronuts, reportedly has lines for hours outside its shops and is taking pre-orders up to two weeks out. From a commercial standpoint, the cronut has both perks and drawbacks. A positive, cronuts, unlike cupcakes, cannot be made at home. Thus, hungry dessert seekers will have to get their cronut fix by visiting a bakery. However, limited production, a short six-hour shelf life and a specific, perhaps limited target audience might limit the accessibility of the treat. 2013: The Year of the "Man Aisle?" If you haven't yet noticed the evolution, your local grocery store might be about to get a little more dude-friendly. According to Supermarket News, men are entering the kitchen in record numbers, and grocery stores are aiming to capitalize on that trend. More and more supermarkets and smaller shops across the country are introducing so-called "man aisles," full of the groceries men purchase most often. No longer are men being forced to walk all the way from one side of the store to the other when purchasing their beef jerky and beer. This is because today, in some stores, these two items are now harmoniously offered sideby- side. Supermarket "man aisles" feature groceries, cooking implements and special promotions targeted specifically at men who cook. The concept was introduced this year at several stores throughout the United States, including at Manhattan's Westside Market where local men have reportedly been flocking to pick up beer, barbecue sauce, chips, salsas, Gatorade, condoms, razors, batteries and anything else needed for a well-stocked "man cave." Online Markets Changing the Way Consumers Shop for Groceries An increasing number of consumers across the country are ordering their groceries online, both from dedicated web outlets and from the digital iterations of brick and mortar stores, simply having these groceries delivered to them at home. Now, specialty foods companies are looking to adapt to this new retail climate in a $1 trillion grocery retail industry where more than $4 billion are spent by companies on online ads each year. One company, Peapod offers a unique online grocery shopping option that fits into consumers' busy lives. Peapod now serves customers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. "In a time when schedules are more demanding than ever, Peapod offers more than an online shopping service—it's a lifestyle solution," said Bradley Porter, Peapod's Director of Marketing. "And it's evolving to help people knock out their grocery shopping wherever and whenever they'd like via a Peapod mobile app, virtual stores, and more." Peapod is expanding convenience with home delivery or drivethroughstyle pick-up. Same day, next day and advance scheduling are available, accommodating "anytime, anywhere" grocery shopping with a handy mobile app and virtual stores. Dessert and Baking Mixes Go Gourmet When entrepreneurs came up with Bisquick and Jiffy Mix in the 1930s, they could never have imagined that these relatively simple mixes of flours and leavening agents would be the precursors of a massive 21st century market for baking and dessert mixes. These two originary brands are still going strong, but they have been joined by hundreds if not thousands of specialty food companies marketing mixes that help home cooks prepare gourmet delicacies. Today, there are mixes available to make anything from blueberry lemon lavender pancakes to shoofly pie to gluten-free Italian herb focaccia. Gone are the days when home cooks pulled out a boxed biscuit mix in order to just get breakfast on the table. Today, consumers are more likely to pull out an organic southern buttermilk biscuit mix in order to treat family and friends to a special breakfast treat. With mixes now featuring high-end recipes, fine ingredients and appealing packaging, these products have become increasingly popular as gifts. The modern foodie is likely to find prepackaged mixes in her or his Christmas stocking right alongside imported olive oils and stainless steel truffle shavers.

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