New consumer research cited by Rich Products reveals that 56 percent of desserts are now consumed for all-day snacking. “People are treating themselves all day,” points out Emma Kelchlin, senior product manager, category business unit – desserts for Rich’s.

Rich’s recently introduced Our Specialty Treat Shop™ Cake Parfaits. These fully finished parfaits provide maximum satisfaction and convenience with classic dessert flavors that shoppers love. With cake and icing layered together, they are a decadent, smooth dessert. 

The grab & go packaging is conducive for handling and travel, helping maintain the product integrity, and ambient and refrigerated shelf life offers versatile display and merchandising options. No labor is needed as they are fully finished. They are shipped in retail-ready packaging with pre-printed branded labels.

Rich’s refers to this innovative product as “a cake slice in a cup.” 

Consumer research

Technomic just released the Breakfast Global Menu Category Report, providing robust coverage, including consumer food and beverage preferences; segment patronage; key global, regional and local restaurant brands; and menu trends and insights on new product development strategies. Key findings include that 24% of consumers globally source their breakfast from a restaurant or foodservice venue, down just 2% from pre-pandemic 

“The breakfast category remained largely resilient throughout the global pandemic, and now presents an opportunistic daypart for many restaurant operators and supplier partners,” explains Aaron Jourden, director of global research and insights at Technomic. “Consumers are back to using restaurants and foodservice outlets as normality returns to everyday life, but their attitudes, preferences and even venue types vary from country to country.” 

Parfaits previously scored higher in consumer trends reports that revealed people are looking for more portion control in the breakfast and dessert categories.

Portion-size demand

During the pandemic, it became clear that portion-sized desserts were gaining ground on the retail store shelves, as consumers flocked to purchase grab-and-go options.

That’s why it became so important to offer convenient desserts on the bakery counter, points out Shannon Chowaniec, product manager, category business unit – desserts for Rich’s. There is no real time constraint when it comes to enjoying dessert anymore. The individual cake parfaits are available in delicious flavors including chocolate and strawberry.

In other research, there has been a 14 percent increase in grab-and-go demand during the pandemic.

“Products that are more grab-and-go friendly are gaining popularity,” Chowaniec says. “With Our Specialty Treat Shop™ Cake Parfaits, people can enjoy a high-quality indulgent brand in a product that is easy to put in your cupholder.”

Now when consumers walk into the bakery, you can offer a dedicated space to single-serve products. It’s all about driving demand for “emotional wellness” and joy.

“These grab-and-go parfait desserts look delicious with a price point that consumers are willing to pay,” Kelchlin points out. “We take classic flavors and put a spin on it in a different format.”