It's a "Piece of Cake"

Buenos Dias launches Margarita de Mango. Unique product at a hot price.
Will sweeten baked goods sales.

In today's diet-conscious world you might think that sales of sugar, flour, butter, and especially carbohydrate-laden cakes and pastries would be growing stale--but you'd be wrong. Sure, sales may be a little flat, but new varieties, brand expansion, and hot pricing are ensuring that packaged baked goods sales remain a sweet spot in the commercial bread aisle. Another important reason for the continuing strength of the whole category is the catering to specific consumer needs, like the Hispanic group.

When it comes to specialty bakery products, sales are far less affected by carbohydrates than the bread category. That may be because consumers, both adults and children, have far more snack options than in the past. Today kids' lunchboxes are just as likely to feature Betty Crocker Fruit Rollups as a croissant.

Buenos Dias recently introduced its latest Hispanic bakery product: Mango Shortcakes, or Margarita de Mango. The new flavor was thoroughly researched by Buenos Dias. One of the biggest challenges was trying to get the perfect blend between the cake and the Mango filling, because you can go too sweet if you're not careful. Consumer testing was done once it was felt that a solution was near, and the new product actually got some very encouraging consumer feedback.

Mango is extremely popular in Hispanic cuisine, although Mango Shortcakes were created with an eye on the population at large. Buenos Dias has been expanding its line of products that is specifically designed to appeal to Latinos. The present 10-product line is marketed under a co-branding agreement with Televisa, the giant Spanish entertainment conglomerate. The lineup includes Pan de Leche (soft, lightly sweetened milk rolls), Mini Butter Croissant (perfectly stacked little croissants made with butter), Magdalenas (miniature cakes), Palmeritas (little elephant ears made with butter), Tartaletas (unique shaped mini tartlets topped with Guava fruit - a tropical delight), as well as other exciting flavors. The line is being offered nationally and is baked in Spain according to traditional recipes.

The cake does not have the consistency of traditional shortcake. The American version would be like a cookie. However, the Buenos Dias Mango Shortcake is soft like a cake because that's how the Hispanics prefer it. That's because consumption and cultural patterns are different. While mainstream Americans might have shortcake for dessert, Hispanics will generally have it in the afternoon, perhaps with a cup of coffee. They call this la merienda.

The Buenos Dias line has products designed to appeal to both adults and children. Several miniature products are geared more toward children. Most of the products will sell well year-round, although there may be a jump in consumption during the school year. The cakes will be sold in the in-store bakery and commercial baked goods aisle on Buenos Dias own colorful rack, although some retailers may also wish to put up the display near the ethnic aisle. The products are designed to appeal to Hispanics as well as mainstream Americans. The packaging is all clear so the consumer can see the product, and eye appeal can be a big seller. Plus all the ingredient details and package writings are bilingual.

In various markets on the East Coast, certain retailers have been featuring frequent multiple-price sales, like 2 bags for $5. Multipricing is a tactic that has worked well in selling to Latino consumers. Given the state of today's industry, that's a bargain indeed particularly with the price of eggs, flour, and other key ingredients going through the roof.

And with the economy the way it is, more and more consumers, Hispanics and non-Hispanics alike are taking a look at those 2-for-$5 offers and saying:

Let's have our Buenos Dias cake and eat it too!