Special Report: Sweets & Snacks Expo Takeaways

Special Report

Sweets & Snacks Expo Takeaways

Retailers and exhibitors alike have decided this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo was a success. Companies who approached the show with a game plan while respectful of their industry peers’ time and resources benefited from preparing ahead of time. These exhibitors heard authentic feedback for their latest products and packaging and networked with partners whose goals and missions align with theirs. Even though people skillfully adapted to conducting business at a distance during the past few years, exhibitors and retailers were eager to spark dialogues in person. Seeing retailers’ genuine reactions to their products and allowing people to feel and taste test their products made a stronger impact and stronger impression in a tactile industry.

“The new flavors and forms of peg bag candy and novelty were innovative and attention grabbing,” said Leslie Crews of Spinx Co. “I also thought the assortment of specialty manufacturers was greatly improved. I thought the show was fantastic. I don’t know if it was everyone being able to get back together or what, but the vibe was energizing. The display presentation and innovation were great. Transparency between the manufacturers and retailer is crucial. It was helpful to be able meet face-to-face with multiple folks from each manufacturer, especially with the ongoing supply chain challenges. Also, I thought it was a great idea to have the front end set up. I hope [show organizers] do more of this and have more display and merchandise options there. I may have missed them in the past.”

“I found a lot of value in some of the seminars, particularly, the one about marketing a nostalgic brand,” said Halea Sager with Orscheln Farm & Home. “Our customer resonates with nostalgic brands, so those booths definitely caught my eye.”

“I thought it was a great show. I loved seeing the new trends within the ‘better-for-you’ category, within all areas of the show,” said Auburn Sooter of Walgreens. “In addition, I saw the continuation of bolder, spicier flavors, even in the candy space.”

“I noticed that certain brands are still pushing items that have a keto callout although this trend is not as prominent as before,” said Adele Edmonds of Barnes & Noble. “I also saw a large amount of plant-based gummy bears. This year had the most organized checkout process compared to prior years. The floor layout made sense and was easy to walk and speak with vendors.”

“I was surprised by the amount of plant-based items that were being shown, in all honesty,” LaChaun Steverson of Meijer. “The focus on health and alternative items was refreshing to see. This was my first time attending the show, and I thought it was absolutely fantastic. There were lots of vendors that we deal with there which made it great to see them in person and see what they were presenting. In addition to that a lot of smaller vendors had interesting items that may allow us to have some differentiated offerings in the marketplace. Great show.”

“Definitely healthier options seemed to be the biggest trend at this year’s show,” said Randy Adams of Huck’s. “While there were still lots of indulgence items on hand, it felt like the industry is slowly shifting to better-foryou options. Great show. So good to see the big crowd again, so nice to be able to connect with old friends and make new ones.”

“Clearly the trends in low sugar and keto continue,” said Gabi Yanuzzi with G&M Oil Co. “I was still a bit surprised to see so much popcorn. And as always, many vendors with great novelty products. The energy of the show was fantastic. Manufacturers, brokers, and retailers all so happy to be back in person with a full showing. And true to form, it was well organized, and the employees of the convention center are always very kind and helpful.”

“I was really excited to see innovation in functional snacking,” said Jonathan Lawrence with Fresh Thyme Market. “Whether it’s diet tribes or just better-for-you there was a lot there for a natural foods store like ours who also carries some better-known conventional assortment. This was my first time at the show, but I would say it was a day well spent walking the floor. From what I heard from other team members it was much larger than before and had more to offer, making it appealing to non-conventional retailers like Fresh Thyme.”

“There were a couple of items that caught my attention. The first being Wilde Chips,” said Lisa Ham of Yesway. “These were made from chicken breasts and tasted really good. Another item that caught my eye was the Reaper Roulette game. Very intriguing concept that I know will be a hit with the Gen Z generation. A trend I noticed was that a lot of savory snacks had a truffle flavor. I hadn’t seen that many items with truffle flavors in previous years.”

Chocolette Distribution launched a new line at Sweets & Snacks Expo under its Red brand named Blonde Chocolate, a caramelized white chocolate with no sugar added. “It’s the only one like it in America,” said Glenn Gardone, USA Country Director. “If you think about caramel, caramel of course is sugar. We’re a no sugar company. So what we’ve done is caramelized the milk, and we pour it into our white cocoa butter base, and it becomes a blonde chocolate. You’ve got that gorgeous caramel flavoring, you’ve got that smooth creaminess that you want and desire from your chocolate, but you’re doing it with up to 30-40 percent less calories than your average dark chocolate bar.”

Mount Franklin Foods looked forward to reuniting and connecting with its customers. “It’s been so long since we’ve been able to meet them in their offices or actually see them in person at the show,” said SVP of Retail Sales, David Barnett. “Having those meetings face-to-face is always a lot better. Aside from just business talk, there’s just catching up in general. It was a terrific show. Making face-to-face contact with our customers is so important. Without being in front of people, communication, like e-mail, can fall flat. You don’t get the true indication of the give and take when it’s not face-to-face.”

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“Our main goal was reconnecting with existing customers in person, plus discovering new opportunities with new customers, featuring our new innovation from YumEarth Ultimate and our new chocolate line Choco Yums, in addition to showcasing our seasonal solutions,” said Jeff Grossman, VP of Sales and Brand Development for YumEarth.

“This was our first time at the Sweets & Snacks show in Chicago, so our main goal was to introduce ourselves to attendees and let them try our delicious Medjool dates and innovative snacking lines,” said Bridgette Weber, trade marketing manager at Natural Delights.

“Our goals at Candy Dynamics for the 2022 Sweets & Snacks Show included resuming face-to-face tradeshow events with our many customers we haven’t seen pre-pandemic,” said President Laura King. “There were many customers that resumed attendance this year, and we were thankful for that as it allowed us to meet in person to discuss our growing brand and many new items we were launching at this year’s show. Another very important goal was to debut four new sour candy items to the trade, which we were successful in doing. In doing so, we had goals of pre-booking orders with our customers, and we found customers wanting to do so, because they wanted to have the newest, hottest sour candy items that would be hitting the trade. Additionally, our company has recently pursued branching out to licensing our very popular brand. So, another priority for this show was to showcase those licensed items and present them to our customers that might have the ability to purchase and sell licensed items in their stores.”

“We judge our success at tradeshows by the feedback we get from attendees, the quality of our leads, and orders placed,” Weber said. “Our goals were definitely met at the Sweets & Snacks Expo this year. Although we didn’t see a ton of retailers, we succeeded in finding new and creative ways to share our Medjool dates with the world.”

“We were very happy to come away from the show feeling that we achieved all of our goals and so much more,” King said. “This was by far our most successful show in our tradeshow history with Sweets & Snacks. We had heaps of attendees come to visit our booth; with many mentioning the fun they had with the experience. The pre-booked orders we took and the amount of leads we generated at the show also confirmed our successes.”

While ROI is important, Chocolette Distribution weighs the value of making connections and gaining a deeper understanding of what its partners need. When retailers understand and accept your product, “it fuels the excitement and the passion for my organization or for any organization,” Gardone said.

“I would go back to simple ROI, but there’s also the investment in people and understanding what their desires are and their understanding of what our organization does,” he continued. “Can we do better somewhere? Is there somewhere we’re lacking? We get the chance to have those conversations. They’re very important conversations to have. We use a multiple approach and ask ‘Was it a good investment of our time?’ Sweets & Snacks has always been a positive for us.”

“I sit on the Sweets & Snacks Expo Committee as I feel it is a critical tool for our industry and our company’s success,” Grossman said.

“We review the total dollar amount of all sales generated, as well as review the number of qualified leads,” King said. “Additionally, this year, we were able to track our success rate on the Sweets & Snacks portal, and we are happy to report that our company ranked No. 6 out of all exhibiting companies for most searched companies within the Sweets & Snacks portal.”

“We love in-person tradeshows,” Gardone said. “It’s a large investment, don’t get me wrong. Financially, it’s a large investment. From a personnel standpoint, it’s a large investment, but it’s an investment well worth it. You get a chance to talk to folks in the industry. You share insights into what has been successful. We want to be able to tell our story as concisely as we can, and I’m proud of the story of Red chocolate. I’m proud to tell the story because I think it’s a fun and really interesting story.”

“I still am a fan of the virtual platforms and look to continue to trade marketing in publications or digital to support our statements outside of the show floor, less shows in total but spending more in trade marketing than ever to reach all potential customers,” Grossman said.

Having conducted business at a distance, it puts a different perspective on live shows, Barnett said. “You realize what you are missing when you can’t do a live show,” he said. “All of us were so glad to get back to the shaking hands and showing samples and just having that dialogue in person.”

“There’s nothing better than being with people in person and getting to watch them enjoy our products—many who have never tried a Medjool date before then,” Weber said. “Virtual shows can’t compete in that regard. Trial of our products is essential to create raving fans.”

“This show was the first show we have exhibited at where face masks were optional,” King said. “We found that this year’s show indicated how moving forward post pandemic will look like for tradeshows. We found a greater percentage of attendees not wearing face masks and preferring the in-person experience pre-pandemic. Overall this year’s show indicated that our customers want to be back at in-person events. The attendees were grateful to be able to touch and feel new items versus just viewing them on a screen. We found that many attendees commented how much more accomplished they felt being in person at the show.”

Chocolette Distribution would like for retailers to walk aways from its booth saying, “Wow—Red is really adding something to the category.”

“That’s the most important thing,” Gardone said. “We launched Blonde, and we did a soft launch of our vegan line which will launch in August. When people come in, I want people to feel comfortable talking to us and knowing that we respect their business whatever that business is—single store candy shop to one of the larger chains. I want them to walk in and go, ‘We were treated with respect, the brand cares about my business and more importantly, I can trust in Red in being an expert in what the future looks like.’ If we can getthat across, we’ve done our job.”

CATEGORY LEADERSHIP AWARDS APPLES

Today’s consumers are more educated on nutrition and the unrivaled benefits of fresh produce than ever before. Consequently, fruits like apples are no longer considered a seasonal offering. Apple growers and suppliers like Starr Ranch Growers, Sage Fruit and Crunch Pak have risen to the challenge to ensure a robust and varied year-round supply for their retail partners, meticulously maintaining their regional orchards and lining up offshore supplies as well to supplement any shortfall in harvests.

“At Sage Fruit, our sales and marketing teams are available to strategize with our retail and wholesale partners and build programs for the entire year,” said Chuck Sinks, President of Sales and Marketing. “They advise on when is an ideal time for promotions, as well as what varieties are suitable for those promotions. We realize there is no onesize-fits-all when it comes to the apple category and our team is here to establish programs that meet the customer’s needs. If in-store is what they would like to see, we have point of sale bins available to aid retailers in building their eye-catching displays. Sage Fruit also has the ability to provide a digital toolkit for partners. Typically, a combination of in-store and digital promotion leads to a successful campaign.”

As an appeal for both retailers and consumers, Crunch Pak, a processor of apples, is working on new packaging with an eye towards improving convenience for families. “A lot of our family-sized bags, like a 12-oz or 14oz bags, we’re making those resealable for multi-use,” said Andy Kimbrel, VP of Sales and Marketing. “We’re using a gusseted bag versus a pillow bag, so they sit up and store better in a fridge. Small things like that, trying to innovate in small ways to make our convenience level higher than our competitors. And we’re going to continue to lean pretty hard on our products that are licensed. Everybody in this industry has an interest in the consumption of produce, healthy produce, fresh produce, and I think of the licensed products that we do as a sort of a gateway into healthy eating for a lot of kids, versus the sugar and other snacks that aren’t so good for folks that are maybe in center store and places like that.”

Packaging and licensing aside, apple growers report a continued interest in the Honeycrisp overall, and are leading with that in product assortment. “We’re going to continue to expand our Honeycrisps,” said Kimbrel. “We do offer the Honeycrisps variety in a couple of packaging types. It’s the No. 1 selling variety. We did do Cosmic Crisp. We also do that during a certain time of year and we’re going to continue to do that for next year, next crop. We’re going to continue to look at varieties that folks are interested in and those two in particular seem to resonate really well. Down the road we’re going to continue to look at sustainable packaging and making sure it aligns with the innovation that we’re working on.”

Packaging is also a point of focus for Starr Ranch Growers. “Really through the pandemic and continuing beyond we’ve seen an increase in retail moving packaged goods rather than bulk product and bulk displays,” said Dan Davis, Director of Business Development. “We’re moving toward a lot more bags, a lot more poly bags as well and that provides us ample space to tell a story. It works really well in telling the story of our packaging and story of our apples. So moving toward more packaged products allows us to better merchandise to the consumer and give them a bit of a story that they can read, access some QR codes, head to our website and learn more. As consumers look to be more connected with what they’re eating, and learn the story, the packaged products help tell that story.”

Out in the orchards, Davis said Starr Ranch is dedicating resources toward better varieties. “A lot of what we’ve done with growth on the orchard side is moving towards varieties that are more in demand,” he said. “Moving away from Red and Golden Delicious, older varieties—more mature varieties and toward newer varieties and newer strains of varieties like Gala and Fuji which are a better eating and higher coloring. A lot of that has moved to meet the demand to help drive that demand by growing better cultivars.”

CATEGORY LEADERSHIP AWARDS BACON

Companies that are guiding the bacon category possess a number of key attributes which define them as leaders in the space and have allowed them to continue moving the category forward. Suppliers like Niman Ranch and Pederson’s Natural Farms continutally introduce a fresh take on traditional items and strengthen their partnerships at retail.

“How animals are raised really translates to what is in the package: clean ingredients, clean delicious flavor, clean label,” said Drew Calvert, VP of Processed Meats at Niman Ranch. “Authentic, a true bacon flavor, not to mention, the real hardwood smoke. Our products are also claims-driven: sustainable, humane animal care and transparency are more important than ever for shoppers —particularly premium shoppers with larger basket sizes.”

“I think not compromising on our standards is definitely a big part of it and that vertical integration makes us a leader too because we can really drive on standards and quality and because we don’t have to worry about where we get that product from and necessarily making all the claims that we make we can do it because they are our products, they are our farms,” said Ben Warren, Marketing Manager for Pederson’s Natural Farms. “That’s definitely a big part of it. We just don’t compromise.”

Leadership within the individual company culture is critical for companies to have sure footing as they navigate through hardships and lay the groundwork for future endeavors.

“Our authentic, farm-to-fork supply chain, is the foundation of what we’ve always done,” Calvert said. “We stay true to who we are and haven’t deviated, and because of that, consumers and retailers trust our product and the transparency we provide. In addition, our closed loop system proved to be more than strong enough to maintain our product when the supply chain was significantly disrupted during Covid.”

“Interestingly, we’ve held out our category leadership on the supply side and on the products because we grew our herd size for the hogs,” Warren said. “With the hogs, you have to figure out how to utilize the animal, and where the leadership grows, we figure out ways to use the animal. Let’s say pork loins and sausage and all the things we can make to help grow that herd size to produce more bellies worth of bacon. That allows us to be a leader in those standards and be a leader in fill rates, be a leader in new products over the last few years in a difficult situation with the pandemic, and we were able to come through pretty clean on product.”

Suppliers in the bacon space have taken strategic actions during the first half of 2022 to do their part to see the bacon category grow. “We’re actively recruiting farmers to keep up with the category growth,” Calvert said.

“Bacon has been a tough category for everyone in the industry because with inflation and all of those other things in the natural bacon space, we tend to be a little more expensive than the conventional places,” Warren said. “But I would say that we’ve reached out to find that our opportunities lie with working with partner CPG companies, so working with companies to provide bacon for frozen breakfast sandwiches, natural products, burritos, things like that that still lie within the grocery space but are partner companies and we can provide the product for them.”

Now in the midst of the latter half of 2022, bacon suppliers have carved out opportunities that will benefit not only their respective companies but the overall bacon category as well. “There is a demand for sustainably raised antibiotic-free bacon, despite industry-wide price increases,” Calvert said. “More grocers are looking for our products and the premium attributes we provide. In addition to the natural space, we’re seeing a lot more interest from conventional retail because they are looking to provide more options for consumers.”

“There are opportunities for Pederson’s. We are vertically integrated, we own the farms, we own the hogs, we own the processing, and so that gives us the chance to be a little more stable on price and have a consistent product where we know how the animals were raised in our system and our farms and we know how they were processed and we know how the bacon is made and we have the supply,” Warren said.

CATEGORY LEADERSHIP AWARDS BISON

For some suppliers, competing in and representing the bison category comes with a dose of responsibility. Companies like Great Range Bison are driving the category through education, not only about the positive attributes of bison, but also the intricate sustainability and preservation story that has helped shape and inform the category.

“As is the case every year our onepound Great Range Ground Bison is our best-selling item,” said Cory Schmeling, Director of Sales for Great Range Bison. “The delicious flavor, healthy attributes and consistent quality keep people wanting more. Once you try it you usually will buy it again. Although our one-pound bulk ground bison is our best-selling item we have seen an increase in sales of our portion cut steaks. Our case ready skin pack 10 oz ribeye and striploin steaks as well as our 2-piece 12 oz sirloin and tenderloin steaks have great eye appeal. Again, once people try it the first time they will come back for more.”

Driving category growth is a responsibility which Great Range Bison takes seriously. To do their part to see the bison category develop and maintain its relevance in grocery, Great Range Bison is “always looking for new ideas or better ways to do things, to innovate our products, or market ourselves uniquely,” said Ace Ward, COO with Great Range Bison. “With that being said, we still believe the best way to grow is to do things right, stay consistent in our values, and stay consistent with price. We have worked very hard over the first part of 2022 to keep our retail ground bison consistent in price. We have looked for other lines of revenue to offset our product cost coupled with internal efficiencies of operating our facilities. So far, we have succeeded but it sure is becoming more difficult with the increased cost of labor, packaging and freight.”

Opportunities for the bison category along with Great Range Bison to expand their reach start with informing shoppers about why they should explore the bison category. “We need to continue to educate consumers on the benefits of eating bison, from the health benefits to the environmental benefits,” Schmeling said. “Bison is a highly nutrient dense food because of the proportion of protein, fat, mineral, and fatty acids to its caloric value. Bison also help the environment. When people eat bison, they are helping create more bison on the landscape and when more bison are on the landscape the grass lands of the Great Range will thrive.”

One of the reasons Great Range Bison is a leader in the bison space is its longevity. “We have been doing this for a long time, we found very early on that people want quality and consistency,” said Bob Dineen, CEO of Great Range Bison. “We also want to sell more bison. To do that we have to sell a good quality product every day. We put into place an internal grading system where only the cuts of steaks we would eat ourselves make it in our box. We want our brand to mean something, and we take it very seriously. The bison we buy come from producers we know are treating their animals humanly and are as concerned about quality as we are. We control the entire process from harvest through fabrication, grinding and packaging which makes us unique in a small industry where most of our competitors use co-packers.”

Great Range takes pride in its leadership team and the traits each person possesses. “The leadership team we have put together is full of young, talented, and motivated individuals,” Dineen said. “They are proud of our brand and work hard to keep Great Range Bison in a leading position. We have always had a food safety culture here at Great Range Bison but recently we decided to expand on the idea. We implemented a program which all employees understand and follow, Best Fresh Bison. Best Fresh Bison has three core principles on how we run our business: food safety, human safety, and quality and service. If we can continue to produce the Best Fresh Bison, we will continue to be a leader in the industry.”

Grocery Insight’s 2022 Category Leadership Awards

CATEGORY LEADERSHIP AWARDS FROZEN BREAD

Leaders in the frozen breads arena are driving the category forward by serving time-starved consumers who have become more strategic in their shopping excursions both in their time spent in stores and in the items they drop in their baskets. Leaders like Furlani’s and Marzetti have presented the ideal solution for families who want comforting and flavorful options that are ready in an instant and conducive to their rushed lifestyle. Households can enjoy warm and savory breads without the hassle of drawn-out prep time and tedious clean up.

“Our core strength lies in the garlic Texas toast segment of the baked bread/ roll/biscuit category,” said Jackie Brenkel Head of Marketing, North America for Furlani Foods. “In Q1, both Furlani and Joseph Campione brands recorded the highest percent growth in the category driven by core segments of Texas toast, Garlic bread, Breadsticks and Knots. Dollar growth was +27 percent for Furlani and +29.1 percent for Joseph Campione in Q1, with volume growth of +12.2 percent on Furlani brand and +19.6 percent on our Joseph Campione brand.”

In early May, Lancaster Colony Corporation, whose brands include Sister Schubert’s frozen dinner rolls, shared some noticeable category growth numbers in the company’s fiscal third quarter results, ending March 31. A few highlights from Lancaster Colony Corporation’s fiscal third quarter include: consolidated net sales grew 12.9 percent to a third quarter record of $403.5 million compared to $357.2 million in 2021. Retail net sales increased 7.4 percent to $213.1 million. Meanwhile Foodservice net sales ascended 19.8 percent to $190.4 million. “We reported another quarter of record sales. In addition to pricing actions, Retail net sales growth was driven by Chick-fil-A sauces and Buffalo Wild Wings sauces, both of which are sold under exclusive licensing agreements,” CEO David Ciesinski said in a statement. “Retail sales also benefited from seasonally strong sales of our Sister Schubert’s frozen dinner rolls. Sales gains in our Foodservice segment were driven by inflationary pricing and higher demand for our branded products.”

Rhodes Bake-N-Serv is committed to creating a lineup of homemade quality frozen bread and roll dough, frozen sweet rolls and partially baked frozen rolls. Produced in Wisconsin, Rhodes calls Utah home. Rhodes’ mission is simple yet impactful: “Rhodes is devoted to helping our customers bake successfully.” To achieve this, the company provides shoppers with an all-around line up of products including rolls and bread that consumers are merely required to thaw, let them rise and then bake; ready to bake frozen dough for cinnamon rolls, orange rolls and sticky buns; and partially baked and frozen rolls to complement meals with a fresh baked roll, ready in minutes.

Several factors account for how Furlani Foods is a leader in the frozen bread space, including, “core and breadth of product assortment, great quality at a value price, different pack size options to meet the needs of the garlic bread / toast shopper and a website that focuses on inspiring meal makers with new usage ideas,” Brenkel said. Furlani Foods navigated through the last few years and avoided becoming mired in circumstances outside its control through establishing a “clear focus and goal setting, ongoing performance analysis with core insights to help guide our business decisions,” she added.

Planning for the second half of 2022, Furlani Foods is considering the right mix of products to support retailers. “Opportunities for growth include maintaining good supply levels for Texas toast, bread loaves and ensuring our customers have the right mix of products to meet shopper demand,” Brenkel said. “Brand marketing investment is also helping to strengthen brand awareness and prompt trial.”

“While we persist in our efforts to overcome the near-term challenges of the current operating environment, longer-term our business remains well-positioned with category-leading retail brands, a rapidly growing and consumer-relevant retail licensing program, and a foodservice business that supplies many of the leading and fastest-growing national chain restaurants in the US,” Ciesinski said.

Category Analysis

Eggs

While retailers report that consumer appetite for specialty eggs continues to remain strong, egg suppliers are sensitive to the plight of families dealing with the continued inflation of food costs and trying to offer something for every budget and dietary need. From specialty duck eggs to commodity chicken eggs, there is a diverse array of demand these suppliers are working to satisfy, while also juggling pressure from policy makers with regards to cage-free production, which would drive up cost across the board. Category leaders advocate for a more open conversation between retailers, farmers and the public to cohesively determine a path for the category to move forward.

“Free Run and Organic remain a very big commodity right now,” said Doug Carter with Save on Foods. While supply chain issues have posed challenges, “Consumers need to see product in these segments to satisfy their growing awareness and desire for healthier and more humane products.”

Duck eggs have seen a rise in popularity, according to Paul Myers, Marketing and Communications Specialist for Utopihen Farms and Nature’s Yoke. “Over the past year we have seen the sales of our Utopihen Farms Pasture Raised Duck Eggs increase due to what we call the Covid effect,” he said. “Since most have been at home whether for school or work, people have been watching more television cooking shows and have seen celebrity chefs using duck eggs in their recipes. This has led to a national phenomenon regarding duck egg use in baking and cooking. The creamier and thicker ingredient profile has made subbing a duck egg for a chicken egg very trendy. Retailers have jumped on this trend as well, and several have brought in our duck eggs to meet the needs of the consumers.”

Retailers are making sure they’re calling out the distinctions on their shelves as well. “We are in the process of revamping our packaging to refresh our look and feel,” said Carter. “It is also important to ensure we have the correct callouts to address consumer desires and trends.”

John Watson, VP Account and Marketing Stewardship for Braswell Family Farms, shared some numbers with Grocery Insight earlier this year. “In 2017 the commodity egg sales represented 79 percent of all shelled egg sales,” he said. “In 2021 commodity represented 74 percent, with specialty growing for the most part year over year. All subcategories are growing: cage free, organic, free range and pasture raised. So, we will continue to focus on specialty segments.”

While specialty eggs clearly are a draw for home chefs, many households are now also facing rising food costs. Braswell Family Farms is ensuring they have something to offer consumers at all budgets. “We have always been focused on providing consumers a choice when they go to their local grocery retailer,” said Watson. “We are producing eggs of all types for our customers. This year, trying to find opportunities to improve cost for our consumers will be a major focus for us. Like every other agricultural producer, we have incurred some hefty cost increases with packaging, corn, and organic soy meal at an alltime high as an example. We are trying to keep a reasonable price difference in commodity and value-added eggs on the retail shelf. We have our work cut out for us this year to try and keep things in line so our consumers can continue to have affordable high quality all-natural protein.”

Another way to offer value to consumers is bigger packs. “Innovations such as an 18 pack of our Nature’s Yoke Legacy Free Range Eggs has been added to our SKU selection in order to drive category growth,” said Myers. “These 18 packs have been perfect for families looking to stock up their refrigerators, resulting in less trips to the grocery store. Pasture Raised Soy Free eggs have also driven an increase in category selection. These eggs are ideal for people struggling with a soy allergy, or who have simply decided to remove soy from their diet.”

The egg category has been volatile even prior to Covid, Watson with Braswell Family Farms said in January. “Its key to focus on balancing your category, driving for a sales split of at least 40 percent specialty, 60 percent commodity sales to insure profitability,” he said. “Also, larger pack sizes are really performing well and will continue to do so in 2022. Somewhat of a sensitive subject is the mandating of cage free as the only system to produce eggs in. The egg industry and egg consumers cannot afford to convert all egg production into cage free. We believe retailers, farmers, and the people actually eating eggs need to come together with clarity and vision to make smart decisions for their category’s future.”

Not leaving anything to chance, Myers said the company is now preparing for the anticipated demand in the latter portion of the year. “With baking season on the horizon, we seek to shore up our supply chain in order to meet the increased demand that this season brings annually,” he said. “This includes proactively working with our farmers and our suppliers to ensure inventory needs are met. We see huge growth potential for both Utopihen Farms and Nature’s Yoke. We anticipate an increase in duck eggs due to holiday baking as well as Organic and Soy-Free eggs as consumers try to end the year on a high note with their diet and healthy eating choices.”

Being proactive to ensure they remain reliable partners for retailers year-round sets Utopihen Farms and Nature’s Yoke among leaders of the category. “Both Utopihen and Nature’s Yoke’s integrity and commitments to our retail customers and consumers continuously affords us praise and trust within the category,” said Myers. “We stay true to our pledge and our commitments to quality, service, and support.”

Similarly, Braswell Family Farms will continue to be an advocate for its partners, said Watson. “As category advisors for many of our customers we will continue to advise as to what is working and what is not regarding category growth from our perspective,” he said. “We are focusing on getting the right product in the right markets and driving consumer trial and conversion across all segments.”