bake - March/April 2024 - 33

Growth opportunities
Speaking in the Feb. 22 webinar, Top Trends in Fresh:
Seizing the Opportunity in How We Shop and Eat Today,
experts from Circana and the Food Marketing Institute
(FMI) revealed growth opportunities by understanding
today's top trends, instead of waiting for behavior to
return to pre-pandemic times.
" It's really about quality. Value is more important than
price, " says Jonna Parker, Fresh Food Group team lead
at Circana. " Quality is what is uniquely different about
your product or your store. "
Gen Z and Millennials are " most concerned with their
future, " she adds, and this is driving them to make
different purchases at the grocery store. Units are down
overall than they were pre-pandemic, and consumers
are using trips to control their spending.
Rick Stein, vice president, Fresh Foods for FMI, points
to the No. 1 factor that will make a difference in 2024
and beyond is redefining value.
" Retailers and suppliers need to think about the value
mix and how they plug into that, " Stein says.
Flavor innovations
Seasonal flavors and colors are a huge opportunity to
drive demand, and customer requests for fun, on-trend
solutions are up. Today it seems as though every day is
" National Something Day, " so Rich's developed a calendar
of events that fresh bakeries can take advantage of to
build eye-catching displays. It's not enough to just have
the flavors and colors - to stop shoppers in their tracks
it's important to have engaging point of sale to promote
seasonal and limited time offerings.
There are also exciting new ways to engage in partnerships
including retail media networks, targeted social
media and influencers. Using all these tactics in a coordinated
way helps maximize the incremental lift for new
flavors and colors.
" Rich's was founded over 75 years ago on innovation
in toppings and icings. Today, we're still focused on
expanding capabilities to drive our customers' business as
a one-stop-shop, total solutions provider fueled by both
local flavors and global insights. We strive to help our
customers satisfy shopper needs while reducing demands
on their own labor, " Heller shares. " We have a dedicated
Breakthrough Innovation team focused on developing
new product platforms and solving unmet customer
and consumer needs. Additionally, our category-centric
Rich's is focused
on developing new
product platforms
and solving unmet
customer and consumer
needs.
BAKERY
COMMITMENT
Ardent Mills is committed to transforming
how the world is nourished.
Ardent Mills cultivates the future of
plant-based solutions to help customers
and communities thrive. The holistic
portfolio empowers Ardent Mills to
meet the complex needs of customers
today while focusing on the growing
needs of tomorrow's consumer.
Recently, Ardent Mills announced
that Kate Kimball has joined the
executive leadership team as General
Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and
Chief Compliance Officer. In this role,
Kimball will oversee all legal and
compliance matters for the company,
in addition to serving as an advisor to
and secretary of Ardent Mills' Board of
Managers.
" We are thrilled to have Kate join us
as we continue to evolve and grow as a
company. Kate's expertise in legal and
regulatory matters, specifically related
to manufacturing and Environmental,
Social and Governance, will be a tremendous
asset to our team, " says Dan
Dye, Chief Executive Officer of Ardent
Mills. " Furthermore, Kate is a missiondriven
individual who shares Ardent
Mills' commitment to our core values. "
Kimball joins Ardent Mills with
over 15 years of legal and regulatory
experience in both the public and
private sector. Most recently, Kimball
was Associate General Counsel of Ball
Corporation, a Colorado-based sustainable
packaging company.
" Ardent Mills' dedication to sustainability,
innovation, and driving positive
change aligns seamlessly with my own
values, making the company a natural
fit for me, " says Kimball. " I look
forward to working with this dynamic
team to navigate legal complexities
and advance the company's long-term,
sustainable growth strategy. "
bakemag.com | MAR-APR 2024 > 33
RICH'S
http://www.bakemag.com
bake - March/April 2024

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