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12 April 2023“There is no room for chance, today it’s the quality of the product that wins.” Interview with Waldemar Miernicki, sales representative at Magorex

When you work in a given industry for many years, you quickly notice changes, catch trends and nuances, and observe changing customer habits. See what thoughts our sales representative, Waldemar Miernicki, with over 20 years of experience in the industry, shared with us about the bakery industry.

The last few months have been described by many as crazy, and unfortunately it has become a kind of new reality. How do you see the condition of the bakery and confectionery industry today?

We have a large group of customers who pushed through and have been developing all the time, expanding their offer, and they are doing well. I know from experience and observation that if the quality is very good, it wins. Then there may be a disturbance in the market, and sales may even fall, but it will be felt for a short time. It is normal that the customer will leave for a while to try cheaper products, but will return for the quality.

Do you see any new repetition in end consumers' decisions? Are there any changes in their habits?

The customer is more and more aware and is looking for a good quality product. If they find one, they’ll come back for it. It is definitely more visible, especially in big cities. When it comes to our transactions, the classic works. Sometimes manufacturers want to stand out from the competition and come up with unusual patterns for their products, e.g. oval, heart, but we notice that they have a very short lifespan. The classics work best, the shapes of the forms, such as a rectangle, or a square, win in retrospect. And one more important issue – today our contractors choose smaller forms because thanks to the reduction of grammage they can adjust the price.

Increases in fees for gas, electricity, inflation, these inevitably affect the cost of producing our daily bread. No wonder that customers are looking for different options.

That’s right, manufacturers are doing their best to offer a product at a price acceptable to the customer today. On the other hand, the customer prefers to come back more often, but have a fresh product, than to buy a lot at once. This is something that is changing, e.g. in bakeries, we have a wide range of products at our disposal, but they are smaller in weight. Interestingly, bread is more and more often sold in slices and this is starting to become normal. Thanks to this, the price per kilogram becomes less visible and does not scare away. This direction in sales is appreciated by both young people and retirees.

In the current, quite uncertain times, do you still see development opportunities for new bakeries?

We certainly notice that existing bakeries are expanding, but these are the serious players who are still developing to increase their production capacity. In big cities, if someone offers a really high-quality product, then yes, I think they can start a business, but we are definitely talking about sourdough, quality flour, a product for demanding, conscious customers. We serve such customers from tiny bakeries in Warsaw or Krakow, where one bun costs PLN 12 and there is a demand for it.

Magorex o kondycji branży piekarniczej

So price is no longer the only valid sales point. Do you think this trend will stay with us for good?

Try to remember Fat Thursday a few years ago and those cartons of doughnuts that people took from discount stores, in bulk, 12 pieces each. I haven’t seen it this year and it’s really happening less and less. Most customers prefer to buy something more expensive, less in quantity, but valuable. Smaller, niche bakery and confectionery brands are entering online sales more and more boldly. Large players, however, usually still rely on a dense network of brick-and-mortar sales and develop their own networks. In my opinion, those who have already found their place on the market will continue to do well. No wonder, today there is no room for chance, the customer returns to a good baker because they know that it is worth it.

Do you run your own bakery, a pastry shop, or maybe a large production plant? Take advantage of our proven products and the knowledge of our experts. Contact us!