Dive Brief:
- With more customers asking for cakes they’ve seen on Pinterest or Instagram, Riesbeck’s Food Markets has added internet connection at all of its bakeries, according to Supermarket News.
- The Ohio-based chain started this practice about 18 months ago, and have seen an increase in sales.
- The demand for complex special-occasion cakes has been driven by online cake displays and TV shows that showcase elaborate cake design.
Dive Insight:
The number of people using Instagram grew to 600 million monthly active users, and Pinterest has 150 million monthly users.
With many people utilizing these social media platforms, it’s not surprising that content being shared and liked is affecting what’s happening at the grocery store. A large number of these users are millennials, and they are heavily influenced by trends. So when people post recipes or photos of different produce or food items, it stirs up interest.
Retailers can play up to the trend by making their displays more attractive and holding contests or offering special deals for those who post photos from the store and hashtag them. This can help bring new people in the store and keep the establishment top of mind to regular shoppers.
To be sure, retailers are updating their stores to reflect customer demands and interests, including carrying more fresh produce, organic products and establishing home delivery and in-store pickup services. Social media has forced food manufacturers like Hershey and Nestle be more active online where many of their customers are congregating and speaking out. Grocery stores, looking for any way to gain an advantage, have embraced their online consumer, too. Elaborate cake creations are the latest example of the impact social media is having on the food industry.