Bakery café operators may be overestimating how much time customers spend choosing what to buy.
New insights from Yorkshire bakery supplier The Original Baker suggest that most purchasing decisions at a counter are made in a matter of seconds.
In a fast-paced café or food-to-go environment, customers quickly scan, filter, and select their choices based on what feels clear, familiar, and worth it, rather than carefully comparing options.
“Call it the 7-second rule,” writes Kevin Walton, head of marketing at The Original Baker. “Not a fixed law, but a useful way to frame what’s really happening: first impressions are formed fast, and counters win or lose in that first glance window.”
There are three stages to a purchasing decision at a counter, notes the insights:
- Scan – a fast visual sweep. No detail. Just instinct
- Shortlist – one or two items catch attention
- Commit – a decision is made, often before they’ve even read the label.
Walton highlights how, if products don’t look compelling immediately, “something subtle but powerful happens… price becomes the only differentiator”.
This has significant implications for how operators approach menu design and product range.
“Many cafés are trying to offer too much choice,” adds Walton. “In reality, simplifying the offer and making products easier to understand can have a much bigger impact on sales.”
Other recommendations from The Original Baker include promoting just one standout product – such as a strong sausage roll or a perfectly baked pie – which it says can beat ten average ones. Too many products create noise with nothing standing out, so nothing gets chosen, warns Walton.
Looking at the height and presence of products is also worth looking at, as those that sit slightly elevated or forward feel more important. Meanwhile, colour contrast can be used to good effect, with the likes of golden pastry, glossy glaze, and defined layers helping signal freshness and quality.
Read the full blog at The Original Bakers website here.
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