By Max Jenvey of Oxxygen Marketing Partnership, a strategic business accelerator specialising in bakery, foodservice and convenience retail

Are you going to open or close on 29 April as a consequence of the Royal Wedding? Why not find a way of capitalising on these big events? St Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween or St Patrick’s Day are great opportunities for increasing your revenue, if you remember that it’s not business as usual and your offer must reflect that.

Give in to your creativity! Consumers are looking for something different, special and out of the ordinary, so these festive occasions are great for bakeries to come up with fun ideas to brighten up their shop windows and displays. As Bill Donnelly, managing director of Cake Decor says, "Bakers don’t have to make big changes; they can just take an all-year product for example cupcakes and add a couple of components to make the product seasonal." And any extra cost for making the products can be absorbed, as you can charge your costumers 40-70% more for this added value.

Communication is vitally important for increasing sales on and before these special dates. Customers are on the hunt for unique products. So take advantage of their need state and offer them different options, such as customised products.

Plan your calendar around the following: St David’s Day, Mother’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Easter, St George’s Day, Father’s Day, 4th of July, St Andrew’s Day! And don’t forget that Halloween is all about cakes for kids get them decorating their own scary creations!

And finally, the Royal Wedding. Our advice is that it’s really not to be missed. What about a mini replica of the Royal Wedding cake, so consumers can feel part of the action, or William and Kate image cakes or cookie figures decorated in military and wedding dress?

You could even run a competition to guess what style cakes and pastries the Royal couple eat on their wedding day.