Home Bargains is expanding its in-store bakery (ISB) operation, with plans to have 84 up and running within the next year.
The discounter, which has more than 570 outlets in the UK, has already introduced ISBs at 64 of its stores nationwide. From here it offers freshly baked goods for customers in the likes of Darlington in the north of England, Basingstoke in the south, and Merthyr Tydfil in Wales.
It now plans to complete ISB installations at 20 further locations over the coming year.
The bakery range, which the company admits is small but focussed on offering the ‘best quality and value’, includes baguettes, tiger rolls, pastries, muffins and doughnuts.
As pricing examples, Home Bargains listed cheese twists at 59p each, baguettes for 75p, a four-pack of scotch rolls for 85p, a five-pack of sausage rolls costing £1.09, and a five-pack of tiger rolls priced at £1.25.
On the sweet side, cinnamon whirls or maple and pecan plaits are 55p each, chocolate twists are 59p, a two-pack of vanilla crowns is 79p, and a four-pack of ring doughnuts (iced, sugared or chocolate) or a five-pack of cookies (white, milk, or double chocolate) both cost 99p each.
Home Bargains noted the production of its baked goods was a mixture of bake-off and thaw and serve.
“In recent years the market for fresh baked goods in the UK has grown significantly and the bakeries we have introduced at stores nationwide have allowed customers to enjoy our competitively priced fresh bakery range,” said a company spokesman. “We are looking forward to introducing more bakeries in stores as we roll out our fresh bakery range for customers across the UK to enjoy.”
ISB landscape
The move comes amid an evolution of the ISB market as major retailers analyse their operations and customer shopping habits.
Tesco, for example, recently unveiled a super lean in-store bakery operation which allows it to bake in space challenged stores. In late 2022 the retailer also began trialling a new concept called The Bakery which sees bakery products split into three distinct areas – Tea Time Treats, Everyday Favourites and Tesco Finest Signature Bakes.
M&S, which predominantly operates a bake-off model at its ISBs, sought to move its bakery offering front and centre as part of its renewal stores. In-store bakeries have been placed as close to the front of some stores as possible to drive perceptions of product freshness and boost sales.
Asda, meanwhile, rolled out 200 new or improved products as part of a relaunch of its bakery range.
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