St Pierre and Baker Street see strong growth for Q1

St Pierre Groupe has seen ‘substantial growth’ in the first quarter of 2023 for its St Pierre and Baker Street brands.

Brioche brand St Pierre, reported a 123% increase in sales at major retailers for the 12 weeks ending 31 March 2023 versus the previous year.

Baker Street, which specialises in longer-life bread and rolls, experienced 78% growth in 2023 Q1 sales, the firm said.

The growth follows St Pierre Groupe’s acquisition by international bakery giant Grupo Bimbo in October 2022 and the promotion of David Wagstaff to managing director shortly afterwards.

Brioche rising

St Pierre said increased distribution in the last six months on its core and morning goods ranges at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons had been complemented by merchandising solutions that had proved successful in the US.

Branded bays were introduced at 100 Asda stores in January, adding listings for its Mini Brioche Buns, Brioche Bagels, Brioche Baguettes, Brioche Loaf and Vanilla Brioche Tear & Share. Last month, Eiffel Tower displays were adopted at 300 Morrisons stores across the UK, with six weeks of testing seeing a volume uplift of 31%.

St Pierre Groupe’s UK sales director Rachel Wells noted that the displays “deliver a quality experience that starts in store”, while helping drive footfall to the category, and assisting retailers in increasing basket spend.

“Shopper data from Tesco and Asda shows that we are over-indexing with higher value shoppers and we know that we are delivering category growth for our retail customers,” Wells commented.

Going big at home

Extended listings at major retailers had contributed to Baker Street’s growth. 

First-quarter sales of its Mega Burger Buns and Jumbo Hot Dog Rolls lines were up by 56% and 55% respectively, following their introduction to Asda shelves nationwide earlier this year.

“As we move into BBQ season, we would expect a natural uplift in sales of burger buns and hot dog rolls,” said Wells. “However, as shoppers continue to feel the impact of rising prices, anything that delivers on ‘bigger product, better value’ carries appeal.”

The brand also announced its first sliced loaves listing, a Seeded Rye loaf at almost 800 stores, which represented a shift in consumer attitudes to extended life products.

All Baker Street products are said to be cleverly packed to stay fresher for longer. “As a brand, we have moved this claim to front of pack after research showed that consumers – who are increasingly conscious of food waste – see shelf life as part of the value proposition,” said Wells.

Extended life was also vital for retailers looking to cut down on wastage, with Baker Street products offering ‘an ideal solution’, according to the company. “Retailers have the products shoppers want on shelf when they want them – and aren’t throwing stock away and wasting profits, when the weather causes BBQs and street parties across the country to be cancelled,” Wells added.