The Great British Bake Off is set to return to our screens on August 24 and retailers are well placed to cash in on shoppers’ flan fever.
During last year’s series, sales of baking products rocketed 214% compared with the weeks leading up to the show, according to online retailer specialist Summit.
Sales of baking products rose 112% on the day of the first episode in comparison with the day before and, over the course of the whole series, baking product sales climbed 392% in comparison with the five weeks prior to the show being on air.
With the first episode of the new series hitting TV screens next week, how do retailers plan to rise to the occasion and take a slice of the booming Bake Off market?
Morrisons have wasted no time in proving their baking offer cuts the mustard this year. The grocer has appointed its former grocery buyer Anastasia Duncanson as its first bake officer.
Duncanson will be responsible for monitoring buying trends triggered by Great British Bake Off recipes and ensuring the supermarket has the right ingredients in stock to meet the rush of shoppers.
Duncanson’s appointment follows a 163% spike in Morrisons’ sales of glace cherries and a 110% jump in sales of almond extract after episodes of the cult show last year in which they were used.
Never one to shy away from a showstopper, Morrisons offered keen baker Duncanson the job as the icing on a cake – now she just has to make sure its baking ingredients sell like hot cakes.
The grocer has also been teasing its followers on Twitter and Instagram by uploading short clips of a bake in progress and asking to guess what the finished product will be.
We've been working on some #recipes for the great #British event we all love 👍 Can you guess what we're #baking? 🍫 pic.twitter.com/ck6JD35s19
— Morrisons (@Morrisons) August 16, 2016
Asda has been uploading a variety of recipes on Instagram over the last month to build anticipation for the launch of this year’s Bake Off series.
Follow us on Instagram this August for some fab baking inspiration and #recipes: https://t.co/kcGmQwy6LX pic.twitter.com/6pk7H9D6qq
— Asda (@asda) August 18, 2016
Notonthehighstreet.com used confectionary fever to promote its £15 decorative cake toppers
Bake off is back and we can't contain our excitement! #GBBO https://t.co/9OalJt3FXo pic.twitter.com/aC1BihJkDc
— notonthehighstreet (@notonthehighst) August 16, 2016
In a nod to tradition, value retailer Wilkos has used Bake Off anticipation to promote its baking products, from blenders to cake tins.
#GBBO fever is rising #RT if you are excited! Shop at Wilko for all your baking needs... https://t.co/Y8einSZgfE pic.twitter.com/Nsf2VeRY2i
— Wilko (@LoveWilko) August 16, 2016
Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s is using the television series to promote its own content, directing shoppers to its Homemade website with recipes including a confetti crumb cake.
The countdown to #GBBO begins and we can't wait. Bring on the cake! https://t.co/W8hrql8hT0 pic.twitter.com/z8bv29XyQH
— Sainsbury's (@sainsburys) August 16, 2016
The grocer has even written a profile on each of the Bake Off’s 12 contestants on its content website.
Get excited, #GBBO IS BACK! Here's all you need to know about the contestants 🎂 https://t.co/9RYqwswwjn pic.twitter.com/jFXpnuXZiB
— Homemade (@homemade) August 16, 2016
Not one to be left out, Tesco encouraged its Twitter followers to peruse its easy baking recipes to indulge in Bake Off fervour.
There's only one week before #GBBO is back! Brush up on your skills with these easy recipes:https://t.co/ZEXpnemyYT pic.twitter.com/l3GfVVVt06
— Tesco (@Tesco) August 17, 2016
And finally, Office expressed its excitement at The Great British Bake Off gracing our screens once more – although how it is set to cash in on cookery clamour is less clear.
.@BritishBakeOff - anyone else remember this? Can't wait for the new season! #GBBO pic.twitter.com/ecr92fu8ZY
— OFFICE Shoes (@OfficeShoes) August 16, 2016
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