The French company Banette, offering the license to produce flour and open bakery retail shops under the Banette trademark, has gone through major shifts in their market, and they have been required to fundamentally change their sales. Read more about their history, their journey and how they have approached the challenges they have faced.
The challenge
Bread consumption in France has significantly declined from 300 grams per person per day in 1950 to 129 grams today. This reduced demand has led to an oversupply of flour, with mills struggling to find clients. The rise of fast food has disrupted traditional meals, and bakers now compete with fast-food chains.
“We’ve fundamentally changed our paradigm”
Philippe Cavagna, Managing Director, Banette
The solution
Banette is working with Mercuri International to adapt to this change and to shift from a technocommercial sales talk to a comprehensive quality consultancy. It’s about developing the sales activity in the bakeries. The rules for retail distribution must all be integrated into the learning:
- promotional operations
- attractive exterior
- aggressive marketing
- efficient management.
It is essential to go where the customer is, to outperform businesses that offer substitutes to bread. Banette can no longer restrict itself to bread and the bakery.
The outcome
Post-collaboration results for Banette
- Despite Banette’s quality still attracting buyers, it can’t meet all demands. The snacking market is booming, and bakers must adapt to new retail techniques.
- The baker’s world has been turned upside down, and they must join forces to create a selling approach suited to today’s world.
Banette established in 1981, offers a comprehensive package to support bakers. This includes the Banette branding, licenses for producing flour and opening bakery retail shops under the Banette trademark, marketing and seasonal promotional support, and technical assistance and training. This approach helps bakers maintain high-quality standards and effectively compete in the market.
Conclusion
The world of baking and bread-making is not an easy one, constantly threatened by fast food and the latest trends, it struggles to maintain its identity and uniqueness. However, with Mercuri and training based on achievable goals, we can say that the challenges seem less impossible.
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