Innovative bakery brand, Deli Kitchen, owned by Signature Flatbreads, continues to drive the category with strong growth in the final 12 weeks of 2024. Total unit sales were up 69% vs the previous year, with its Greek Style Flatbreads leading the charge (+20% YoY). The brand is continually seeing double-digit YoY growth and with the flatbreads category growing by 17% YoY, there is huge opportunity for greater growth in 2024.
Deli Kitchen shares four key areas of focus for the business as it sees a bumper Q4 and its recipe for success during the cost-of-living crisis and an increasingly competitive market.
Adapting to emerging trends and changes in Brit’s eating habits
The strong performance aligns with increasing interest in world cuisine, with 92% of Brits now eating it at home[2]. Consumers are looking for innovative mealtime solutions and Deli Kitchen is meeting this demand. The brand puts a unique take on the world’s favourite bakery products, to inspire people to eat more adventurously at home. It has brought multiple category firsts to the market, including Deli Kitchen Indian Spiced Wraps which launched in September 2023 and is already seeing strong sales.
Ensuring easy accessibility to the product
Deli Kitchen is available in all major UK grocery retailers and the range includes Greek Style Flatbreads, Sliced Focaccia, Persian Style Flatbreads, Garlic Tear & Share Flatbreads, Indian Spiced Wraps, Carb Lite Wraps and Rustic Pizza Flatbreads.
Increasing production capacity
Its parent company, Signature Flatbreads is two years into a significant investment plan to drive ambitious growth across its Deli Kitchen brand and own label offering. The company is expanding the production capacity at its Dunstable HQ which now bakes 2.6 billion bread products in the UK each year and employs around 1,800 people.
Investing in marketing and influencer partnerships to boost brand awareness
Deli Kitchen is continuing to invest in its marketing for 2024 to promote further brand awareness. Social media and influencer partnerships will drive part of this strategy as trends continue to have a big impact on the bakery market. Deli Kitchen has partnered with well-known creators like El Burrito Monster to help demonstrate the versatility of its products and inspire consumers to experiment, reaching tens of millions of social media users in the process. 2024 will also see continued investment in influencer marketing and a bigger Summer marketing campaign.
Joint MD of Signature Flatbreads, David Laurence, said: “Our commitment to driving innovation has helped us build a strong brand in Deli Kitchen and the growth demonstrates this. This year, against the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis, consumers have been eager to find high-quality, versatile and inspiring options to eat at home and Deli Kitchen has been there to meet that need. We are continuing to invest in production capabilities and a strong NPD pipeline for 2024 and expect to see the brand go from strength to strength.”
