With the day of hearts directly on the horizon, I had the chance to reflect on the opportunities and impacts of this and other eating holidays with cheesy expert Kaya Freiman, Communications Manager for Emmi Roth.
“In-store displays that offer ideas for elevated at-home meal occasions or little luxuries are often front and center around Valentine’s Day. Specialty cheese is a versatile ingredient that can help provide flavor and experience for consumers. From fondue to three-course meals at home to heart-shaped cheese and a stunning cheeseboard, there are so many ways for retailers to inspire consumers to go beyond chocolate and flowers and build bigger baskets this time of year,” Kaya shared when I asked about utilizing such promotional opportunities.
When it comes to date nights or gatherings like Valentine's Day, Emmi Original Fondue in particular offers everything consumers need in a single box. Premium Swiss cheese, wine, and spices are perfect for gathering around the melting pot and making memories. The package includes serving suggestions, which Kaya pointed out as making it easy for anyone to create a tasty, beautiful experience at home.
“The staying power of ‘girl dinner’ has also kept cheese boards in the spotlight,” she shared. “Roth Cheese Grand Cru®, Havartis, and Goudas are the perfect companions for a special Galentine’s Day cheese board to please a crowd. Cowgirl Creamery also showcases a limited-release triple cream, bloomy rind heart-shaped cheese, Heart’s Desire, which is perfect for Valentine’s Day celebrations. Meanwhile, Tête De Moine Rosettes and their stunning floral shape also offer an easy and elegant way to add romance to a cheese board or meal.”
Beyond the candlelit opportunities are snacking trends, which remain a strong push for the category across generations.
“At Emmi Roth, we are continuing to see snacking cheeses as an opportunity to expand consumption. As seen in our consumer research, more than 70 percent of consumers who purchase deli specialty cheese say they consume it as a midday snack. This is evident in our growth of Roth snacking cheese rounds which are up nearly 10 percent in dollars vs. a year ago,” Kaya concluded, pointing out that Circana has identified a “snackification trend.” “Circana noted it continues to see consumers do more of this throughout the day as they look for ways to cut more time from meal prep. For the year ending in March 2024, SnackTrack shows 37 percent of main meals contained a snack item compared to 29 percent in 2010.”
With a whole lot of love building for these offerings beyond the holiday of hearts, Deli Market News will be sure to continue to report the latest.
