Convenience store operators are pleased by brisk sales of pre-paid cakes for Mother's Day tomorrow.
Easy customer access, including home delivery service for some cakes, was cited as the main reason for increased cake sales.
"This market has become more mature than before. People tend to accept this kind of consumption mode," said Esther Lin (
Citing its cooperation with Isabelle Taiwan Co (
In the month before Mother's Day, FamilyMart sold out all 15,000 cakes it had prepared to distribute at its 1,589 outlets nationwide, Lin said.
Lillian Lin (林立莉), public relations manager for President Chain Store Corp (統一超商), said that although pre-paid sales only account for a small part of its revenues, more than 3,500 7-Eleven outlets intend to highlight their advantage ? convenience ? so that "nearly every-thing can be done at 7-Eleven."
Lin said people are too busy to buy cakes at ordinary bakeries.
"Busy schedules have helped lift sales of pre-paid Mother's Day cakes at our outlets from last year's 50,000 cakes to this year's 100,000 within only three weeks," Lillian Lin said. "It is foreseeable that next year we'll set the goal higher, as consumer response is quite ardent and positive."
President Chain's home delivery service, Takkyubin (宅急便), also made possible home delivery of various types of cakes that must be kept chilled, she said.
Given the extensive networks that major convenience store chains have established nationwide, will these operators expand their competitive pressure on bakeries during other holidays? Industry officials shrugged off this concern, saying that bakeries and chain stores occupy different market segments.
"Freshness is the top standard customers can be assured from our products," said Shih Hsing-ju (
Another major bakery chain said its customer base is different from that of convenience stores.
Grace Fanchen (
"Their stepping into the cake market has no impact on our business at all," Fanchen said.
An official with Ganso (
Product manager Sally Baw (
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