Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/68592
Transcontinental Cookies Whether you're looking for a traditional shortbread from Scotland, dulce de leche alfajores from Argentina or updates to a European classic such as Moravian cookies, the market for international sweets continues to grow—especially around the holidays. BY DENISE SHOUKAS N ot just a favorite go-to sweet, cookies can be a way to connect to one's heritage or learn a little about someone else's. Classic recipes and innovative flavors are sharing the spotlight, while region- al favorites are going international. And with strong sales, their appeal shows no sign of crumbling. Palatable Success For six consecutive years cookie sales have increased in the United States. According to Nielsen Perishables Group's Fresh Facts research, in 2011 cookie sales averaged $1,004 in sales per store per week, a 1.6 percent increase over 2010; in that year, cookie sales peaked during the last weeks of December. Wayne Seibert, international buyer at Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield, Ohio, carries 36 feet of standalone cookies in the store's international section, mainly covering Germany, Britain and Italy, with other coun- tries' cookies integrated into specific sections. "We see a huge increase in sales during the holidays," Seibert notes. From left: Lars' Own Swedish Ginger Snaps; Walkers Shortbread Scottie Dogs; Cookies con Amore Biscotti; Grandma Rubin's Peppernuts; Cookies con Amore Amaretti; Dulce Caramel Co. Dulceletts, Alfajores; Ouma South African Rusks; DeBeukelaer Corp. Piroulines; Douwe Egberts Speculoos; Göteborgs Ballerina Cookies; Salem Baking Co. Moravian Sugar Cookies; Douwe Egberts Mini Stroopwafels. PHOTOS: MARK FERRI; FOOD STYLED BY LESLIE ORLANDINI; PROPS STYLED BY FRAN MATALON-DEGNI JULY/AUGUST 2012 93