Flour and caster sugar sales at risk as Bake Off’s future crumbles
Britain is reeling from the news that the iconic Mary Berry has quit Bake Off, and the retail industry is set to suffer some collateral damage.
Sales of baking goods such as caster sugar, flour and golden syrup have all been boosted since Bake Off began at the start of this month – sales that could crumble if viewers are less inspired by Channel 4's version of the show.
Read more: "Farewell to soggy bottoms": Mary Berry quits GBBO but Paul Hollywood stays
Wannabe bakers have been stocking their shelves to try out Marry Berry's recipes. According to data from online grocery service mySupermarket, sales of baking goods have increased by 12 per cent since the show began at the end of August.
Monthly sales of caster sugar and flour have increased 10 per cent and 16 per cent respectively, and golden syrup sales are up by 15 per cent.
Ben Latham, director of digital strategy at online retail specialist Summit, said: "Thus far, the show has had a huge impact on customer demand, which represents a great opportunity for retailers and manufacturers to boost sales and grow their brand. The show’s enormous number of viewers plays no small part in this.
Read more: Bake-xit: Two Bake Off hosts to leave programme after move from BBC
"While the move to Channel 4 could see the show’s consumer influence increase with even more on-screen branding and advertising opportunities, the loss of three key personalities is likely to have an impact on the number of viewers of the show itself. If that number decreases, then the influence it has on consumers will decrease too."
Summit research found online searches for Jaffa Cakes grew by 900 per cent after the first episode of Bake Off, and on the evening of the second show, interest in Viennese whirls hit the roof, up by 2,000 per cent.