Vilniaus Duona records a 40% increase in demand for bread before Christmas

Before Christmas, buyers in the country are in a hurry to stock up on more than just delicacies or treat themselves to rarer delicacies. "Vilniaus Duona" records a sharp increase in the demand for bread before the holidays. It reaches its peak just before Christmas Eve, when 1.5 times more bread is ordered.

"The demand that has increased by more than one and a half times is a big challenge. But we have already learned to deal with it, because it happens all Christmas. Together with the team, we review the forecasts of orders, discuss possible risks, loads, what promotions are taking place at our partners, whether we will be able to fulfill orders, and prepare for a wide variety of scenarios. So most of the time, it succeeds," says Vilma Šimienė, Head of Customer Service at Vilniaus Duona.

Heating order lines

The customer service manager predicts that the heat will be on December 23. Then you will have to bake about 40% more bread than usual. Accordingly, the customer center call loads are also growing, and a few days before the holidays, the number of requests increases by about a third. This spring, the company restructured its supply model in the Kaunas region, so it hopes to welcome these holidays a little more calmly.

"Already from December 20, orders start to increase and the order basket is getting longer, and the hottest one will be on Christmas Eve. Forecasts show that on that day, our bakeries in Vilnius and Panevėžys may have to bake 130 tons instead of the usual 80 tons. Everyone will be in a hurry to get their bread. After all, Lithuanian rye bread is inseparable from our Christmas Eve table," said V. Šimienė.

Demand is also determined by the day of the week for the holiday

She pointed out that the fluctuation in demand also depends a lot on which day of the week the holidays attack. Forecasts in supermarkets are made by demand planners. Orders that reach the bakery the day before usually leave for the next morning.

"Everyone wants fresh baked goods, so a week before they rarely get bread, although the shelf life of baguettes is five days, bread – five to ten days, depending on the type of bread. So you can really take care of the bread before Christmas Eve and it will be delicious at Christmas. Not to mention Christmas Eve cakes, they can be bought in advance," said V. Šimienė.

Most supermarkets have announced that they will be open on Christmas Eve, but for a shorter time. On the first day of Christmas, most supermarkets will be closed.

Can you redeem bread during the holidays?

"Since Christmas Eve is the last working day, supermarkets are already placing orders more carefully so that there are no leftovers for the non-working day. So if you want to choose your favorite, it is worth not leaving the purchase of bread for the last evening. Especially if it is not baguettes, but longer-maturing types of bread," advises V. Šimienė.

What bread do you usually buy for the holidays?

The representative of Vilniaus Duona commented that before the holidays, sales of a seasonal product – Christmas Eve cakes – increase significantly, as well as buyers more often add traditional bread pastries, bread with seeds, and sunflower seeds to their baskets.

"We have two types of Christmas Eve cakes – crispy "Beata virtuvė" with hemp and poppy seeds and soft Christmas Eve cakes. We notice that soft Christmas Eve cakes are becoming popular. Of the breads during the holidays, "Grandmother's" bread is very popular, its baking process lasts three days, it is from our authentic line. Dark rye bread is also popular. Order "Agota" black, bread with seeds, with sunflower, "Rugelis". And for many years now, the tops have included "Sostinė" baguette, "Agota" bread and "Toste" sandwich breads – these are the buyers' favorites," said V. Šimienė.

In total, the bakery's customers order from a range of more than 100 products.

About "Vilniaus duona"

"Vilniaus Duona" is the largest and oldest operating bakery in Lithuania, which manages such brands as "Sostinės", "Agota", "Močiutės", "Toste", "Rugelis" that are popular with consumers. It is owned by Lantmännen Unibake, the leader of baking companies in Scandinavia and the Baltic States.

The company's bakeries operate in Vilnius and Panevėžys, baking almost 100 tons of bread baked goods for Lithuanian consumers per day, all of them made from Lithuanian flour. The company employs about 360 employees and about 65 different positions. The company has been successfully operating in the market for more than 140 years.