Respond to this post:
Use at least two paragraphs, with 4-5 sentences each.
Cite an idea from the text, and put the page number
1.) Harvest Bakery is a bakery based out of Bristol, CT that specializes in numerous baked goods. Cakes, cookies, pies, doughnuts, even coffee are made fresh daily and served to local residents that have been visiting their store over other chains like Dunkin or Starbucks for years.
2.) A- Excellent customer service. Having grown up with their baked goods for years, I oftentimes know the people working behind the register on a first name basis. I have never once had a bad experience and their unmatched quality and speed ensures that I and many others continue to return. From the start Harvest Bakerys mission is to serve homemade quality baked goods with the best service possible, and while the cost of said goods may be high, it can usually be justified having tried their food for the first time (221).
B- Unique products that are hard to find elsewhere. Due to their homemade baked goods approach, almost every major holiday they will change the menu to reflect traditional foods. For example, during Saint Patricks Day, they made an abundance of Irish soda bread and hot cross buns. The idea of a differentiation strategy has been the core of Harvest Bakerys success, and while they dont necessarily try to implement the most revolutionary products, a customer is guaranteed quality with whatever product they choose to buy (227).
3.) A- Minimal marketing. Outside of word of mouth and local recommendations they do little to no advertising. While the majority of their market already knows of them, new residents to the area or even people passing through would almost certainly pass over them.
B- Single location. While it makes sense to focus on fewer stores, they have been in the same location for almost 80 years now and with no signs of opening a new storefront, it significantly limits their overall sales. Recently, they had a car drive through the store front and as a result, they had to shutdown until repairs were complete. Despite Route 6 being a popular road that could lead to more foot traffic, the chances of the aforementioned accident happening are much higher than if they were off a main road.
4.) A- Great location for foot traffic. One of the main reasons they can have new customers despite their minimal marketing is because they are on Route 6, one of the main roads in Bristol. Combined with their large sign out front, it becomes a lot harder to miss when driving through the area.
B- The new repairs lead to storefront improvements. While the store was shutdown for an extended period of time, they used that time to improve the overall in-store experience by increasing the amount of space customers can move in. While they have never been a place where you can sit and eat, oftentimes the store would be so crowded, lines would extend out past the front doors. With this new remodel, they have allowed for more people to fit inside creating a better customer experience.
5.) A- Chain competition. Companies like Dunkin and Starbucks have always been a go-to for a meal or coffee in a hurry and with a Dunkin on the same road, their customers are solely going there for the quality of baked goods. Since they focus more on their baked goods and less on overall advertising, while they almost always have a line, the line at said Dunkin is almost always longer and more than likely sees more customers in a given day.
B- Slow service time. With no way to implement a drive through and almost always a line to receive service, it becomes difficult to justify going to Harvest Bakery when in a rush. For those who are willing to wait, the food is unmatched but for those who are trying it for the first time, they may feel underwhelmed with what they receive, and depending on time and day of week, the wait time can become drastically longer.
HERE ARE 2 SAMPLES OF RESPONSES TO POST.
Hi Ben,
Your SWOT analysis of the local bakery was very interesting to read. Additionally, I’m glad the Bakery is back in business after the accident and the pandemic. the 80 years of operation are fantastic. I believe they can improve customer service by adding a drive-thru since they don’t have much space, so that would be a good idea and would give them an advantage over the competition. I believe the bakery has a lot of potential for growth.
Hi Ben,
This bakery seems very senimental to you as you have been going here for many years. It was very interesting to read that they do little to no marketing but experience a arge amount of customers due to their location and large sign. It’s sad to see that someone ran into the store causing them to shut down, but they used it to benefit the company by renovating the space for customers to eat and stand so the line isn’t out the door. Reading your post makes me want to go try it out.
