Cream cheese shortage be damned! Einstein Bros. Bagels will be ramping up demand for schmears with a new line of packaged bagels available in Amazon Fresh and Walmart stores just in time for National Bagel Day on January 15th.
The brand’s new Take & Toast Bagels represent the QSR chain’s most popular varieties – plain, everything, asiago cheese and cinnamon raisin and will be sold in packages of five. The bagels are baked in the company’s ovens and ready for home tossing.
A video accompanying the product launch depicts the process, with a baker putting the bagels in her industrial oven and them being withdrawn into a family’s home for breakfast. Onscreen text reading, “From our Bakery to Your Toaster or Oven,” drives the message home.
“We take bagel innovation seriously in our bakeries and we are proud to offer that same fresh-baked bagel experience at home, ensuring everyone can have a taste of America’s best bagels,” said Ernie Martin, head of consumer packaged goods at Einstein Bros. Bagels, in a statement.
While buying QSR-branded or licensed products is not new (Krispy Kreme, White Castle and TGI Friday’s have been selling items in stores for years, the COVID-19 pandemic has created some urgency to develop new channels to reach consumers. Brands ranging from Shake Shack to Denny’s to Chick-fil-A have been offering DIY Kits to consumers, according to Trendhunder.com. Last October, Red Lobster launched a line of frozen, ready-to-bake versions of its Cheddar Bay Biscuits, in addition to its own line of biscuit mixes.
“With the current limitation on public settings and locations, consumers are increasingly craving products and services that were part of their routines before the outbreak,” reads a report on Trendhunder. “In order to satisfy what they’re missing out on, they seek out products and services that offer convenient ways for them to re-create familiar elements from their usual routines, but in a way that prioritizes safety.”
