SeaBreeze Cupcakes

Phoenix Challenge

Abstract

The Phoenix Challenge is a year-long International college-level competition that places a focus on flexographic printing and package design. Each year, our team works with a business to redesign their packaging from start to finish. This year, Phoenix Challenge chose to work with SeaBreeze cupcakes, a company local to Cal Poly in the heart of San Luis Obispo’s downtown. We chose this company because many small businesses have suffered as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and it felt important to provide access to high quality branding and packaging for a local brand that was experiencing this.

Introduction

After researching SeaBreeze’s brand values and current customer base, it seemed there was a great opportunity for a packaging redesign that could increase visibility as well as expand access to the current target market. Because the bakery mainly deals with jobs for special occasions like weddings and birthdays, the owner and team identified opportunities to develop packaging that could make customer celebrations even more memorable. The bakery also recently underwent a rebrand, but this was not reflected throughout all of their products. New packaging for the bakery’s products would better reflect the bakery’s updated branding, which in turn could help them develop a stronger brand image. By designing unique and consistent branding throughout their products, we hope to increase brand awareness and sales for the bakery.

Methodology Industry Data

As of 2020, the global bakery products market reached a value of $331.37 billion, and is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.6% between 2021 and 2026 to reach a market value of $436.91 billion (Expert Market Research, n.d.). The retail sales of fresh bakery products in the U.S. has also grown from 22.5% in 2013 to 24.2% in 2018 (Flower Foods, 2019). In the 2020 Consumer Expenditure Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average U.S. household spends around $428 dollars on bakery products in a year, a $36 increase from 2018 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021). The top three factors influencing bakery purchases are price, quality, and freshness. According to Linkage Research and Consulting, when purchasing items from a fresh bakery, 67% of consumers chose quality as the most important factor, followed by freshness at 66%, and price at 59%. Our research demonstrates that the bakery industry is still growing and will continue to be a viable market for premium products and packaging.

Demographic

According to Linkage Research and Consulting, “100% of U.S. consumers report their household purchased a baked good in the last year.” Although there is not a definitive demographic for the consumers of baked goods, the American Bakers Association (ABA) states that Millennials and Gen Z are the biggest consumers of bakery items. In a study conducted by the ABA in 2019, 62% of Millennials and Gen Z reported purchasing a sweet baked good in the past week (Juhl, 2019). Furthermore, as older adults begin to limit their sugar and carbohydrate intake due to health concerns, 78% of younger consumers report eating carbohydrates in their regular diet and are not dissuaded from purchasing baked goods because of health concerns (Juhl, 2019).

Based on this information, Millennials and Gen Z seem to be the major consumers of bakery goods on a national level. While our research does not show a definitive count for the number of bakery consumers in San Luis Obispo, we can approximate the number of consumers using the information provided by the ABA. Because we know that the majority of consumers are Millennials and Gen Z, we can estimate the number of potential consumers in the San Luis Obispo area. According to the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce, the current population is around 45,541 people, roughly 52% Millennial and Gen Z. In addition, San Luis Obispo is a well known college town with around 32,471 college students from Cal Poly and Cuesta College that belong to the Millennial and Gen Z generations (California Polytechnic State University, 2021; Cuesta College, 2019). The local demographic in San Luis Obispo aligns with the national demographic, illustrating that Millennials and Gen Z are a viable and desirable target market.

Target Market

Breanne Bielawa, the owner of SeaBreeze Bakery & Sweet Treats, stated that the bakery’s target market is primarily women aged 25 to 40. However, according to the American Bakers Association, Millennials and Gen Z are becoming the biggest consumers of baked goods. Because of the growing Millennial and Gen Z consumer base of bakery goods, we wanted to expand the bakery’s target market to include younger consumers that are more representative of the demographic of San Luis Obispo, while still retaining their current customer base. By expanding our target market to include Gen Z and Millennials, there is higher opportunity for the bakery to increase their sales and visibility.

To better target our products toward Millennials and Gen Z, it was important to gain consumer insight and analyze the consumer behavior of our desired target market. In analyzing Millennials and Gen Z’s purchasing behavior, it is evident that sustainability and nutrition are major factors influencing purchasing decisions. Consumers are beginning to place a greater emphasis on sustainability when making purchases. In a 2021 survey conducted by First Insight and Baker Retailing Center at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, it was found that 75% of Gen Z and 61% of Millennials surveyed “prefer sustainability over the brand name of products” (Women’s Wear Daily, 2021). Although younger consumers prioritize sustainability more than other generations, the survey showed that shoppers across all generations are beginning to consider sustainability when making purchases. Furthermore, 73% of all survey respondents felt that sustainable packaging is very or somewhat important today compared to 58% in 2019, which shows consumers’ growing interest towards the environment (Business Wire, 2021). Because most consumers value sustainability especially our target market —it was important for our team to consider the sustainability of our products. Millennials and Gen Z are also very concerned about the nutrition and quality of the bakery items they are purchasing. The Free From Forum’s Market Monitor’s survey found that 50% of consumers want bakery goods with better-for-you attributes such as all- natural, low sugar/sugar free, organic, etc. According to the ABA’s 2019 survey, the most important nutritional descriptors for Gen Z and Millennials are “whole grains,” “freshness,” and “natural ingredients,” and 48% of respondents stated that they would be more likely to purchase a company’s product if the ingredients were responsibly sourced (Juhl, 2019). Since consumers place a great emphasis on the nutrition and quality of the products they purchase, it was important for us to communicate in our designs the fresh, high-quality baked goods SeaBreeze produces.

Industry Resources and Consults

Irene

Carbonell | Packaging Structure

Lecturer & Researcher, Industrial Technology & Packaging, Cal Poly

Irene Carbonell is a lecturer and researcher of Industrial Technology and Packaging in Orfalea College of Business. She teaches and mentors student projects in various courses of the packaging program regarding packaging design, performance, and materials testing. Professor Carbonell helped the team refine the dieline for our paperboard carton and addressed structural concerns. A few pain points that she mentioned were the lack of dust flaps and friction on our initial die lines. To better protect the glass extract bottles, she suggested that we redesign our die line to optimize the friction and increase protection for the products. Professor Carbonell’s knowledge of paperboard and its structural integrity allowed us to better refine our design and consider structural elements for future packaging solutions.

Nick Cooper | Prepress

Lecturer, Graphic Communication Cal Poly

Nick Cooper graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Communication concentrating in Graphics for Packaging. After graduation, he worked as the Prepress Manager for Custom Label & Decal, LLC, where he created proofs for customers, set up press-ready files for both flexo and digitally printed narrow web labels, and was heavily involved in flexographic platemaking. He has returned to Cal Poly as a Graphic Communication lecturer and Equipment Technician for the department. Nick was an integral part of the prepress and printing process, assisting our team in preparing files for plate making using the Esko software.

Mike DeMilo | Sustainability

Owner of Science Discovery, San Luis Obispo, CA

Mike De Milo is a California Polytechnic State University alum and the owner of Science Discovery, a water conservation and recycling education center located in San Luis Obispo. De Milo founded his company in 1994 with the hopes of educating students about recycling and composting to local schools. The company is now providing over 1,500 education programs each year. We have been fortunate enough to have De Milo speak in several of our courses about these important topics and thought he would be the perfect individual to help us gain better understanding of how to make our pieces recyclable. He guided our substrate and material decisions to determine their level of sustainability. When we completed our production, he examined whether our pieces are 100% recyclable in San Luis Obispo country’s recycling facilities, and concluded that they are.

Lorraine Donnegan | Design Professor, Graphic Communication Cal Poly

Lorraine Donegan is a professor at the California Polytechnic State University with more than 20 years of experience in the graphic design and production industries. In her teaching, she links design with technology in an effort to prepare students to understand the language and role of the graphic designer, the print provider, and the final product. The design team was fortunate to speak with Lorraine about design considerations for packaging and labels. She provided advice on how to streamline the prototyping process by working backwards from existing samples. Additionally, she gave valuable insight on how to properly communicate our client’s existing brand while developing new packaging solutions.

Malcolm Keif | Press Professor, Graphic Communication Cal Poly

Dr. Malcolm Keif, a Graphic Communication California Polytechnic State alumnus, has taught at the university level since 1990. He primarily taught a flexographic printing course where he went over FIRST specifications and certain characteristics of flexo printing. He previously served as the Phoenix Challenge advisor for multiple years. His experience was valuable during our press run as he guided us throughout the printing process. He explained why we came across certain issues and how to navigate them.

Competition and Positioning

With the U.S. baking industry consisting of around 6,000 retail and 3,000 commercial bakeries, small local businesses face a lot of competition because of the multiple distribution channels for baked goods (Woodruff, 2019). In the survey analysis by the Free From Forum’s Market Monitor, the preferred retail channel for consumers seeking to purchase fresh bakery goods were traditional grocery stores (i.e. Albertsons, Kroger, etc.) at 55%. Mass merchandise stores such as Walmart and Target closely followed at 43%. Local bakeries were the third most preferred platform at 25%. The multiple distribution channels for baked goods makes the bakery industry very competitive, especially for local bakeries, which is why it is important to distinguish SeaBreeze from their competitors.

Our team performed a SWOT analysis weighing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the company before analyzing its competitors, as shown in Figure 1. With the U.S. baking industry consisting of roughly 6,000 retail and 3,000 commercial bakeries, small local businesses face a lot of competition (Woodruff, 2019). In the survey analysis by the Free From Forum’s Market Monitor, the preferred retail channel for consumers seeking to purchase fresh bakery goods were traditional grocery stores (i.e. Albertsons, Kroger, etc.) at 55%. Mass merchandise stores such as Walmart and Target closely followed at 43%. Local bakeries were the third most preferred platform at 25%. Competitors are displayed below in a perceptual map in Figure 2. The multiple distribution channels for baked goods makes the bakery industry very competitive, especially for local bakeries.

Strengths

High quality ingredients and products

Beautiful hand-decorated custom cakes

Gluten free, vegan options

Made to order — everything is fresh

Inviting ambience and great location

Opportunities

Expand target market

Establish a consistent brand identity

Increase visibility and presence in SLO

Customize packaging for specific occasions

Weaknesses

Lack of branding

Limited to baking for special occasions

High price point

Small target market

No online ordering system

Threats

Traditional grocery stores

Other bakeries in SLO

Trend towards home baking

Limited celebrations due to pandemic

Figure 1 SWOT Analysis

Concept

When analyzing the current state of the bakery, we identified two main problems with the branding and packaging they were using. The first problem is their lack of unique and attention-grabbing packaging. In San Luis Obispo, there are numerous local bakeries in addition to grocery stores that sell baked goods, which highlights the importance of creating unique packaging that differentiates itself from other competitors. SeaBreeze’s initial packaging for their cupcakes was a standard solid bleached sulfate paperboard stamped with the logo on the bottom right corner of the lid. This is very similar to their competitors, which makes it hard for SeaBreeze to distinguish themselves. Because they position themselves as a high-quality bakery, it was important to develop packaging that incorporated design elements that better showcased their brand to consumers. The second problem our team identified was that their current branding was not consistent. The bakery recently underwent a rebrand in which they developed a new logo that better reflected a modern yet rustic farmhouse style. Though the bakery had received a new brand logo and style, it was not being used consistently among their products, ultimately weakening their brand image and professionalism. To address these problems, our team planned to improve and strengthen their brand identity by developing a branding guide with a standard color palette, typeface, and the bakery’s new logo

Market and Product Trends

With people being able to gather in safe conditions again, many are looking for baked goods for their celebrations and social occasions. In a survey conducted by Euromonitor International’s Global Life Consumer Lifestyles survey, 60% of consumers under the age of 44 felt that it is important to spend money on experiences, illustrating that baked goods need to provide more than just good flavor. According to Barry Callebeaut, a leading manufacturer of chocolate and cocoa products, states, “baked goods that wow consumers by delivering on a unique experience, especially a unique visual, can drive consumers to want to share their amazing experiences with others...” (Barry Callebaut, 2018). With consumers willing to spend more on unique experiences, bakeries need to strive to develop specialty products that excite consumers. The bakery industry has also seen a shift towards health and nutrition. Consumers are now seeking healthier and nutritious options when purchasing baked goods. When shown a list of better-for-you attributes, 57% of respondents stated that one or more of the better-for-you attributes was important in their decision to purchase a bakery product. The most important attribute for consumers purchasing from a fresh bakery was the all-natural quality (27%). Clean label/limited ingredients and nothing artificial followed at 25%. From these industry trends, it is evident that consumers are willing to spend more on goods that are unique, high-quality, and nutritious. The bakery trends show that there is a high demand and rising market for specialty and premium bakery products, and it is a viable market for our team to develop packaging solutions for. In addition, these trends helped to inform our design decisions and ensure that we develop a design that will appeal and align with consumer interests.

Survey

Our team sent out a survey to Cal Poly students to gain insight into the color palettes and designs that would appeal to our target market. From the survey, we asked respondents to choose a color palette from three options that best reflected the bakery’s clean, organic, and modern farmhouse style. The most popular color palette from these responses was used throughout our designs and branding. The survey also helped to inform the material, structure, and design of the cupcake box we were developing. For the cupcake box, our team was debating between a matte black, glossy black, and kraft material. Respondents felt that the kraft material better aligned with their expectations of the bakery. Our target market also preferred having a clear panel to view the cupcakes versus an opaque box. However, due to sustainability concerns, which was a big priority in our designs, the team decided to go with an opaque box. Additionally, the survey found that 84.6% of respondents preferred the handle compared to a traditional box. Overall, these insights helped to inform our design decisions when creating our products by gaining an understanding of what our target market likes and dislikes.

Cost Considerations

Because SeaBreeze is a small business, it was important to consider the cost effectiveness of our packaging solutions so the bakery could spend their money as efficiently as possible. Solutions that do not require the bakery to print on the actual boxes are more cost effective because boxes can be purchased at a lower, bulk price. We also found it was more effective to print on the band for the extract box because this allows the bakery to easily alter the information based on unique extract flavors or change the color of the band to match a specific theme compared to ordering custom printed boxes. As for the cupcake box stickers, we found it more efficient to customize a box by applying a sticker rather than purchasing limited quantities of custom printed boxes for each special occasion.

Design

The updated SeaBreeze logo is black and white and features a classic serif typeface with rustic elements. The SeaBreeze storefront is located in the downtown SLO Creamery Marketplace, which is an open-air market that contains a variety of hip small businesses. The owner of SeaBreeze, Breanne, admires the modern rustic and farmhouse style of the Creamery, which is why her new logo is simple and focuses mainly on typographic elements and clean lines.

While the updated logo is a step up from SeaBreeze’s prior branding, the business lacks a clear brand identity. The website dates itself by featuring their original logo, packaging lacks design consistency, and there is no obvious color scheme. To assist in Breanne’s shelf appeal and brand recognition, we decided that the rebrand must take into consideration cohesiveness with the updated logo, a recognizable color palette, and organic or rustic elements throughout each packaging item. Figure 3 displays the final color palette and font decisions.

FIRST Specifications

When designing the labels, we took into consideration FIRST specifications to ensure high-quality products with minimal printing errors. The typefaces that we chose have thin lines and serifs, so we decided on a 9 pt minimum and increased the type weight to improve legibility. In addition, we trapped all text and graphic elements to prevent misregistration in the press run. Once we had our final designs, we spoke with lecturer Nick Cooper and he assisted us in conducting proper file preparation. Nick suggested that we add an additional 0.5 stroke to the vector graphics to prevent misregistration caused by line variation in the illustration. It was also brought to our attention that we needed to overprint the dielines, which would have caused a white knockout on labels. By following design considerations and proper file preparation, we were able to improve efficiency during the press run and prevent unnecessary errors.

FDA Nutrition Labeling

In our extract label design, we referred to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to ensure our designs met the FDA nutrition labeling laws. In accordance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, all packaged foods and dietary supplements must have nutrition labeling unless they qualify for a small business nutrition labeling exemption. The exemption applies to low volume products whose business “employs fewer than an average of 100 full-time equivalent employees and fewer than 100,000 units of that product are sold in the United States in a 12-month period” (U.S. Food and Drug Administration [USFDA], 2017). Because the bakery sells low volumes of the extracts and employs fewer than 100 full-time employees, they do not require nutrition labeling.

Sustainability

A major focus point for this project was sustainability. With a combination of research and interviews with professionals in the industry, we were able to develop pieces that are 100% recyclable in San Luis Obispo County’s recycling facilities. One of our concerns was whether the potential oil stains from frosting or extracts would impact the packaging’s recyclability. Consultant De Milo confirmed that the inserts we created would protect the carrying box from being contaminated. He also mentioned that even if food products did touch the package, the ratio of food to packaging material is such a small percentage that it would not pose a threat to recyclability. Additionally, to keep things eco-friendly and food safe, we incorporated a water-based varnish on the extract box band to highlight the three-bottle products inside. Considering sustainability as the main focus of this project, we were debating whether using glue in packaging structure is less sustainable compared with packaging with no glue at all. Our initial packaging prototype was focused on using no glue and structuring the packaging only by folding and tucking the flaps. The goal with this approach was to eliminate the glue entering the recycling stream and use fewer chemicals. After experimenting with glueless dielines, we realized the structure of the box makes it difficult to step and repeat on a large sheet of paperboard, which potentially creates more waste in production. To reduce waste and improve production efficiency, we developed dielines that would use glue on only one flap. De Milo advised, “even with a small amount of glue, it is a fraction of a percentage and would not impact the recycling.” The packaging dielines with minimal glue allowed us to reduce paperboard waste and produce more boxes from one sheet compared to dielines without glue. The extract boxes were designed to fit three glass bottles. To ensure security during transportation, it was decided that some type of cushion or divider should be included. Our initial concept was to develop a separate insert that has a dimension of 18.5” x 1.5”. This long strip was designed to be folded into six sections that created two upside-down “Ts” to divide the glass bottles. While it protected the bottles, it also used additional materials, which was not ideal. Hence, we explored the concept of repurposing window cutouts. The materials cut off are often removed as waste. However, if these materials could be used to protect the glass bottles, that would be an even more sustainable solution. We made the opening windows with creases and cuts that create 0.25” folded pieces, which not only form the window to show the product, but also cushion the bottles.

Prepress

According to FIRST, digital files for printing on the flexo press have to be prepared specifically to compensate for registration tolerance and dimensionality of the features. Typical preparation of the digital files includes checking trapping and overprints. Consultant Nick Cooper suggested increasing the width of reversed lines to align with the FIRST specifications. After the digital files were finalized, they were sent to Multi-Color Corporation at San Luis Obispo for plate production because the Esko CDI in our lab was removed and was not replaced during the time of this project. We also took production efficiency into consideration when step- and-repeating products. To maximize efficiency, we decided to use three sets of plates to print our three products. This strategy minimized plate and ink changes on the eightcolor flexo press. With three sets of plates, we were able to print two colors out of the four print stations for every set of plates. In between each press run, we simply changed two plates and substrates without changing the inks on the press. One set of the plates is for the cupcake box stickers with Pantone 7527 and process black. The second set of the plates is for cupcake box stickers and extract labels with Pantone 7476 and process black. The third set of plates is for the extract box band with Pantone 7476 and the water-based varnish. Dielines were sent to MAXCESS to make magnetic flexible dies. We produced one set of dies for the stickers and labels for pressure sensitive materials and the other for the extract box band on paperboard.

Execution

Because we knew the bakery caters towards many special occasions such as birthdays, graduations, and weddings, we thought it would be nice to have custom stickers for each occasion that can be applied to their cupcake boxes. The personalization aspect helps to build a stronger relationship with consumers. In addition, the stickers incorporate the updated branding, and when applied to their cupcake boxes help differentiate SeaBreeze from their competitors. Figure 4 outlines specifications for the cupcake box stickers.

Cupcake Box Stickers

Environmental Conditions

Temperature: 69ºF

Humidity: 51.3 Rh

Extract Labels

When discussing with the owner of SeaBreeze, she mentioned that aside from baked goods the second product they sold the most were their extracts. Currently, the bakery sells extracts as single bottles with a basic white label that has text on it for product identification. In analyzing the design of the label, we found that the current label does not utilize a color or typeface that aligns with the bakery’s new branding. The current design is simple and does not incorporate any branding elements that distinguish their product from other local bakeries or grocery stores, demonstrated in Figure 5.1. Because the product is considered one of their most popular, our team thought there was a great opportunity to redesign the extract labels to align with the branding. Again, this would reinforce and strengthen their brand identity to consumers, while also differentiating themselves from competitors.

Environmental Conditions

Temperature: 70ºF

Humidity: 51.7 Rh

Extract Band

The owner stated that the extracts were a popular product at the bakery and showed interest in selling extracts in a three bottle gift set in addition to selling them individually. We wanted to prioritize sustainability and limit printing on the actual package as much as possible in order to maintain the recyclability of the packaging. As an alternative, we developed a 4” wide band that stretches close to the width of the box so that we could incorporate the branding elements and designs we developed. Although the owner wanted to maintain the exposed windows to showcase the extract bottles, the band would unfortunately cover these areas. As a solution, we created a design of three extract bottles on the front of the band that were printed with a water-based varnish in order for consumers to identify the products on the shelf. See Figure 6. In addition to the three extract bottles on the front of the band, the design follows the colors and typefaces of the updated brand guide in order to improve brand recognition and shelf appeal.

Environmental Conditions

Temperature: 69ºF

Humidity: 50.9 Rh

Figure

Discussion

During the three press runs, we encountered a few challenges including registration accuracy and printing quality. We followed the FIRST specification to achieve the best color registration accuracy as possible on our press, and the dies were registered to the printed products. When printing with the soft touch varnish, we experienced low coverage over the Pantone 7476 ink. The varnish was not printed solid enough to create the visual impact we expected. We decided to switch to a higher volume anilox roll to increase the amount of varnish laid down on the substrate. The appearance was improved after this correction. For pressure sensitive labels, the dies worked very well. When printing the extract band, the removed paperboard could not be gathered effectively on the collecting roll. Our press was not designed to die-cut the unsupported materials and it stopped the press constantly. We ultimately decided to disengage the dies from this press run and cut the final product on a Polar cutter after printing. In the proper production environment, the paperboard band would be die-cut after printing to streamline the workflow rather than die-cutting on a web press.

Another challenge we experienced were the streaks and banding shown on the large solid area printed on both the matte-coated paperboard and pressure sensitive label stock. Since the press we used was a 30-year-old geared press, the gear streaks were hard to avoid especially when printing with large solid areas. The streaks are even more noticeable when printing large areas of green or blue colors. Because our design consists of substantial solid areas and fine type all on one plate, our limited press faced challenges. The streaks would be less noticeable when printing with a servo press.

Conclusion

This project was an entire start to finish rebrand and repackage for SeaBreeze. By the end, we had successfully developed a branding solution based on market research, competitive landscape, and the client’s personal wishes. We also utilized a survey to collect information about a more concentrated, local demographic that might expand the bakery’s audience: Gen Z. Industry resources offered professional insight on sustainability, substrates/glues, design principles, and flexographic printing. We developed a design that considers the market’s needs and desires, is competitive with other bakeries, and is also 100% recyclable. In the process, this taught us that glue can be more sustainable than some dielines without it, depending on quantity. Finally, we used a water-based varnish to develop a sense of specialty, and created cushion separations for the extract bottles to prevent damage in the process of transportation. We followed FDA requirements and FIRST specifications, as well as measured the ΔE2000 for each substrate to maintain low color variation. Additionally, we tested package integrity and used a semi-gloss substrate to prevent rubbing off of the labels.

California Polytechnic State University

References

Barry Callebaut. (2018). Bakery trends: Make my day special. https:// www.barry-callebaut.com/en-US/manufacturers/trends-insights/ bakery-trends-make-my-day-special.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021, August 2). Cereal and bakery products expenditure of United States households from 2018 to 2020, by type (in U.S. dollars) [Graph]. Statista. https:// www-statista.com.ezproxy.lib.calpoly.edu/statistics/237252/ cereal-and-bakery-products-expenditures-of-united-states-households/.

Business Wire. (2021, November 23). The state of consumer spending: Gen Z influencing all generations to make sustainability-first purchase decisions https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211123005565/ en/The-State-of-Consumer-Spending-Gen-Z-Influencing-All-Generationsto-Make-Sustainability-First-Purchase-Decisions#:~:text=The survey%2C conducted by First,spend more for sustainable products.

California Polytechnic State University. (2021). Facts and Figures. https:// www.calpoly.edu/about/facts-and-figures

Cuesta College. (2020). Fast Facts. https://www.cuesta.edu/about/info/collegefacts.html

Flowers Foods. (2019, November 30). Retail sales of fresh bakery products in the United States from 2013 to 2018 (in billion U.S. dollars).[Graph]. Statista. https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.lib.calpoly.edu/statistics/864121/ fresh-bakery-retail-sales-us/

Juhl, K. (2019, April 18). ABA unveils most in-depth study on gen z consumers habits; reveals millenial perceptions of baked goods. American Bakers Association. https://americanbakers.org/news/aba-unveils-most-depth-studygen-z-consumers-habits-reveals-millennial-perceptions-baked-goods

Linkage Research and Consulting. (2019). 50% of consumers want bakery goods with better-for-you attributes. https://linkageresearch.com/bfy-bakery/ San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce. (2021). Demographics. https://slochamber.org/supporting-business/data-center/demographics/

Women’s Wear Daily. (2021, December 6). Report shows influence of Gen Z on other demographic groups. https://wwd.com/sustainability/business/ first-insight-report-1235010394/

Woodruff, J. (2019, July). Bakery industry analysis. Houston Chronicle. https:// smallbusiness.chron.com/bakery-industry-analysis-64831.html