PASS THE COOKIES

Across town — not very far in Minot, which has a population of fewer than 40,000 — Arrowhead Miracle Mart is expanding its Cookie Extravaganza. A one-day event last year, the Extravaganza has been spread out to three days, and Sunny Guraedy, the store's bakery manager and prize-winning cake decorator, is looking to at least double sales. “It was successful last year. Our theme is ‘Let us do your holiday baking,’ and people respond to that, but it was too short.

“I think we missed some people. We want the 25-to-50 crowd. The people inclined to take things to work with them. So we expanded to three days, and also expanded the hours into the evening. This year, it'll be Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-8, and all three days from 11 to 6 o'clock. Last year it was just Friday from 10 to 4.”

The 18 varieties of traditional cookies are sourced from outside, but Guraedy stresses that they are top quality. “They're excellent, like you'd bake at home.”

The bakery showed off what else it can do the weekend of Nov. 10 at its annual Taste of the Holidays event.

“We reminded customers early this year about the event. Our store was completely remodeled in the spring, giving us an open-production bakery. People are able to look around and see more this year,” Guraedy said.

The in-store bakery always plays a big role in retailers' storewide holiday events.

“Our holiday open houses, with lots of sampling and demos, have become more popular each year,” said Postell at Piggly Wiggly Carolina.

“This is the first year we've done a holiday open house across the board on one specific day. Every store is involved.”

Previously, not all the stores held an open house, and those that did didn't do it on the same day. The purpose of coordinating the effort this year, Postell said, is to let Piggly Wiggly's customers “know we're ready, that this is the kickoff to a great holiday season.”

No matter what the ISB comes up with, it's Charleston cheesecake that usually takes the cake at the chain's holiday events, Postell told SN. And it's a safe bet that the local favorite, which boasts a brown sugar glaze on top, will command a prominent spot in a large gourmet cake section added to most stores just over a year ago. Cobbler, especially blackberry cobbler — a signature item that's very popular in the chain's market area — will continue to be a star, too. Whipped cream cake, too, with fresh raspberries, is an old favorite at Piggly Wiggly. Other than those standouts, Piggly Wiggly does a huge business with traditional pumpkin and pecan pies during the holidays, Postell said.

Since people treat themselves to their favorites this time of year, and they know where to get them, Piggly Wiggly doesn't look to add a whole lot of new items. Nor does Ferguson & Hassler, a full-line, family owned supermarket in Quarryville, Pa.

Even though the store is in Pennsylvania Dutch country, traditional baked goods like pumpkin pie, fresh dinner rolls and cookie trays are what customers are looking for during the holidays, co-owner Tim Hassler said.

“That's what people want, and they like the convenience of coming to us for them instead of having to make them at home.”

Another retailer told SN that rather than look for new items, he's deliberately trimming categories and even the varieties within the categories.

“We're cutting back on what we're bringing in so we can better control the gross,” said Robert Quintanilla, bakery-deli director at 19-unit Scolari Food & Drug, Sparks, Nev.

“We don't need a whole lot of things. We do need an item we can do different things with, like use different icings, but we have too much variety, some things that just don't sell. We're subtracting, not adding. It's our upscale apple and pumpkin pies our customers come to us for during the holidays.”

Kowalski's Beaird gave SN his own take on what customers are seeking at holiday time: a combination of upscale products and upscale service like that at Kowalski's.

Even some people who do some of their weekly shopping elsewhere will come to Kowalski's during the holidays, he said.

“We're known in the area to be upscale. Everybody know us for freshness and quality, and that's particularly what they want for the holidays.”