STORY: BAKO launches Bakers.Market to help independent bakers sell online

National bakery products distributor BAKO North Western Group has launched a new website to help independent bakers grow their sales by selling online through COVID-19 and beyond.

www.bakers.market is the UK’s first online marketplace for lovers of fresh bakery products to find, order and securely pay for collection or delivery from their local bakery.

Bakeries, either with or without an existing online store, can register on the site, which is open to all independent bakeries in the UK, whether they are existing customers of BAKO or not.

BAKO says bakeries don’t need any web design or technical IT skills to sign-up to the user-friendly site. BAKO will handle digital promotion of www.bakers.market to online shoppers throughout the UK and are also offering to help bakeries get up and running with their own, local marketing to support the central campaign and drive customers to the site.

BAKO North Western Group CEO Mike Tully said: “The COVID-19 lockdown in the UK has led to temporary store closures due to staff safety concerns and social distancing measures, meaning ecommerce is now a bigger part of many shoppers’ retail habits.

“However, many retail bakers are not able offer their customers the capability to find them online and then select, order, pay securely, and collect or arrange delivery of fresh bakery products.

“When we first began exploring the idea for the site with a straw poll of our existing customers, we found that only a third offered an online store capability already. The rest asked potential customers to either contact them using a phone number, email address or web-based order form and usually were not able to securely take customer payments.

“We launched Bakers.Market to provide a modern and sophisticated buying experience for bakery customers across the UK, connecting them with their local bakers so that they can access the bakery products they love through a slick, online experience.

“Bakers.market is a collaboration between BAKO North Western Group and Vida Technologies Ltd, which we have launched to help sustain the British baking industry through stimulating demand for fresh bakery products online, both during the current situation and into the long-term too.”

The website has been designed and built by London-based Vida Technologies, which has a proven track record in delivering innovative digital experiences that provide transformative business solutions within existing markets.

Madhusudan Sunkara of Vida Technologies said: “We have launched Bakers.Market to support SMEs (Small & Medium Enterprises) in the British baking industry. We have made the site easy-to-use to provide a low barrier of entry for bakers who are new to selling online, allowing them to start small, test the market and grow their online businesses.

“The intention is also to support community building for UK retail bakers, providing a platform for them to engage more with their customers by discussing baking techniques and nutrition information.

“It also opens up a wider national audience for local bakers, giving UK consumers access to a wide variety of local delicacies. For example, many in London would never have heard of Welsh Oggies or Chorley Cakes or Scottish Black Buns, but they can find out about them and order them, where possible, on Bakers.Market.”

Established over fifty years, BAKO North Western Group distributes bakery products to customers across the UK from three national depots in Durham, Preston and Wimbledon.  With a multi-temperature fleet of over 70 vehicles, the company provides independent bakers and caterers with a wide range of ingredients and finished products from quality suppliers, as well as its own BAKO Select branded range.

BAKO North Western Group’s full list of divisions includes BAKO North Western, BAKO Northern and Scotland, and BAKO South Eastern.

Its industry accreditations include the BRC Global Standard for Storage and Distributions, ISO9001 Quality Management and ISO14001 Environmental Management.

Bakers.market began registering local bakeries on 4th May 2020 and is set for launch to the public in June.  For more information or to register interest email [email protected]