The “little luxuries” trend

June 27, 2024 by
 |  6 Comments  |  Leave Comment

Supermarket checkout aisles are always filled with impulse buy items – chocolate bars and candy, cold drinks, and other things to tempt us as we wait to be checked out. Some retailers have expanded on this idea in times of high inflation when people are hesitating to put larger items into their carts, including the CEO of Whole Foods who recently said he believes that “little luxuries” are the next big food trend.

The idea came to fruition during the height of the pandemic, when people were anxious, maybe a little bored, and desperate for something to make them feel good, if even for a short time. The “little treats” concept “is exactly what it sounds like — a small luxury, typically under $15, that serves as either a reward or a consolation prize for maneuvering through the trials and tribulations of simply existing in contemporary society,” says Salon’s Ashlie D. Stevens.

Now these little luxuries are getting more attention from retailers because of inflation. People might be reluctant to splurge on a larger, more expensive item but something that’s $5 or $10 is well within reach. Snack companies are taking note, introducing smaller, 1 or 2 serving size packages that consumers can buy for a small indulgence. It also ties into concerns about healthy eating. You might not want to bring home an entire cheesecake, but you might be okay with a miniature version. Of course you don’t have to purchase a “little luxury”, you can make it for yourself. One good resources is the “Cooking for 1 or 2” filter in the EYB Library, which contains more than 28,000 recipes scaled down. Add a filter for Baking or Desserts to find the perfect treat that won’t break your diet or your budget, like the Small-batch cinnamon rolls from King Arthur Baking shown above, which makes 2 rolls.

Category: Antipasto

Post a comment

6 Comments

  • lkgrover  on  June 28, 2024

    My most frequent “little luxuries”: 1) a pastry from a local independent bakery; 2) expensive chocolate; 3) a bouquet of flowers.

  • webchef  on  June 28, 2024

    I bake cookies, quick breads and the like for farmer’s markets. I package 2 cookies to a bag and bake mini loaves of quick breads. I find more people like the smaller portions rather than a dozen cookies or larger loaves of bread. They say they can have a little and not feel guilty. Of course I do bake to order. I had a customer buy a single serving Rhubarb Galette one week and then ordered a larger pie the next.

  • oboistaalli  on  June 28, 2024

    Where does one find the “Cooking for 1 or 2” filter? I went to Library—>Recipes and looked at the filters on the right, but can’t find that filter in any of the lists. Typing that string in the search bar results in mostly recipes for 1, 2, and 3 ingredients.

  • IngridO  on  June 28, 2024

    Oboistaalli, click on the drop down arrow for “Occasion” and then again for the subcategory “Cooking for…” and you will find the filter you are looking for.

  • oboistaalli  on  June 29, 2024

    Thank you, IngridO, for the filter tip!

  • Indio32  on  June 29, 2024

    “Snack companies” & healthy eating surely an oxymoron if ever there was one!

Seen anything interesting? Let us know & we'll share it!

Categories

Archives