Baked by Melissa launches at-home baking kits at Target in time for the holidays
Baked by Melissa has built a cult following over the past 18 years for its bite-sized cupcakes, selling more than 500 million of the tiny desserts since launch.
But historically, people could only get Baked by Melissa’s cupcakes by visiting one of its nine New York City-area bakeries or by ordering them online. Now, Baked by Melissa is making it easier to try its cupcakes with a significant new category launch.
On Nov. 1, Baked by Melissa launched at-home baking kits in Target, its first foray into non-perishable products. Target is now carrying bite-sized cupcake kits from Baked by Melissa in three flavors: Christmas Tie-Dye, Marshmallow Hot Cocoa and Red Velvet. Target is also selling bite-sized cupcake liners and silicone bite-sized cupcake pans in a one-piece or two-piece version. For now, products are available exclusively on Target.com and nationwide in Target stores.
Launching into retail for the first time is a significant milestone for Baked by Melissa. “We’ve been talking about it for years,” said Melissa Ben-Ishay, co-founder and president of Baked by Melissa. “Quite frankly, I’ve been unpopular at times … because I wasn’t ready [to bring the brand into retail]. I didn’t have the conviction around expanding our product line into a new category and channel.”
When asked why she feels like the brand is ready now, Ben-Ishay replied that “it’s like when you’re ready to have a baby. … You feel it in every ounce of your bones.”
In March of this year, Baked by Melissa promoted its chief financial officer, Sanjay Khetan, to CEO. A press release said that the promotion came after “a year of operational and financial groundwork designed to prepare the company for its next stage of expansion.”
Ben-Ishay said she’s focused right now on “getting our product into the hands of more people,” and Target provides an obvious way to do that.
B-to-B gifting and co-branded partnerships have also become a bigger focus. In the past year, Baked by Melissa has secured co-branded partnerships with CPG companies like Ferrero and Tabasco, as well as entertainment franchises like “Paw Patrol” and “Emily in Paris.” All of these co-branded partnerships have “meaningfully expanded the brand’s reach, relevance and revenue,” according to the March press release.
Baked by Melissa has also accumulated a bigger audience over the past six years, thanks to Ben-Ishay’s social media presence. She went viral on TikTok during the pandemic for posting videos of her salads and everyday meals. Today, Baked by Melissa has 2.8 million followers on TikTok and 1.9 million on Instagram.
Naturally, Ben-Ishay took to social media over the weekend to announce the Target launch. “We are promoting [the launch] in our own channels, on social media, our newsletter. Obviously, it’s something I want to scream from the rooftop,” she said.
Launching in Target also required the brand to learn new muscles. The biggest difference, Ben-Ishay said, was getting used to a longer lead time. “We can turn a product around in 24 hours if we have to,” she said, as Baked by Melissa is vertically integrated.
But Ben-Ishay said that “part of what makes this so exciting for me and for our business is the opportunity to learn and experience new things.”
“We feel that we have real opportunity to continue to create moments of joy, love and human connection,” Ben-Ishay said. “I think we’re at a time when the world needs that more than ever before, and that’s what these baking kits do.”