Baked by Melissa Enters Target With At-Home Baking Kits

Baked by Melissa launched its first retail product line on Nov. 1: at-home baking kits now sold nationwide in Target stores and exclusively on Target.com. The launch marks the 18-year-old brand's first move into non-perishable products, after selling more than 500 million bite-sized cupcakes since its founding.

The Target lineup covers three kit flavors: Christmas Tie-Dye, Marshmallow Hot Cocoa and Red Velvet. Target also sells bite-sized cupcake liners and silicone bite-sized cupcake pans in one-piece or two-piece versions. Until now, customers could only buy the cupcakes at one of the brand's nine New York City-area bakeries or online.

Why did the brand wait 18 years to enter retail?

Co-founder and President Melissa Ben-Ishay said hesitation was the reason. "We've been talking about it for years," she said. "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."

Asked why the timing is right now, Ben-Ishay framed it in personal terms: "it's like when you're ready to have a baby. … You feel it in every ounce of your bones."

The company spent the past year preparing operationally. In March, Baked by Melissa promoted its chief financial officer, Sanjay Khetan, to CEO. A press release at the time said the promotion followed "a year of operational and financial groundwork designed to prepare the company for its next stage of expansion." Ben-Ishay said she is focused on "getting our product into the hands of more people," and Target offers an obvious route.

What else has expanded the brand's reach?

Two other engines have driven growth alongside the retail push:

• Co-branded partnerships. Over the past year, Baked by Melissa has partnered with CPG companies Ferrero and Tabasco, plus entertainment franchises "Paw Patrol" and "Emily in Paris." The March press release said these deals have "meaningfully expanded the brand's reach, relevance and revenue."
• Founder-led social media. Ben-Ishay went viral on TikTok during the pandemic for posting videos of her salads and everyday meals. Baked by Melissa now counts 2.8 million followers on TikTok and 1.9 million on Instagram.

Ben-Ishay announced the Target launch on social media over the weekend. "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.

What did retail teach the company?

The shift demanded new operating discipline. The biggest change, Ben-Ishay said, was adjusting to longer lead times than the brand's vertically integrated model allows. "We can turn a product around in 24 hours if we have to," she said of the direct business.

She framed the learning curve as part of the appeal. "Part of what makes this so exciting for me and for our business is the opportunity to learn and experience new things," Ben-Ishay said.

The stakes for the brand go beyond distribution. "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."

The Target launch gives the company its first shelf presence in a national mass-market retailer, a test of whether an 18-year-old direct-to-consumer cupcake brand can convert cult following into repeat retail buyers.