Instore bakeries face two main challenges today, said Tom Ranc, vice president and general manager of JAC: labor and waste.

JAC has designed its slicers so that one person can operate them quickly and safely, allowing them to easily cut any bread.

“The goal is to assist with staff productivity and help control waste by allowing the store staff to cut what is needed, thus eliminating shrink and waste,” Ranc said.

The benefits to instore bakeries, he added, can be great.

“Freshly cut bread can help create a store’s brand-specific image and showcase it as a more upscale and fresher baked good.”

A solution for every customer

JAC’s diverse lineup of bakery slicers includes self-service, countertop, variable thickness, artisan, batch, and continuous feed slicers.

The company’s latest addition is the SWIFT ARTisan slicer. Specifically designed to cut today’s artisan loaves, whether they’re crusty or on the softer side, the slicer was created for a single operator.

It features an infeed roller system to continually cut any loaf loaded onto the machine, and the onboard bagging system allows a simple, fast, and ergonomic station for cutting and packaging, whether you need to cut 2 or 200 loaves of any shape, size, or crust.

“We support the needs of all retail points of sale, from customer-facing single loaf operations to back-room batch slicing,” Ranc said. “We produced our first slicer in 1946. Since that day, we’ve made it our company mission to innovate, improve, and be the industry’s most modern and principled manufacturer.”

JAC’s innovations include inventing a mechanical pusher system that automatically adjusts to the type of bread being cut, which generates consistent and smooth cuts for soft sandwich bread or crustier artisan loaves.

The company has also created high-volume slicers designed for a single operator to save labor. And in 1974, JAC introduced the world’s first self-service slicer.

“Our biggest differentiator is our quality and innovations,” Ranc said. “We constantly innovate, improve, and develop safer units to aid our store partners in meeting their modern challenges. And our five-year warranty is a testament to our production and engineering.”

Selling self-service

When discussing self-service slicer options with its retail customers, JAC focuses on four main points, Ranc said.

1. Labor

With customers cutting the loaf, it allows the stores to re-task and use their valuable labor elsewhere.

2. Waste

Only cutting what the customer wants, thus leaving loaves whole and fresher longer.

3. Customer perception

Shoppers often feel empowered by choosing the exact loaf of bread that they want and being involved in the purchase. A whole loaf will always be perceived as fresher than a sliced loaf. Also, it makes artisan bread seem even more special.

4. Signature perimeter area

Self-service allows a store to create a unique area within its instore bakery, and it allows artisan bread to shine as a premium product.