The Cake Shop
The Cake Shop is a New Zealand family-owned specialty bakery and cake decorating supplies retailer based in Rolleston, operating a Shopify e-commerce store and physical storefront serving home bakers, professional decorators, and celebration cake buyers nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersRolleston, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Cake Shop does
The Cake Shop is a privately held, family-owned New Zealand specialty bakery and cake decorating supplies retailer headquartered in Rolleston, Canterbury. The business operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer model combining a Shopify e-commerce storefront (1,369+ SKUs, with 292 new products added) offering nationwide shipping via Aramex couriers, a single physical retail showroom at 1/46 Falcon Road open Monday to Saturday, and a click-and-collect channel. Same-day fulfilment on orders placed before midday extends commercial reach beyond the Canterbury region.
The product portfolio spans two interlocking categories. The retail supply catalogue covers bakeware, cake boards and boxes, decorating tools, cake toppers, edible images, flavourings, food colouring, sprinkles, and fondant/gumpaste, serving both hobbyist home bakers and professional decorators. The in-house bakery produces custom celebration cakes (5-day lead time), the signature 'Party on the Top' single-layer range (Caramilk, Whittakers, Caramel, Mermaid, Unicorn, Jelly Tip, Pineapple Lump flavours) sold fresh or frozen, cupcakes, brownies, NYC-style cookies, naked cake bases marketed under the 'We bake, you decorate' philosophy, and macarons. Recent line extensions include the pre-packaged Makey Cakey dry mix range and a Saturday evening Dessert Night pickup service.
Revenue is generated entirely through transactional one-time retail sales paid by credit card (DPS Payment Services) or bank transfer, with a 30% non-refundable deposit required on in-store custom cake orders. Distribution relies on organic social (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) and SEO/website traffic rather than paid acquisition, and the business has leveraged a high-profile celebrity endorsement from Ryan Gosling on Late Night with Seth Meyers for publicity. There is no disclosed institutional funding, parent company, or M&A activity, and headcount sits in the 11-50 range under owner Brendon alongside named family members Maggie, Maisie and Sadie.
The Cake Shop firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Cake Shop
- Website
- https://thecakeshop.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Cake Shop is a New Zealand family-owned specialty bakery and cake decorating supplies retailer based in Rolleston, operating a Shopify e-commerce store and physical storefront serving home bakers, professional decorators, and celebration cake buyers nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Cake Shop industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Bakery & Cake Decorating Supplies
- NAICS
- Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Retail Bakeries (311811)
- SIC
- Bakery Products (2050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cake Shops & Custom Celebration Cakes (THAFAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dessert-First Bakeries (Cupcakes, Cookies, Brownies) (THAFAFAH), Online Bakery & Desserts Delivery (CRAHAIAK), Dessert & Bakery Catering (Cakes, Pastries, Candy) (HSACAGAI)
Keywords
Where The Cake Shop is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rolleston
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Cake Shop business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Product Sales: Sale of cake decorating supplies including bakeware, cake boards, packaging, decorating tools, toppers, edible images, and ingredients through both e-commerce and physical store
- Baked Goods Sales: Fresh baked goods including custom cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, macarons, and specialty items sold in-store and online for pickup
- Naked Cake Range: Pre-made cake bases (fresh and frozen) sold to customers who want to decorate their own cakes
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Party on the top Cakes from $45.00 NZD |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mother's Day Cupcakes from $10.00 NZD |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | NYC Cookies 4/6/12 pack from $28.00 NZD |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cake Decorating Supplies - various price points |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Tin Hire - $10.00 for 3 days |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Cake Shop product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Cake Shop sells custom celebration cakes, cupcakes, brownies, naked cake bases, NYC cookies, and macarons produced in its Rolleston bakery, alongside an extensive retail catalogue of 1,369+ cake decorating supplies (bakeware, boards, packaging, tools, toppers, edible images, sprinkles, food colouring, fondant). Products are sold directly to consumers through a physical storefront in Rolleston, a Shopify-powered e-commerce website with nationwide New Zealand delivery, and a click-and-collect service. The 'Naked Cake Range' and custom cake ordering system are distinctive offerings.
Product overview
The Cake Shop is New Zealand's favourite cake decorating supplier and bakery, based in Rolleston, Canterbury. The business operates as a dual-purpose offering: (1) A comprehensive cake decorating supplies retail store offering bakeware, cake boards, packaging, decorating tools, cake toppers, edible images, sprinkles, food colouring, and edible decorations for both beginners and professionals; (2) A commercial bakery producing custom celebration cakes, Party on the Top signature single-layer cakes (available in Caramilk, Whittakers, Caramel, Mermaid, Unicorn, Jelly Tip, Pineapple Lump flavours), cupcakes, brownies, naked cakes, and macarons. The company also offers seasonal products for holidays (Mother's Day, Easter, Valentine's, Christmas, Halloween), NYC-style cookies, tin hire services, edible image printing, and dessert night pickup events. Products range from fresh-baked goods requiring advance ordering (5-day lead time for custom cakes) to frozen ready-to-pickup items and clearance merchandise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cake Decorating Supplies
- Custom Cakes, Cupcakes & Brownies Made-to-order celebration cakes, cupcakes, and brownies in various decorating styles (drip, rosette, buttercream, themed) for occasions like weddings and birthdays, ordered online or in-store for scheduled pickup.
- Naked Cakes & Macarons Pre-made fresh and frozen cake bases in multiple shapes (round, square, dollop varden) plus macarons, sold for customers to decorate themselves at home under the 'We bake, you decorate' model.
- Party on the Top Cakes Signature single-layer chocolate cakes with swiss meringue buttercream, ganache, and toppings in flavours such as Caramilk, Whittakers, Caramel, Mermaid, Unicorn, Jelly Tip, Pineapple Lump, and Raspberry White Chocolate, priced from $45 NZD and available fresh (5-day lead time) or frozen (immediate pickup).
- NYC Cookies New York-style chunky cookies baked fresh on pickup day, available in 4-pack, 6-pack, and 12-pack sizes and rotating seasonal flavours tied to holidays and gift occasions, priced from $28 NZD.
- Everything Edible Edible cake decoration range including cake drip, chocolate and candy melts, chocolate decorations, edible glitter, flavourings, fondant, gumpaste, gel and oil-based food colouring, lustre, and icing flowers for hobbyist and professional cake decorators.
- Tin Hire Rental service for round, square, and specialty character cake tins at $10.00 NZD for 3 days, with a credit or debit card held as bond, supporting customers who don't own specialty cake tins.
- Edible Images Custom-printed edible images and photo prints applied to cakes, ordered online or in-store for personalised celebration cakes.
- Makey Cakey Cake Mix Pre-packaged dry cake mixes in Vanilla and Chocolate flavours, with one bag producing two cakes or 24 cupcakes, made in New Zealand for home bakers.
- Dessert Night Saturday evening dessert pickup service offering Dot Cakes, Brownies, NYC Cookies, Peach Sponge, and Banana Pudding in various flavours, available from $6 NZD.
- Clearance Products Discounted cake decorating supplies and clearance products sold through the online store's clearance collection at reduced prices.
Quantifiable outcome
- Celebrity endorsement from Ryan Gosling on Late Night with Seth Meyers generated significant publicity
Companies that use The Cake Shop
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Cake Shop technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature2 records
The Cake Shop partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Cake Shop competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Warehouse: NZ discount general merchandise retailer carrying party supplies, basic baking items, and seasonal celebration goods. Comparable as a broad-line discount retailer competing on price for party and baking supplies.
- New World: NZ supermarket group with in-store bakeries offering celebration cakes. Comparable as a broad-line grocery retailer competing on price for decorated cakes and party supplies.
- Spotlight: Major AU/NZ retail chain for fabrics, craft, and party supplies including cake decorating products. Comparable as a multi-category craft retailer that includes cake decorating supplies within a broader hobby-and-party assortment.
- Countdown (Woolworths NZ): Major NZ supermarket chain with in-store bakeries and party/cake categories. Comparable as a broad-line grocery retailer that competes on price and convenience for celebration cakes and party goods.
- Goldbelly: US online curated marketplace and retailer for specialty and artisan food including cakes and baked goods with nationwide shipping. Comparable as a curated e-commerce platform for celebration foods that uses a marketplace-plus-direct retail model.
- Wilton: Global leader in cake decorating supplies, tools, and education. Comparable as the dominant branded cake decorating supplies retailer that supplies both hobbyists and professionals, though operating at much larger scale and primarily serving the US market.
Direct peers
- The Caker: New Zealand-based custom cake and celebration cake business. The most directly comparable peer: a fellow NZ operator serving the celebration occasion with custom cakes, cupcakes, and similar baked goods through both online and local channels.
- Global Sugar Art: US-based specialist retailer of cake decorating supplies, tools, and ingredients for both hobbyist and professional decorators. Comparable as a dedicated cake decorating supplies e-commerce specialist operating at a similar niche scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Cake Shop social profiles
Digital presenceThe Cake Shop compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
The Cake Shop financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Cake Shop leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Cake Shop funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Cake Shop M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Cake Shop
What does The Cake Shop do?
The Cake Shop sells custom celebration cakes, cupcakes, brownies, naked cake bases, NYC cookies, and macarons produced in its Rolleston bakery, alongside an extensive retail catalogue of 1,369+ cake decorating supplies (bakeware, boards, packaging, tools, toppers, edible images, sprinkles, food colouring, fondant). Products are sold directly to consumers through a physical storefront in Rolleston, a Shopify-powered e-commerce website with nationwide New Zealand delivery, and a click-and-collect service. The 'Naked Cake Range' and custom cake ordering system are distinctive offerings.
Is The Cake Shop a public or private company?
The Cake Shop is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Cake Shop founded?
The Cake Shop was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Cake Shop based?
The Cake Shop is headquartered in Rolleston, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does The Cake Shop make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are baked Goods Sales and naked Cake Range.
Who are The Cake Shop's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The Warehouse, New World, Spotlight, Countdown (Woolworths NZ), Goldbelly and Wilton. Direct peers are The Caker and Global Sugar Art.
Does The Cake Shop have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Cake Shop.
What industry is The Cake Shop in?
The Cake Shop's product category is Specialty Bakery & Cake Decorating Supplies. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAFAC, Cake Shops & Custom Celebration Cakes, with a secondary code of THAFAFAH, Dessert-First Bakeries (Cupcakes, Cookies, Brownies). Its NAICS code is 445291 and its SIC code is 2050.