Botched up in the kitchen

Confectioners’ uprising against private cookie bakers

Cookie baking: When does the hobby end and the business begin?

(Bild: yuliiaholovchenko - stock.adobe.com)

More and more private individuals in Vorarlberg are producing cookies and other baked goods that they sell via social networks and online marketplaces - and often on a considerable scale. Much to the annoyance of local confectioners.

You would think that pre-Christmas cookie baking would be a very unsuspicious process. But this is not the case. Especially not when the sweet treats are offered for sale on online marketplaces: "Many people underestimate the consequences such sales have for local crafts", says Jennifer Grabher from the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce. "The line between hobby and commercial activity is often crossed when quantities, structures or digital marketing take on a business-like character."

"Botched cookies" are booming before Christmas
The market for homemade cookies is booming, especially in the run-up to Christmas. Numerous private individuals advertise their products on platforms such as Instagram or Facebook - often with professional-looking pictures and packaging, which is why it is usually very difficult to distinguish between hobby and entrepreneurship. However, confectioners are also confronted with this problem outside of the Christmas season, especially when it comes to occasion-related baked goods such as wedding or christening cakes, which are also increasingly being offered by private individuals.

The boundary between hobby and commercial activity is often crossed when quantities, structures or digital marketing take on a business-like character.

Jennifer Grabher, Wirtschaftskammer Vorarlberg

Gunther Fenkart, designated guild master of the Vorarlberg confectioners, warns of the long-term effects of this uncontrolled growth: "Our businesses work according to strict hygiene standards, pay social security contributions and contribute to regional value creation through their high quality. However, if private individuals enter the market without the necessary legal requirements, this not only harms us, but also consumers, who have no guarantee that these standards are being met."

Demand for clear legal rules
The Chamber of Commerce is now calling for clear rules. In particular, the outdated law on sideline domestic work needs to be amended. This creates gray areas that are also difficult for the authorities to understand. "We are therefore calling for a more precise definition of the law," emphasizes Fenkart, "in other sectors, undeclared work is not permitted up to a certain level and is only illegal beyond that."