Gitnux/Report 2026

Bakery Industry Statistics

US bakery sales reached $130.0 billion in 2025 while the workforce shrank, a tension that helps explain why pricing and product strategy are being forced to adapt. Get the key indicators shaping modern bakery decisions, from cost pressure to demand shifts, and see what that means for operators planning the year ahead.
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November 10, 2026Updated
Bakery Industry Statistics
Stefan WendtWritten by Stefan Wendt·Edited by Catherine Wu·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The bakery industry at a glance

The global bakery products market was valued at $548.7 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $841.8 billion by 2033, supported by convenience, packaged products and premiumization.

$548.7B[96]
Global market size, 2025
5.5%[96]
Forecast CAGR, 2026–2033
262,400[56]
U.S. baker jobs, 2025
33.7%[96]
Europe market share, 2025
Market size
The global bakery products market was valued at $548.7 billion in 2025. Grand View Research estimates that it will reach $578.1 billion in 2026.[96]
Forecast & CAGR
The market is projected to reach $841.8 billion by 2033, representing a 5.5% compound annual growth rate from 2026 to 2033.[96]
Market share & regions
Europe accounted for 33.7% of global bakery-products revenue in 2025, making it the largest regional market in the cited forecast. The report covers North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.[96]
Segmentation
By product, cakes and pastries held the largest share at 28.5% in 2025. Other major segments include bread and rolls, cookies, tortillas, and pretzels; distribution channels include supermarkets and hypermarkets, convenience stores, specialty stores, and online retail.[96]
Key players & concentration
The U.S. market includes large packaged-bakery producers alongside retail and artisan bakeries. Flowers Foods reported $5.3 billion in 2025 sales and describes itself as the second-largest U.S. producer of packaged bakery foods, indicating substantial scale among leading branded suppliers.[64]
Pricing
U.S. prices for cereal and bakery products increased 1.0% in 2025, compared with a 2.8% average annual increase over the preceding 20 years. Earlier cost pressure was also visible in producer prices: BLS reported a 10.5% increase for bakery products from May 2022 to December 2023.[97][56]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Demand is being supported by convenience and ready-to-eat consumption, while product innovation is expanding alternatives such as low-calorie, sugar-free, keto, organic, and gluten-free products. The industry continues to face labor, energy, ingredient-cost, and inflation pressures; U.S. baker employment is projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035.[96][56]
Consumer behavior & competition
U.S. retail bakery sales reached $48.5 billion in the 52 weeks ended December 29, 2024, up 0.5% year over year, while unit volume was flat. BLS linked shifts in consumer demand to stronger interest in fresh, higher-quality bakery items, increasing competition between packaged, in-store, and specialty bakery offerings.[3][56]
Regulation
U.S. bakery businesses must comply with food labeling and allergen rules. FDA’s 2025 guidance reflects sesame as the ninth major food allergen under the FASTER Act, while the 2026 Food Code specifies ingredient, allergen, and nutrition-information requirements, with limited exemptions for certain unpackaged bakery products.[98]
Latest news
In September 2026, rising fuel costs were reported to be squeezing French baguette producers, highlighting the continuing exposure of bakeries to energy and operating-cost volatility. In the United States, the latest available annual retail data showed bakery sales rising 0.5% in 2024 while unit volume remained flat.[23][3]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Bakery Industry

The leading companies in the bakery industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 9, 2026 · Next review December 9, 2026

Verdict

Lotus Bakeries leads Gitnux's 2026 bakery ranking with an Overall score of 9.1, with revenue growth 10% and operating margin 16.8%. Grupo Bimbo is the highest-ranked packaged bread and pastry producer at 8.9, driven by revenue growth 4.6% and operating margin 8%.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in branded biscuits

    Lotus Bakeries

    BE

    Ranked #1 · 9.1 · Branded biscuits

    Why we picked it: Its Biscuits and branded baked snacks base is produced and sold internationally across 70+ countries.

    See in ranking ↓Visit lotusbakeries.com ↗

  2. Leader in packaged bakery

    Grupo Bimbo

    MX

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Packaged bakery

    Why we picked it: Its packaged bread, buns, pastries and snacks footprint targets worldwide packaged and foodservice demand.

    See in ranking ↓Visit grupobimbo.com ↗

  3. Leader in frozen bakery

    Rich Products

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Frozen bakery

    Why we picked it: Its frozen bakery focus serves global markets through frozen bakery products and baked goods.

    See in ranking ↓Visit richs.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the bakery industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Lotus Bakeries

Branded biscuits · BE

9.1
2

Grupo Bimbo

Packaged bakery · MX

8.9
3

Rich Products

Frozen bakery · US

8.9
4

Europastry

Frozen dough solutions · ES

8.9
5

ARYZTA

Frozen dough solutions · CH

8.6
6

Vandemoortele

Frozen bakery products and foodservice bakery across Europe and North America · BE

8.6
7

Dawn Foods

Bakery products and ingredients, global · US

8.4
8

Finsbury Food Group

Speciality bread, cakes and foodservice bakery in the UK and Europe · GB

7.7
9

Lantmännen

Lantmännen Unibake fresh and bake-off bakery products worldwide · SE

7.6
10

Krispy Kreme

Doughnuts and sweet bakery retail, wholesale and franchise operations · US

7.6

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 9, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the bakery industry. In Bakery Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bakery-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

Employment in U.S. commercial bakeries

Employment in U.S. commercial bakeries grew from 113K in 2020 to 125K in 2024.

113.1K count
Start
+2.47%
CAGR · 4y
124.7K count
Projected
20202024
source-verifiedalfred.stlouisfed.org2024

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

This section shows high adoption of automation and data-driven tools in adjacent foodservice, with 59% of U.S. baking companies using increased automation in 2025.

Automation in the bakery industry

  • 5% of Canadian bakery processors considered adapting to new technologies an extreme workforce challenge in 2020.[1]
  • 72% of Canadian baking establishments reported some level of technical integration in production processes in 2020.[1]
  • 17% of Canadian bakery processors considered adapting to new technologies somewhat of a workforce challenge in 2020.[1]
  • 58% of U.S. baking companies reported increased use of automation or robotics from 2011 to 2016.[2]
  • 78% of U.S. baking companies reported shortages of engineering or maintenance employees in 2016, occupations linked to automated production systems.[2]
  • 59% of U.S. baking companies used increased automation to address skills shortages in 2025.[3]

Digital Transformation in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 67% of U.S. restaurant operators said they had incorporated more technology into their operations during the previous two to three years in 2025.[4]
  • 77.9% of U.S. restaurant operators expected technology, automation, data and AI to be at least moderately critical to their business over the next five years in 2026.[5]
  • 82% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology had benefited their business in 2026.[5]
  • 69% of U.S. restaurant operators that had added technology said it made their restaurant more efficient and productive in 2025.[4]
  • 28% of U.S. restaurant operators that had invested in technology said it improved restaurant profitability in 2025.[4]

Technology Adoption in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 52% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in point-of-sale systems in 2025.[4]
  • 28% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in artificial-intelligence integration in 2025.[4]
  • 65% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in digital or location-based marketing in 2025.[4]
  • 83% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology provides a competitive advantage in 2025.[4]
  • 49% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in contactless ordering or payment in 2025.[4]
  • 76% of food-and-beverage respondents reported using point-of-sale technology in 2025, compared with 75% in 2024.[6]

Cloud Computing in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 55% of Texas restaurant operators reported using a cloud-based POS system in 2024, while 47% reported using a legacy POS system.[7]
  • 68% of quick-service restaurants expected cloud-application use to increase by 2025, compared with 54% of full-service restaurants in the United States.[8]
  • 77% of Las Vegas restaurant operators reported using cloud POS systems in 2024, the highest rate among the major U.S. cities surveyed.[9]
  • 76% of U.S. restaurant operators reported using a cloud-based point-of-sale system in 2023, compared with 23% using a legacy POS system.[9]
  • 63% of full-service restaurant operators in the United States reported using a cloud POS system in 2024.[10]
  • 62% of restaurant operators in New York City reported using cloud POS systems in 2024, compared with 38% using legacy systems.[9]

Big Data in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 20% of major restaurant brands had an integrated customer master-data set accessible across the organization in BCG’s 2018 survey.[11]
  • 33% of U.S. restaurant operators reported using AI for data analytics in 2024.[12]
  • 69% of restaurant operators surveyed in the United States were actively using or piloting AI for back-office reporting and analytics in 2026.[13]
  • 38.6% of U.S. restaurant operators reported using AI tools in 2026, indicating current use of data-driven technology across the sector.[5]
  • 20% of major restaurant brands used predictive-analytics algorithms to drive business decisions automatically in BCG’s 2018 survey.[11]
  • 20% of major restaurant brands had a comprehensive big-data strategy in BCG’s 2018 digital-maturity survey.[11]

IoT in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 86% of quick-service and fast-casual restaurant representatives said their businesses were investing in IoT or planned to do so within two years in 2026.[14]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data governance and extract-and-use gaps appear repeatedly: 14% of U.S. restaurant operators cite data quality as the biggest challenge in 2025.

Business intelligence in the bakery industry

  • More than 500 Bakkavor colleagues were trained through the Operational Excellence Academy in 2024.[15]
  • One Bakkavor operating system uses live performance data across sites and functions in 2024.[15]

Data analytics in the bakery industry

  • US$5.04 billion was United States bakery retail e-commerce sales in 2022.[16]
  • 26.4% was the compound annual growth rate of United States bakery retail e-commerce sales from 2018 to 2022.[16]
  • 10,876 United States bakery-product launches were analyzed by launch year, category, claims and packaging for 2018–2022.[16]

Data Quality in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 14% of U.S. restaurant operators identified ensuring data quality as their biggest challenge when incorporating new data in 2025.[17]
  • 7% of QSR and fast-casual brands said they could easily extract and use holistic data to drive decisions in 2023.[18]
  • 25% of QSR and fast-casual brands rated their ability to extract and use holistic data as poor or below average in 2023.[18]
  • 21% of U.S. restaurant operators rated their data quality as good in the December 2023 survey.[19]

Data Governance in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 28% of restaurant and retail organizations said improved data governance was an interest but other needs were more pressing in the United States in 2019.[20]
  • 38% of restaurant and retail organizations said they embraced improved data-governance practices as part of day-to-day business in the United States in 2019.[20]
  • 13% of restaurant and retail organizations said they needed to implement improved data governance but lacked the necessary skill set in the United States in 2019.[20]
  • 10% of restaurant and retail organizations said improved data governance was not a high priority in the United States in 2019.[20]

KPIs in the bakery industry

  • 5.4% was the expected decline in Canadian bakery-manufacturing sales in 2026.[21]
  • 13.0% was the increase in Canadian bakery-manufacturing total wage costs in 2025.[21]
  • 10.4% was United States bakery-industry profitability as a share of production value in 2025.[22]
  • US$96.3 billion was United States bakery-product production value in 2025.[22]
  • 18.9% was labour’s share of expenses in Canadian bakery manufacturing in the latest available data.[21]
  • 11.7% was the labour-cost-to-revenue ratio for Canadian bakery manufacturing in 2025.[21]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Growth efforts cluster around product development and acquisition activity; 87% of bakery operators planned acquisitions or mergers in 2024.

Growth in the bakery industry

  • Hope Baking Company announced a US$37 million bakery-facility expansion in Arkansas expected to create 266 jobs in 2024.[23]
  • 87% of bakery operators planned to pursue acquisitions or mergers in 2024.[24]
  • 67% of bakery operators identified invention as a priority for the next 12–18 months in 2024 research.[25]
  • 42% of food and beverage brands said meeting consumer demand was a reason to increase product innovation in 2024.[26]
  • 51% of food and beverage brands said staying competitive was a reason to increase product innovation in 2024.[26]
  • 95% of bakery operators expected their company’s volume to increase in 2024.[24]

Differentiation in the bakery industry

  • 38% of global consumers consumed cake and patisserie in the morning or afternoon because of convenient handheld portions.[27]
  • 77% of global consumers were more willing to seek unique bakery textures for special occasions in Zeelandia research.[27]
  • 45% of U.S. consumers browsed the bread aisle to explore new items in the American Bakers Association’s 2024 research.[2]
  • 22% of Irish consumers wanted more branded collaborations in sweet bakery in Nestlé Professional’s 2025 survey.[28]
  • 73% of global consumers said they liked experimenting with unusual textures in bakery products in Zeelandia research.[27]
  • 79% of bakery operators cited clean label as a new-product-development influence in 2024.[25]

Mergers and acquisitions in the bakery industry

  • Rise Baking Company had completed 10 acquisitions since its 2013 founding before its 2024 ownership transaction.[29]
  • La Lorraine Bakery Group acquired a 50% stake in Bakery de France in June 2024 to expand its North American bakery presence.[30]
  • Commercial Bakeries acquired Imagine Baking in May 2024, according to a commercial-bakery transaction review.[31]
  • US$2.5 billion was the reported value of Platinum Equity and Butterfly Equity’s 2024 acquisition of Rise Baking Company.[32]
  • US$305 million was the reported purchase price for Second Nature Brands’ acquisition of Voortman Cookies in December 2024.[33]
  • Engelman’s Bakery acquired St. Armands Baking Company in June 2024 to expand manufacturing capacity and customer reach.[34]

Strategic partnerships in the bakery industry

  • QAF Limited supplied approximately 81,000 third-party outlets through its bakery and distribution operations in 2024.[35]
  • Grupo Bimbo’s 2024 bakery report identified major fast-food customers including McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King across several European markets.[36]
  • Milk Bar launched a Denver delivery operation through an exclusive partnership with DoorDash in December 2021.[37]
  • Swander Pace Capital partnered with CDPQ and Roynat Equity Partners to acquire a majority stake in St-Méthode Bakery in December 2023.[3]
  • Puratos’ Taste Tomorrow research involved 66 experts and customers in developing bakery, patisserie and chocolate concepts.[38]
  • Engelman’s Bakery described its 2024 acquisition of St. Armands Baking Company as a partnership creating commercial opportunities for both businesses.[34]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce pressure shows up in hiring and retention: U.S. baker employment is projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035.

Hiring in the bakery industry

  • 46% of U.S. baking companies adjusted workforce requirements to attract more candidates in 2025.[3]
  • 52% of Canadian bakery processors reported having dedicated human-resources staff or a human-resources department in 2020.[1]
  • 49% of U.S. baking companies reported that existing employees had to work more hours to meet demand in 2025.[3]
  • 36% of Canadian bakery processors described a lack of applicants with proper training or certification as an extreme challenge in 2020.[1]
  • 3,153 additional baked-goods-sector jobs were projected for Ontario between 2021 and 2030, a 12.7% increase.[1]

Employee retention in the bakery industry

  • 84% of U.S. commercial baking companies identified production-floor understaffing as a retention challenge in 2016.[2]
  • 83% of U.S. commercial baking companies identified undertrained first-line supervision as a retention challenge in 2016.[2]
  • 65% of U.S. commercial baking companies used formal employee-recognition programs as a retention strategy in 2022.[39]
  • 19% of Canadian bakery processors called turnover or retention an extreme challenge in 2020.[1]
  • 69% of U.S. commercial baking companies used formal first-line-supervisor training as a retention strategy in 2022.[39]

Remote Work in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. food and beverage businesses, 73% required employees to work in person in 2025, while 26% offered an in-person or remote option.[8]
  • 11.11% of paid workdays were performed from home in U.S. hospitality and food services in 2025, according to the Work from Home Research dataset.[40]
  • Across U.S. restaurant and bar businesses, 88% required employees to work in person in 2025, while 12% offered an in-person or remote option.[8]
  • Across U.S. hospitality and accommodation businesses, 76% required employees to work in person in 2025, while 21% offered an in-person or remote option.[8]

Hybrid Work in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 80% of hospitality and food-service employers globally said in 2025 that their organizations were still struggling to balance hybrid work effectively.[41]
  • 84% of hospitality and food-service respondents globally agreed in 2025 that the ability to work remotely was important for employee retention.[41]
  • Among U.S. small businesses allowing remote work, 52% planned in 2025 to encourage hybrid and remote employees to spend more time in person, without requiring it.[8]
  • 38% of hospitality and food-service employees worked in hybrid arrangements—one to four days weekly in the office—in Cisco’s global 2025 study.[41]

Upskilling in the bakery industry

  • 48% of U.S. commercial baking companies provided formal internal training in leadership skills in 2022.[39]
  • 57% of U.S. commercial baking companies outlined clear career pathways for skilled production workers in 2022.[39]
  • 54% of U.S. commercial baking companies provided formal internal training in baking-specific technical skills in 2022.[39]
  • 44% of U.S. commercial baking companies provided formal internal training in problem-solving and decision-making skills in 2022.[39]
  • 61% of U.S. commercial baking companies used performance-based pay as a retention and talent-development strategy in 2022.[39]

Employee Engagement in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 32% of U.S. restaurant employees surveyed in 2026 ranked good hourly pay among their top-three favorite job aspects, tied with flexible scheduling.[42]
  • 67% of 702 U.S. restaurant employees surveyed in 2026 were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their pay.[42]
  • 62% of 702 U.S. restaurant employees surveyed in 2026 were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their benefits.[42]
  • More than half of restaurant employees surveyed in 2024 said greater management recognition would increase their engagement, while one-quarter rarely received feedback.[43]
  • 25% of U.S. restaurant workers surveyed in 2025 said they felt unrecognized for their hard work.[42]

DEI in the bakery industry

  • 45 hours of diversity, equity and belonging educational programming were offered annually to Bimbo Bakeries USA salaried associates in 2022.[44]
  • 38% of U.S. commercial bakery manufacturers focused recruitment efforts on people with criminal backgrounds in 2016.[2]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Demand signals emphasize value and repeat purchasing: 96.2% of respondents found bakery and confectionery customer-loyalty programs attractive in 2024.

Customer experience in the bakery industry

  • 75% of North American consumers surveyed in 2025 said sweet baked goods bring them joy.[45]
  • 83% of consumers rated baking mixes as very or fairly good value in 2025.[46]
  • 35% of bakery and confectionery customers wanted weekly news from the businesses they use in 2024.[47]
  • 51% of Irish shoppers said a familiar, trusted brand influenced their sweet-bakery purchasing decisions in 2025.[28]
  • 28% of UK consumers who bought sweet bakery out of home in 2025 cited a moment of joy as their main purchase reason.[28]

Customer acquisition in the bakery industry

  • 14% of UK sweet-bakery purchases came from branded cafés in the year ending December 29, 2024.[28]
  • 22% of Irish consumers expressed interest in more branded collaborations in sweet bakery in 2025.[28]
  • 22% of UK sweet-bakery purchases came from supermarket packaged sections in the year ending December 29, 2024.[28]
  • 22% of UK sweet-bakery purchases came from bakery chains in the year ending December 29, 2024.[28]
  • 16% of UK sweet-bakery purchases came from independent cafés in the year ending December 29, 2024.[28]

Customer loyalty in the bakery industry

  • Nearly 50% of Stadtbäckerei Kühl’s new bakery-app users were regularly active in the 2024 case study.[47]
  • 40.8% of respondents used bakery customer-loyalty programs more frequently after price increases in 2024.[47]
  • 96.2% of respondents found bakery and confectionery customer-loyalty programs attractive in 2024.[47]
  • 47.7% of respondents valued having fewer cards in their wallet through digital bakery loyalty programs in 2024.[47]
  • Seven in ten respondents preferred a digital solution if one existed for their physical bakery loyalty program in 2024.[47]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Promotion and audience targeting are measurable in consumer touchpoints: nearly 40% of consumers noticed bakery promotions via email or text in the 2026 shopper survey.

Marketing in the bakery industry

  • Nearly 40% of consumers most often noticed bakery promotions through email or text in the 2026 shopper survey.[48]
  • 87% of bakery operators planned to pursue acquisitions or mergers in 2024, indicating substantial strategic activity among bakery companies.[24]
  • 35% of bakery and confectionery customers wanted business news at least weekly in 2024.[47]
  • 40.7% of bakery operators identified marketing and customer acquisition as a major challenge in 2026.[49]
  • 23% of consumers most often noticed bakery promotions through online ads or social media in the 2026 shopper survey.[48]

Digital marketing in the bakery industry

  • Instagram images generated a median of 42 interactions for confectionery brands in the third quarter of 2026.[50]
  • Instagram carousels generated a median of 70 interactions for confectionery brands in the third quarter of 2026.[50]
  • Facebook confectionery posts achieved median engagement of up to 0.45% in the third quarter of 2026.[50]
  • 40.7% of confectionery brands’ Facebook posts were Reels in September 2026.[50]
  • Instagram confectionery posts achieved median engagement of up to 2.18% in the third quarter of 2026.[50]

Branding in the bakery industry

  • 26% of Irish consumers aged 25–34 were more likely to choose branded sweet-bakery products in 2025.[28]
  • 60% of UK consumers said seeing a familiar, trusted brand was important when choosing bakery or sweet-bakery products in 2025.[28]
  • 31% of Irish consumers’ top branded sweet-bakery choices were doughnuts in 2025.[28]
  • 21% of Irish consumers’ top branded sweet-bakery choices were croissants in 2025.[28]
  • 49% of Irish consumers found Nestlé-branded sweet-bakery products most appealing when purchasing out of home in 2025.[28]

Social media in the bakery industry

  • 2.56% was the Instagram engagement rate for New York Bakery’s influencer campaign.[51]
  • 126,000 views or impressions were generated by 18 influencer-content pieces for New York Bakery.[51]
  • 78,700 engagements were generated for Ole & Steen through its social-media campaign.[52]
  • 6,560 followers were gained by Ole & Steen through its social-media campaign.[52]
  • 11.7 million impressions were generated for Ole & Steen through its social-media campaign.[52]

Influencer Marketing in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among surveyed restaurants, 46% ranked working with creators as their second-highest-return social strategy in 2025 research.[53]
  • Across food and drink influencer content globally, TikTok posts achieved a 3% average engagement rate in 2023, compared with 2% on Instagram.[54]
  • Across food and drink influencer content globally, 11.5 million posts generated an average 1.19% engagement rate in 2023.[54]
  • Across surveyed restaurants and venues, 42% said influencers or user-generated content drove the most bookings in the United Kingdom in 2024.[12]
  • Across hospitality brands, 91% include some form of influencer marketing within their brand strategy in 2026.[55]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operating strain is reflected in unfilled positions and recalls; 78% of U.S. baking companies reported shortages in engineering and maintenance positions in 2025.

Process optimization in the bakery industry

  • 78% of U.S. baking companies reported shortages in engineering and maintenance positions in the 2025 workforce study.[39]
  • 55% of U.S. baking companies reported unfilled hourly positions in 2025.[3]
  • 49% of baking companies required existing employees to work more hours to meet demand in 2025.[3]
  • 85% of U.S. baking companies reported unfilled hourly positions in 2022.[3]
  • Skilled positions in the U.S. baking industry increased 60% over the five years preceding the 2025 workforce study.[39]

Operational efficiency in the bakery industry

  • 350,400 wage-and-salary jobs were in U.S. bakeries and tortilla manufacturing in 2024.[56]
  • 36,500 baker job openings are projected annually in the United States over 2025–2035.[56]
  • 17% of U.S. food and beverage manufacturing employment was in bakeries and tortilla manufacturing in 2024.[56]
  • 262,400 bakers held jobs in the United States in 2025.[56]
  • 30% of U.S. bakers worked in bakeries and tortilla manufacturing in 2025.[56]

Quality management in the bakery industry

  • 442 bakery-related microbiological recalls were recorded in the United States during 2012–2024.[57]
  • 72.4% of U.S. bakery microbiological recalls were nonnationwide during 2012–2024.[57]
  • Bakery products represented 27.6% nationwide distribution among the bakery recalls examined in the United States from 2012–2024.[57]
  • Bakery products accounted for 4.1% of the 10,824 U.S. microbiological food recalls recorded during 2012–2024.[57]
  • 122 U.S. bakery microbiological recalls had nationwide distribution during 2012–2024.[57]

Supply chain in the bakery industry

  • 44.5% was the decline in U.S. wheat producer prices between May 2022 and December 2023.[56]
  • 3.1% was the decline in U.S. flour and flour-base mixes and doughs producer prices between May 2022 and December 2023.[56]
  • 132.2% was the increase in U.S. wheat producer prices between May 2020 and May 2022.[56]
  • 14.5% was the year-over-year peak increase in the U.S. bakery-product producer price index in November 2022.[56]
  • 40.1% was the increase in U.S. flour and flour-base mixes and doughs producer prices between May 2020 and May 2022.[56]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 25.3% of 669 surveyed food and beverage companies said meeting fluctuating demand in a timely manner was their top reason for outsourcing in 2022.[58]
  • 23% of surveyed United States foodservice operators outsourced labor, such as delivery, to a third party in 2022.[24]
  • 91% of 200 food services and facility management buyers in the United States and Europe expected their outsourcing budgets to increase over the five years following 2024.[59]
  • 47% of food services and facility management activities were outsourced in the United States in 2023, according to Oliver Wyman’s sector estimates.[59]
  • 23.7% was the average share of production outsourced by surveyed United States food and beverage companies in 2022.[58]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Margins and producer-price volatility frame cost pressure. The U.S. bakery-products industry operating margin averaged 5.4% in 2022 and U.S. profit margin was 5.3% in 2024.

Pricing strategy in the bakery industry

  • 4.0% was the increase in U.S. producer prices for cookies, crackers and related products between May 2022 and December 2023.[56]
  • 16.1% was the increase in average annual U.S. household expenditures on bakery products from 2020 to 2022.[56]
  • 14.6% was the increase in U.S. producer prices for other sweet goods between May 2022 and December 2023.[56]
  • 7.3% was the increase in U.S. producer prices for soft cakes between May 2022 and December 2023.[56]
  • $3.43 was the reported U.S. average price per unit for bread in 2024.[48]

Cost reduction in the bakery industry

  • Increased raw-material costs were among the three leading cost concerns reported by bakers in the 2024 capital-spending study.[3]
  • 35 of 36 months from January 2021 through December 2023 recorded increases in the U.S. bakery-product producer price index.[56]
  • Inflationary pressures were among the three leading cost concerns reported by bakers in the 2024 capital-spending study.[3]
  • Capital investment in new production lines or facility expansions increased after the pandemic through 2023 among surveyed baking companies.[3]
  • Labor costs were among the three leading cost concerns reported by bakers in the 2024 capital-spending study.[3]

Profitability in the bakery industry

  • 35.9% was the average U.S. bakery-products industry gross margin reported for 2022.[60]
  • 5.3% was the average U.S. bakery-products industry profit margin reported for 2024.[60]
  • 11.3% was the average U.S. bakery-products industry operating margin reported for 2022.[60]
  • 12.3% was the average U.S. bakery-products industry operating margin reported for 2021.[60]
  • 3.0% was the average U.S. bakery-products industry profit margin reported for 2022.[60]

Financial planning in the bakery industry

  • $641,910 was 5 Generation Bakers’ projected net ordinary income for 2024.[61]
  • 13.96% was 5 Generation Bakers’ projected net ordinary income margin for 2026.[61]
  • $886,024 was 5 Generation Bakers’ projected net ordinary income for 2025.[61]
  • 43.55% was the projected average gross profit margin for 5 Generation Bakers over 2024–2026.[61]
  • 10.5% was 5 Generation Bakers’ projected net ordinary income margin for 2024.[61]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Launch activity and claim trends are tracked by volume. In the United States, 10,876 bakery products were launched from 2018 to 2022.

Product development in the bakery industry

  • 1,880 bread and bread-product launches were recorded in the United States from 2018 to 2022.[16]
  • 67% of surveyed baking professionals identified breakthrough invention as a product-development priority in 2024.[3]
  • 2,413 bakery products were launched in the United States in 2021.[16]
  • Approximately 60 new SKUs were onboarded by Bakkavor across cream cakes, hot desserts and custard in 2024.[15]
  • 10,876 bakery products were launched in the United States from 2018 to 2022.[16]

Product lifecycle in the bakery industry

  • 2,334 bakery products carried a low-, no- or reduced-allergen claim in the United States from 2018 to 2022.[16]
  • 0.8% of output was rejected annually at the Russian bakery plant examined by the World Bank.[62]
  • 1,074 bakery products used flexible stand-up pouches in the United States from 2018 to 2022.[16]
  • 40 tonnes of virgin plastic were eliminated from Bakkavor cream-cake packaging in 2024.[15]
  • 2,591 bakery products carried a no-additives or no-preservatives claim in the United States from 2018 to 2022.[16]

Value proposition in the bakery industry

  • 8.9% of United States bakery-industry production value came from Bimbo Bakeries USA in 2025.[22]
  • US$82.9 billion was the value of United States baked-goods retail sales in 2022.[16]
  • 24.7% of United States bakery-industry production value came from the five largest companies in 2025.[22]
  • 26% of United States retail fresh-packaged-bread dollar sales were store-brand products in fiscal 2025.[63]
  • 91.0% of United States bakery-product demand came from households in 2025.[22]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Waste diversion and emissions targets appear alongside reporting volume: Flowers Foods recorded 2 management committees supporting corporate-responsibility governance.

Sustainability in the bakery industry

  • 94.0% of Flowers Foods’ companywide waste was diverted from disposal in 2025.[64]
  • 180,000 tonnes of baked goods were wasted annually in Sweden, based on bakery-product flows assessed in 2025.[65]
  • 86% of bread produced under take-back agreements in Sweden was sold to consumers through retail channels.[65]
  • 100% of La Brea Bakery’s bakery waste was diverted from landfill through recycling and organics diversion in 2024.[66]
  • 51% of Swedish bakery waste originated at the supplier-retailer interface, according to a 2025 study.[57]

ESG in the bakery industry

  • 75% of the power at La Brea Bakery’s Van Nuys location came from on-site fuel cells.[66]
  • 223 King Arthur Baking employee-owners participated in the company’s wellness incentive program in 2023.[67]
  • 57% of King Arthur Baking’s guest blogs in 2023 came from underrepresented contributors.[67]
  • 48% was the reduction in De Graaf Bakeries’ overall environmental impact over the five years to 2025.[68]
  • 21% was De Graaf Bakeries’ absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction in 2025.[68]

Ethics in the bakery industry

  • 1,285 reports concerning labor relations were recorded by Grupo Bimbo in 2024.[36]
  • 263 reports concerning integrity policy were recorded by Grupo Bimbo in 2024.[36]
  • 82 conflict-of-interest reports were recorded by Grupo Bimbo in 2024.[36]
  • 99 code-of-ethics violation reports were recorded by Grupo Bimbo in 2024.[36]
  • 144 diversity-and-inclusion reports were recorded by Grupo Bimbo in 2024, including 63 related specifically to gender.[36]

CSR in the bakery industry

  • 4,682 volunteer hours were recorded by King Arthur Baking employee-owners in 2023.[67]
  • More than 50,000 children were taught through King Arthur Baking’s Bake for Good program in 2023.[67]
  • $8,028 was matched by King Arthur Baking for employee donations in 2023.[67]
  • 102 nonprofits received donations supported by King Arthur Baking employee-owners in 2023.[67]
  • 246 King Arthur Baking employee-owners volunteered in 2023.[67]

Circular economy in the bakery industry

  • 17% of Swedish surplus bread was directed to animal feed in the assessed bakery-retail system.[65]
  • 22% of Swedish surplus bread was directed to ethanol production in the assessed bakery-retail system.[65]
  • 59% of Swedish surplus bread was directed to energy recovery, according to a 2025 bakery-waste study.[65]
  • 64 tonnes less cardboard packaging were purchased by De Graaf Bakeries in 2024 than in the previous year.[68]
  • 77.43 grams of CO2e per kilogram was the average packaging footprint reported by De Graaf Bakeries in 2024.[68]

Carbon footprint in the bakery industry

  • 2.77 kilograms of CO2e per kilogram was the cradle-to-distribution-center footprint of packaged sliced bread produced in southern Italy using grid electricity in 2021–2022.[69]
  • 0.7 kilograms of CO2e per kilogram was the cited seed-to-retail footprint for bread in a 2020 bakery-sector review.[70]
  • 41.5% of the packaged sliced-bread footprint in the southern Italy study came from the transformation phase.[69]
  • 22.3% of the packaged sliced-bread footprint in the southern Italy study came from packaging.[69]
  • Up to 267 kilograms of CO2e were saved per tonne of surplus bread through on-site upcycling in a 2026 industrial-bakery assessment.[57]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Regional channel mix matters: QAF Limited’s 2024 revenue mix was 42% Philippines and 36% Singapore.

Globalization in the bakery industry

  • QAF Limited exported bakery products to more than 10 markets and worked with about 20 overseas distributors in 2024.[35]
  • QAF Limited generated bakery revenue of S$456 million in 2024.[35]
  • 69.2% of bakery sales in Latin America used traditional channels in 2023, while the share was 62.5% in the Middle East and Africa.[36]
  • QAF Limited sold bakery products through approximately 81,000 third-party outlets in 2024.[35]
  • QAF Limited’s 2024 revenue mix was 42% Philippines, 36% Singapore, 12% Malaysia, 8% Australia and 2% other markets.[35]

Cultural adaptation in the bakery industry

  • 66% of global consumers preferred bakery products from local artisan stores or craftspeople in the 2025 Taste Tomorrow survey.[82]
  • 23% of global consumers enjoyed seasonal and limited-edition bakery flavours in Zeelandia’s consumer research.[27]
  • 63% of consumers said innovative flavours would make them more likely to purchase a bakery product in ACI Group research reported in 2024.[83]
  • 23% of global consumers were interested in sensory-stimulating bakery flavours in Zeelandia’s consumer research.[27]
  • Searches for “authentic Mexican dessert” increased 39% in the 2025 Taste Tomorrow analysis.[82]

Supplier management in the bakery industry

  • 48% of bakery operators cited reducing sugar, sodium, gluten or similar ingredients as a product-development trend in 2024.[25]
  • 51% of bakery operators cited convenience as a trend influencing new-product development in 2024.[25]
  • 84% of bakery operators identified innovation as a priority for the next 12–18 months in 2024 research.[25]
  • 68% of Poppies Bakeries’ key suppliers had signed its supplier code of conduct by 2024.[84]
  • 46% of food and beverage brands cited ingredient and material availability as an investment challenge in TraceGains’ 2024 research.[26]

Stakeholder management in the bakery industry

  • 17,470 consumers in 40 countries participated in Puratos Taste Tomorrow’s quantitative bakery, patisserie and chocolate survey.[38]
  • 70% of bakery product developers cited retailers as a source of new-product inspiration in 2023–2024 research.[3]
  • 75% of bakery product developers cited internal R&D as a source of new-product inspiration in 2023–2024 research.[3]
  • 66 experts and customers contributed to Puratos Taste Tomorrow’s bakery-sector research process.[38]
  • 81% of bakery product developers cited consumers as a source of new-product inspiration in 2023–2024 research.[3]

Distribution channels in the bakery industry

  • U.S. retail e-commerce bakery sales grew at a 26.4% CAGR from 2018 to 2022.[16]
  • Non-store retailing represented 8.4% of U.S. baked-goods distribution in 2020.[85]
  • Retail e-commerce bakery sales in the United States reached US$5.04 billion in 2022.[16]
  • Foodservice bakery shipments in the United States totaled US$18.2 billion in 2024 and are projected at US$20.8 billion in 2027.[86]
  • Traditional grocery specialists held 55.8% of traditional-grocery baked-goods sales in La Rioja’s U.S. market analysis in 2020.[85]

16 Statistics

Regional markets

The bakery industry in Brazil

  • R$153.36 billion was the Brazilian bakery sector’s revenue in 2024, including MEI businesses.[87]
  • R$27.4 billion was the 2024 revenue of Brazil’s independent bakery sector, covering more than 70,000 bakeries.[88]
  • 16.3% was the 2024 revenue growth rate for Brazil’s North-region bakery sector, the country’s highest regional increase.[89]
  • 86,600 bakery establishments and more than 546,000 formal jobs were recorded in Brazil in 2024.[90]
  • 3.1 million tonnes of bakery products were produced in Brazil in 2024.[90]

The bakery industry in Japan

  • ¥202.849 billion was Japan’s frozen dough, bread and rolls market size in fiscal 2024, up 4.0% year over year.[91]
  • 42.7% was the combined 2023 market share of Japan’s five largest baked-goods companies.[16]

The bakery industry in Germany

  • €17.92 billion was the total revenue of Germany’s craft bakery trade in 2024.[92]
  • 8,912 craft bakery businesses operated in Germany in 2024.[93]
  • €2.011 million was the average annual revenue per German craft bakery business in 2024.[93]
  • 235,000 people worked in Germany’s craft bakery trade in 2024.[93]
  • 76.1% of Germany’s craft-bakery revenue in 2024 came from businesses with annual sales above €5 million.[92]

The bakery industry in South Korea

  • 3.4% was the compound annual growth rate of South Korea’s baked-goods retail sales from 2018 to 2023.[16]
  • Approximately 4,000 Paris Baguette stores operated across 121 countries as of April 2025.[94]
  • 138 South Korean bakery businesses closed in 2024, reducing the total by 138 stores.[95]
  • KRW8.2729 trillion was SPC Group’s consolidated revenue in 2024; its portfolio includes Paris Baguette and bakery manufacturer SPC Samlip.[94]
  • US$3.8 billion was South Korea’s baked-goods retail value in 2024, representing 12.6% of packaged-food sales.[16]

Key questions about the Bakery Industry

How large is the global bakery products market in 2025, and what’s the 2033 outlook?
The global bakery products market was valued at $548.7 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $841.8 billion by 2033.
What growth rate should we use for bakery products from 2026 to 2033?
The cited forecast implies a 5.5% CAGR for 2026–2033.
Which companies lead the bakery industry?
Lotus Bakeries leads Gitnux's 2026 bakery ranking with an Overall score of 9.1, with revenue growth 10% and operating margin 16.8%. Grupo Bimbo is the highest-ranked packaged bread and pastry producer at 8.9, driven by revenue growth 4.6% and operating margin 8%.
Where are technology and automation changes most visible in bakery operations?
U.S. baking companies reported increased use of automation or robotics from 2011 to 2016 and 59% used increased automation in 2025. In 2025, 72% of U.S. baking companies reported automation-related engineering and maintenance shortages.
How concentrated is the market among large producers?
In the United States, the five largest companies accounted for 24.7% of bakery-industry production value in 2025.
What constraints affect bakery companies’ operations and planning?
Labor, energy, ingredient-cost, and inflation pressures are reported as ongoing challenges. U.S. baker employment is projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Bakery Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bakery-industry-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "Bakery Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/bakery-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "Bakery Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bakery-industry-statistics.

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