Gitnux/Report 2026

Baking Industry Statistics

Bakery demand, costs, and climate pressure are moving at the same time, with global bakery products forecast to grow at a 5.5% CAGR from 2024 to 2030 while wheat and energy remain stubbornly central to the economics of every loaf. From EU bread waste at 3.0 million tonnes in 2020 to 12% HVAC energy efficiency upgrades and 34% of EU food producers using renewable electricity in 2022, these figures connect supply chain emissions, gluten-free demand, and production realities in a way that matters to operators.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Baking Industry Statistics
Helena KowalczykWritten by Helena Kowalczyk·Edited by Aisha Okonkwo·Fact-checked by Katherine Brennan
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The baking industry at a glance

The global baking industry was worth $638.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a 4.7% CAGR through 2029, led by bread, cakes and pastries.

$638.9B[22]
Global market size, 2024
4.7%[22]
Global CAGR, 2024–2029
262,400[85]
U.S. baker jobs, 2025
49.1%[22]
Bread, buns and rolls share, 2024
Market size
The global baking industry generated $638.9 billion in retail sales in 2024. Europe’s bakery sector consumed approximately 42 million tonnes of products valued at around €158 billion, according to the Association Internationale de la Boulangerie Industrielle.[22][86]
Forecast & CAGR
The global baking industry is forecast to expand at a 4.7% CAGR from 2024 to 2029. A separate bakery-products market estimate projects growth from $578.1 billion in 2026 to $841.8 billion in 2033, representing a 5.5% CAGR.[22][87]
Market share & regions
In 2024, North America was the largest regional market at $139.1 billion, or 21.8% of global sales, followed by Western Europe at $134.6 billion, or 21.1%. In a separate 2025 estimate, Europe represented 33.7% of the bakery-products market’s revenue.[22][87]
Segmentation
Bread, buns and rolls accounted for $313.7 billion, or 49.1% of global baked-goods sales, in 2024; cakes and pastries represented $162.7 billion, or 25.5%, while sweet cookies represented $89.6 billion, or 14.0%. Industrial bakery products in Europe are commonly categorized as fresh, bake-off wholesale, packaged long-life and packaged-to-bake.[22][86]
Key players & concentration
The available industry sources do not provide a comparable global concentration ratio. In the United States, bakeries and tortilla manufacturing employed 30% of bakers in 2025, while grocery and specialty food retailers employed 23%, indicating a fragmented mix of manufacturing, retail and independent operations.[85]
Pricing
The EU average value of sold production for fresh bread reached €1.88 per kilogram in 2025, up 21% from 2015. Finland recorded the highest country value at €3.08 per kilogram, while Czechia was below €1 per kilogram.[9]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Growth is being supported by demand for convenient, ready-to-eat and packaged bakery products, while bread and cake categories were identified as major 2025 growth drivers. Labor availability remains a challenge: the American Bakers Association reports almost 800,000 U.S. baking-industry workers, and the American Society of Baking describes continuing skills gaps across engineering, maintenance, operations and food science.[87][22][47][4]
Consumer behavior & competition
European bread consumption patterns differ materially by country in volume, product format and source, including fresh, packaged long-life, packaged-to-bake, industrial and craft bakery products. In the United States, bakers serve grocery, wholesale, restaurant and institutional-foodservice channels, while demand is increasingly tied to convenience and specialty products.[86][85][87]
M&A
M&A activity continued across branded, frozen and specialty bakery in 2026. Recent transactions included Bridor’s acquisition of Panamar Bakery Group in March, Europastry’s agreement to acquire Highland Baking in June, Sweetmore Bakeries’ acquisition of Fantasy Baking in August, and Baker & Baker’s acquisition of Lazy Day Foods in November.[55][2]
Latest news
As of November 10, 2026, the latest reported bakery-sector deal activity included Baker & Baker’s November 3 acquisition of Scottish free-from specialist Lazy Day Foods and Fortifi Food Processing Solutions’ November 3 acquisition of I.J. White Systems, which expands equipment capabilities for bakery and prepared-food applications.[2]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Baking Industry

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

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Rich Products leads Gitnux's 2026 baking ranking with an Overall score of 9.8, with cakes and pastries produced globally, including croissants and Danish pastries. Europastry is the runner-up at 9.5, with revenue growth of 8% and a frozen dough and bakery product focus.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in frozen bakery products

    Rich Products

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.8 · Frozen bakery products

    Why we picked it: It spans frozen bakery, desserts, and foodservice products across multiple baked-goods categories.

    See in ranking ↓Visit richs.com ↗

  2. Leader in branded cookies and snacks

    Lotus Bakeries

    BE

    Ranked #3 · 9.3 · Branded cookies and snacks

    Why we picked it: It concentrates on branded biscuits and cookies, including Biscoff, and manufactures in multiple regions.

    See in ranking ↓Visit lotusbakeries.com ↗

  3. Leader in branded bakery cafés

    Paris Baguette

    KR

    Ranked #4 · 9.2 · Branded bakery cafés

    Why we picked it: It is centered on branded baked-goods retail via bakery cafés.

    See in ranking ↓Visit parisbaguette.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 baking industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Rich Products

Frozen bakery products · US

9.8
2

Europastry

Frozen bakery products · ES

9.5
3

Lotus Bakeries

Branded cookies and snacks · BE

9.3
4

Paris Baguette

Branded bakery cafés · KR

9.2
5

Grupo Bimbo

Packaged bread and bakery · MX

8.9
6

ARYZTA

Frozen convenience bakery and foodservice products · CH

8.9
7

Finsbury Food Group

Bread, cakes and specialty bakery in Europe · GB

8.3
8

QAF

Bread and bakery products in Asia-Pacific · SG

8.2
9

Goodman Fielder

Bread and bakery products in Australasia · AU

7.9
10

Krispy Kreme

Doughnuts and branded bakery retail · 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 10, 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

Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the baking industry. In Baking Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/baking-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

Employees in bakeries and tortilla manufacturing (United States)

Employees in bakeries and tortilla manufacturing grew from 271K in 2020 to 318K in 2024.

270.8K count
Start
+4.12%
CAGR · 4y
318.3K count
Projected
20202024
source-verifiedfred.stlouisfed.org2024

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI adoption and automation show up in multiple surveys, including nearly 70% of U.S. commercial baking companies adopting or planning AI within 12 months in 2024.

AI in the baking industry

  • Nearly 70% of U.S. commercial baking companies had adopted or planned to adopt AI within 12 months in 2024.[1]
  • Maintenance and production-operator roles were expected to be the commercial baking positions most affected by initial AI adoption over the following three years in 2024.[2]

Automation in the baking industry

  • 78% of Canadian food and beverage processing establishments reported some level of technical integration in 2020, compared with 72% in baking.[3]
  • Large Canadian commercial bakeries were reported to use automation to reduce costs, improve consistency and diminish waste in 2020.[3]
  • 58% of surveyed U.S. baking companies reported increased use of automation or robotics over the five years to 2025.[4]
  • 72% of Canadian baking establishments reported some level of technical integration in production processes in 2020.[3]

Digital Transformation in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 28% of food, beverage, and ingredient professionals reported positive effects from digital transformation technologies on food-safety preventive controls in 2024.[5]
  • 34% of food, beverage, and ingredient professionals said manufacturing process or assembly had been positively affected by digital transformation technologies in 2024.[5]
  • 82% of food and beverage leaders said technology adoption was a strategic priority, while 6% reported fully integrated digital systems, in a 2025 survey.[6]
  • 40% of 423 food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their organization’s biggest operational barrier in 2026.[6]

Technology Adoption in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 31% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in robotics or robotic process automation in 2025.[5]
  • 22% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in machine-learning software in 2025.[5]
  • 23% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in mobile-app technologies in 2025.[5]
  • 50% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in artificial intelligence as part of their 2025 digital-transformation strategies.[5]

Cloud Computing in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 30% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in cloud computing or enterprise resource-planning software and systems in 2025.[5]
  • 18% of food manufacturers were already using cloud-based manufacturing-execution systems, while 51% planned implementation, according to a 2025 industry survey.[7]
  • 52% of food processors and manufacturers were considering cloud technology, while 45% reported no cloud use, in a 2023 industry survey.[8]
  • 39.5% of EU enterprises in accommodation and food-service activities used paid cloud-computing services in 2025.[9]

Big Data in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 47% of food, beverage, and ingredient professionals identified gathering, analyzing, and leveraging data for data-driven decisions as a digital-transformation investment driver in 2024.[5]
  • 35% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in big data and real-time analytics in 2025.[5]
  • 24% of food-manufacturing respondents were very familiar with advanced analytics, while 34% were moderately familiar, in CRB’s 2025 survey.[10]
  • 13% of food manufacturers were already using advanced-analytics or big-data platforms, while 44% planned implementation, in a 2025 industry survey.[7]

IoT in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 31% of food-manufacturing respondents were very familiar with the Internet of Things, while 35% were moderately familiar, in CRB’s 2025 survey.[10]
  • 26% of food manufacturers were already using IoT sensors or equipment monitoring, while 37% planned implementation, in a 2025 industry survey.[7]
  • 16% of food, beverage, and ingredient companies anticipated investing in Internet-of-Things devices or sensors in 2025.[5]
  • 33% of UK manufacturing companies had adopted IoT technologies in a 2024 national survey, with manufacturing among the sectors reporting comparatively high adoption.[11]

Innovation in the baking industry

  • U.S. bakery and snack launches classified as new varieties or range extensions rose from 42% in April 2020–March 2021 to 49% in April 2025–March 2026.[2]
  • Bakeries with annual revenue below $10 million launched an average of nine new products in the year covered by the study.[12]
  • U.S. bakery product launches increased by just under 2% in 2023 compared with 2022.[13]
  • Bakeries with annual revenue between $10 million and $100 million launched an average of 16 new products in the year covered by the study.[12]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Baking analytics work focuses on participation, loyalty, and product decisions; 19,065 bakery customers were included in a mobile-app field experiment.

Business intelligence in the baking industry

  • 19,065 bakery customers were included in a field experiment on mobile-app-driven customer participation and purchase behavior.[14]
  • 4 bakery-cafe customer factors—taste, cleanliness, proximity and competent sales staff—were identified as especially important in a survey of 421 customers.[15]

Data analytics in the baking industry

  • 421 customers participated in a bakery-loyalty survey analyzing which bakery services mattered most to customers.[15]
  • 16 midpoint environmental indicators and three endpoint indicators were used in a lifecycle assessment of bakery-product surplus in Sweden.[14]
  • 19,065 bakery customers’ behavioral decisions were analyzed in a field experiment on in-app participation and purchasing frequency.[14]
  • 305 valid responses were collected from bakery-café customers in Seoul for research on product-selection attributes, satisfaction and loyalty.[16]

Data Quality in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 77% of retail and consumer-products companies identified improving data quality as a priority in 2023.[17]
  • 22% of consumer-products companies reported that businesses lacked trust in data quality and validity in 2024.[18]
  • 6.4 out of 10: Food, beverage and agriculture respondents rated data timeliness as important in 2018.[19]
  • 6.6 out of 10: Food, beverage and agriculture respondents rated data consistency as important in 2018.[19]
  • 6.4 out of 10: Food, beverage and agriculture respondents rated data accuracy as important in 2018.[19]
  • 7.0 out of 10: Food, beverage and agriculture respondents rated data completeness as important in 2018.[19]

Data Governance in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 61% of supply-management organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024.[20]
  • 47% of supply-management data-governance functions were housed in a center of excellence in 2024.[20]
  • 90% of supply-management organizations agreed or strongly agreed that data governance was necessary in 2024.[20]
  • 81% of supply-management organizations found their data-governance program useful in 2024.[20]
  • 22% of consumer-products companies planned to increase investment in data infrastructure and governance over the following 12 months in 2024.[18]
  • 43% of consumer-products companies reported struggling to establish the right level of data governance in 2024.[18]

KPIs in the baking industry

  • 1,870 cake, pastry and sweet-goods launches were recorded in the United States from 2018 to 2022.[21]
  • 2,146 bakery products were launched in the United States in 2019.[21]
  • 3,180 sweet-biscuit and cookie products were launched in the United States from 2018 to 2022.[21]
  • 1,880 bread and bread-product launches were recorded in the United States from 2018 to 2022.[21]
  • 3,024 baking-ingredient and mix products were launched in the United States from 2018 to 2022.[21]
  • 2,078 bakery products were launched in the United States in 2018, providing an annual product-launch KPI baseline.[21]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Operators keep expanding with frozen, bake-off, and branded formats, while product and workforce choices connect to growth; 4.7% CAGR is the global baseline through 2029.

Growth in the baking industry

  • 5.2% was the projected 2023–2028 CAGR for Asia’s baking industry, the fastest regional growth rate in the cited outlook.[22]
  • 7% was Vicky Foods’ 2025 production-volume growth, reaching 254,631 tonnes.[23]
  • 266 new jobs were expected from Hope Baking Company’s US$37 million Arkansas facility expansion announced in 2024.[24]
  • 4.3% was the projected 2023–2028 CAGR for the global baking industry in Grupo Bimbo’s 2024 annual report.[22]
  • 1.57 billion euros was La Lorraine Bakery Group’s 2025 revenue as it pursued growth in international frozen bake-off markets.[25]
  • 9% was Vicky Foods’ 2025 revenue growth, reaching 761 million euros globally.[23]

Differentiation in the baking industry

  • 4.8% of German bakeries generated 66.9% of annual bakery sales, illustrating the scale advantage of differentiated or leading operators.[26]
  • 62.9% of German bakery companies generated 7.8% of total annual sales, indicating a large long tail of smaller differentiated businesses.[26]
  • 64% of global consumers prioritized indulgence when buying cakes and pastries, creating a basis for premium bakery differentiation.[27]
  • 30–35 decorated cakes were produced daily at the cited Walmart bakery outside peak graduation periods in 2025.[24]
  • 50–60 decorated cakes were produced daily at one Walmart bakery during school graduation periods in 2025, compared with 30–35 on ordinary days.[24]
  • 10 attributes were used to differentiate bread products in a German consumer experiment focused on superfood ingredients and functional benefits.[26]

Mergers and acquisitions in the baking industry

  • 20% was the stake in Art of Baking retained by Minor International, while the founding Srifa Bakery family retained the remaining 20%.[23]
  • 60% was the majority ownership acquired by Vandemoortele in Banneton Bakery in 2024, strengthening its U.S. bakery platform.[28]
  • 8 million dollars were Mondelez International’s 2024 acquisition-integration costs reported in its annual filing.[29]
  • 20% was the stake in Art of Baking held by Minor International after Europastry’s majority acquisition in Thailand.[23]
  • 400-plus stores were expected in the German bakery group created after Argos acquired Kamps and integrated earlier bakery acquisitions.[30]
  • 300 million euros was the proposed investment by CriteriaCaixa for a 20% stake in Europastry, reported in connection with its international growth plans.[31]

Strategic partnerships in the baking industry

  • 20% of Art of Baking remained with the founding Srifa Bakery family after Europastry’s majority investment.[23]
  • 1 tonne of grain was purchased by Laune Bread through a relationship with Baker’s Field Flour for storage and milling services.[32]
  • 68% of Poppies Bakeries’ key suppliers had signed its Supplier Code of Conduct by 2024, indicating progress in formalized supplier relationships.[33]
  • 60% was the majority stake held by Europastry after its strategic combination with Thailand’s Art of Baking in 2025.[31]
  • 13 production bakeries supported Poppies Bakeries’ international customer relationships in Europe and the United States in 2026.[33]
  • 20% of Art of Baking was held by Minor International after the Europastry transaction, preserving a local strategic partner.[23]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Skills shortages drive operational constraints and higher automation demand; U.S. commercial baking companies reported 78% shortages in engineering and maintenance employees in 2025.

Hiring in the baking industry

  • U.S. commercial baking companies anticipated a 21% rise in shortages of hourly machine operators by 2025.[4]
  • 78% of U.S. commercial baking companies reported a shortage of engineering and maintenance employees in 2025.[4]
  • U.S. baking companies focusing considerably or somewhat on recruiting second-chance workers increased from 38% in 2016 to 78% in 2021.[4]
  • U.S. commercial baking companies anticipated a 17% rise in shortages of salaried scientists and R&D employees by 2025.[4]
  • Skilled positions in U.S. commercial baking grew 60% over the five years to 2025.[4]

Remote Work in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • In U.S. accommodation and food services, 1.7% of employees were able to work fully remotely in 2024.[34]
  • Across U.S. food and beverage businesses, 26% let employees choose to work in-person or remotely in 2025, while 73% require in-person work.[35]
  • Among food-sector career starters globally, 36% were fully site-based during their first two years of work, according to a 2024 survey.[36]
  • U.S. accommodation and food-services firms averaged 0.1 work-from-home days per week from November 2024 through January 2025.[37]

Hybrid Work in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • In 2025, 80% of hospitality and food-services employers said they were still struggling to get the balance right with hybrid working.[38]
  • In U.S. restaurant and bar businesses, 12% offered employees a choice between in-person and remote work in 2025.[35]
  • Among food-sector career starters globally, 27% worked in a hybrid arrangement during their first two years, according to a 2024 survey.[36]
  • Across U.S. food and beverage businesses, 26% offered employees the option to work in-person or remotely in 2025.[35]

Upskilling in the baking industry

  • 58% of surveyed U.S. baking companies increased automation or robotics over the five years to 2025, increasing demand for technology, computer and mathematics skills.[4]
  • 59 U.S. commercial baking companies were surveyed in 2022 about retention and training changes since 2016.[4]
  • 70 U.S. commercial baking companies participated in the 2021 recruitment study covering workforce development and talent practices.[4]
  • U.S. commercial baking employers identified workforce skill shortages as a leading barrier to adopting AI in 2024.[2]

Employee Engagement in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. and Canadian frontline employees surveyed in 2024, 52% worked in foodservice, in a sample of 46,250 employees used to assess workplace engagement.[39]
  • Globally, 21% of employees were engaged in 2025, providing an economy-wide benchmark relevant where food-and-beverage-specific engagement data are limited.[40]
  • Food-service employees recorded 72.6% engagement in 2026, up 9.1 percentage points from the prior measurement.[41]
  • Food-and-beverage organizations scored 7.91 out of 10 for employee engagement in the latest 2026 benchmark dataset.[42]

DEI in the baking industry

  • 73% of U.S. commercial baking companies gave some or considerable recruitment focus to women in 2016.[4]
  • 41% of U.S. commercial baking companies gave some or considerable recruitment focus to people with disabilities in 2016.[4]
  • 79% of U.S. commercial baking companies gave some or considerable recruitment focus to military veterans in 2016.[4]
  • 72% of U.S. commercial baking companies gave some or considerable recruitment focus to millennials in 2016.[4]
  • 38% of U.S. commercial baking companies gave some or considerable recruitment focus to people with criminal backgrounds in 2016.[4]

Change Management in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among foodservice organizations surveyed in 2024, 46% identified siloed data and inaccessible specialists as barriers to systematic menu optimization.[43]
  • Among foodservice organizations surveyed in 2024, 44% cited a lack of internal expertise to execute analyses as a menu-optimization barrier.[43]
  • In the 2024–2025 HR Systems Survey, 28% of organizations used adaptive or agile change management, while 24% used a project-based approach.[44]
  • In a 2024 survey of foodservice organizations, 49% ranked resistance to change as a top barrier to evolving menu strategy.[43]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer choice trends shift toward in-store freshness and digital loyalty, with 56% of U.S. grocery shoppers rating in-store bakeries better for taste in 2026.

Customer experience in the baking industry

  • 56% of U.S. grocery shoppers rated in-store bakeries better for taste than commercial bakery aisles in 2026.[45]
  • 53% of U.S. grocery shoppers rated in-store bakeries better for unique or innovative products than commercial bakery aisles in 2026.[45]
  • 51% of U.S. grocery shoppers rated in-store bakeries better for ingredient quality than commercial bakery aisles in 2026.[45]
  • 62% of U.S. grocery shoppers rated in-store bakeries better than commercial bakery aisles for freshness in 2026.[45]
  • 52% of U.S. grocery shoppers rated in-store bakeries better for service than commercial bakery aisles in 2026.[45]

Customer loyalty in the baking industry

  • 40.8% of respondents used bakery customer-loyalty programs more frequently after price increases in 2024.[46]
  • 86.9% of respondents said bakery customer-loyalty programs helped them save money during inflation in 2024.[46]
  • 64.4% of respondents preferred visiting a bakery or confectionery offering a customer-loyalty program in 2024.[46]
  • Seven in ten respondents said they would switch to a digital bakery-loyalty solution if one existed in 2024.[46]
  • 63.1% of respondents found discounts in bakery customer-loyalty programs very appealing in 2024.[46]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand experience and app distribution appear in measured channel data, including Stadtbäckerei Kühl’s 400,000 app purchases recorded in 2024.

Marketing in the baking industry

  • Two-thirds of U.S. consumers said sustainability mattered to them when buying baked goods in 2022.[47]
  • 64% of U.S. consumers made room in their budgets for an occasional baked treat in 2022.[47]
  • 84% of U.S. consumers agreed in 2022 that occasionally treating themselves with baked goods was acceptable.[47]
  • Nearly 90% of U.S. consumers had purchased better-for-you or lifestyle-diet bakery products during the 30 days before the 2022 survey.[47]
  • 68% of meals containing baked items were prepared at home by U.S. consumers in 2022.[47]

Digital marketing in the baking industry

  • Stadtbäckerei Kühl’s bakery app had 15,000 regularly active users, according to the 2024 report.[46]
  • 84.2% of DACH respondents wanted seasonal bakery or confectionery offers delivered through a company app in 2024.[46]
  • Almost 50% of Stadtbäckerei Kühl’s new bakery-app users were regularly active, according to the 2024 report.[46]
  • Stadtbäckerei Kühl’s bakery app recorded 400,000 purchases using the app, according to the 2024 report.[46]
  • 35.0% of DACH respondents wanted bakery or confectionery news at least weekly in 2024.[46]

Branding in the baking industry

  • 40% of UK consumers who ate sweet treats outside the home less than monthly considered familiar, trusted brands important in 2025.[48]
  • 28% of UK daily sweet-treat consumers were more likely to choose a branded cookie or biscuit in 2025.[48]
  • 40% of UK consumers found Nestlé-branded sweet bakery products most appealing for out-of-home purchase in 2025.[48]
  • 46% of UK consumers aged 55 and over looked for a trusted brand when choosing bakery treats in 2025.[48]
  • 17% of UK consumers aged 55 and over were more likely to choose a branded doughnut in 2025.[48]

Social media in the baking industry

  • More than 60% of North American consumers were influenced by social platforms to purchase a bakery item, according to Dawn Foods’ bakery trends research.[49]
  • The American Bakers Association identified social media as an opportunity to bridge inspiration and purchase for baked goods in its 2022 consumer study.[47]
  • 70% of North American consumers agreed bakeries were an affordable way to enjoy bold, multisensory offerings, according to Dawn Foods research.[49]
  • A quarter of U.S. consumers ranked changes in bakery shopping behavior among the main store-shopping changes identified in the 2022 ABA study.[47]
  • 15% of bun and roll consumers said social media prompted them to try a new bakery brand or type in the 2024 ABA survey.[50]

Influencer Marketing in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • 82% of U.S. Gen Z food and beverage shoppers said they purchased a prepackaged product based on an online influencer’s recommendation in the previous year, according to a June 2025 survey.[51]
  • 63% of U.S. food and beverage shoppers said they purchased a prepackaged product based on an online influencer’s recommendation in the previous year, according to a June 2025 survey.[51]
  • 47.6% of TikTok videos featuring food products from top influencers included a branded product, based on an analysis of 1,360 videos published in 2025.[52]
  • 33% of U.S. food and beverage shoppers said they purchased a product from an influencer-founded or influencer-led brand such as Prime or Feastables in the previous year, in 2025.[51]
  • 69.3% of TikTok videos featuring branded food or beverage products had no brand-relationship disclosure, based on an analysis of 648 videos published in 2025.[52]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Capital spending points toward systems improvements, and maintenance remains a recurring priority; 74% of commercial bakers identified maintenance and replacement parts for 2026.

Process optimization in the baking industry

  • 20% of surveyed food-and-beverage manufacturers identified automation as an opportunity to ease repetitive bakery tasks such as dough portioning and packaging in 2026.[53]
  • 48% of baking-equipment survey respondents expected equipment investment to increase in 2025.[54]
  • 74% of commercial bakers identified maintenance and replacement parts as a leading capital-spending area for 2026.[55]
  • 73% of commercial bakers planned capital spending on systems improvements such as automation for 2026.[55]
  • 58% of commercial bakers planned facility upgrades as a capital-spending priority for 2026.[55]

Operational efficiency in the baking industry

  • 6.9% was the average labour-cost-to-revenue ratio for food manufacturing in the cited 2025 comparison, while bakery manufacturing reached 11.7%.[53]
  • 52% of bakery survey respondents said workforce shortages forced them to significantly increase pay.[2]
  • 11.7% was the labour-cost-to-revenue ratio for bakery manufacturing in 2025.[53]
  • 79% of bakery professionals expected company costs to rise in 2023.[2]
  • 13.0% was the increase in total wage costs reported for the baking industry in 2025.[53]

Quality management in the baking industry

  • 4 product categories were compared in the multi-factory quality-management study, including prepared bakery items.[14]
  • 2013–2025 was the period analysed for U.S. food recalls in the study identifying undeclared milk as a leading allergen issue in bakery products.[56]
  • 17 leave-one-factory-out model refits were used to test the robustness of quality-governance estimates in the ready-to-eat study.[14]
  • 5%–8% was the approximate share of U.S. high-risk food recalls attributed to bakery, bread or flour products during 2012–2024.[56]
  • 145 factory-year-category observations were analysed in the multi-factory ready-to-eat quality-governance study covering prepared bakery items.[14]

Supply chain in the baking industry

  • 59% of bakers reported increasing inventories of raw materials and other inputs in 2025.[2]
  • 82% of bakery companies reported negative supply-chain impacts in the comparable 2022 study.[2]
  • 38% of bakers reported reevaluating their entire supply chain in 2025.[2]
  • 39% of industrial bakers cited delays in receiving key inputs as a disruption cause in 2025.[2]
  • 45% of industrial bakers reported a production disruption during the 12 months covered by the 2025 study.[2]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the food and beverage sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among food and beverage CPG companies globally, 36% used co-manufacturers for finished-product manufacturing in 2023.[57]
  • Across food and beverage CPG companies globally, 55% outsourced more manufacturing in 2023 than three years earlier, according to a survey of 287 industry leaders.[57]
  • Across food and beverage CPG companies globally, 52% planned to expand their international footprint in 2023, including North America, EMEA and APAC expansion.[58]
  • Among food and beverage CPG companies globally, 47% worked with up to 10 co-manufacturers in 2023.[57]
  • Among United States and European food-services and facility-management buyers, 91% expected outsourcing budgets to increase over the five years following 2024.[59]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Cost pressure remains central, with 62% of bakers citing increased raw-material costs as a leading business challenge for 2026.

Pricing strategy in the baking industry

  • 62% of bakers identified increased raw-material costs as a leading business challenge for 2026.[2]
  • 79% of bakery professionals expected energy costs to increase in 2023.[2]
  • 60% of bakers expected company revenue to increase in 2026.[2]
  • 58% of bakers expected overall company costs to decrease in 2026.[2]
  • 68% of bakery professionals expected hourly employee wages to increase in 2023.[2]

Cost reduction in the baking industry

  • 63% of bakery professionals identified supply-chain challenges as a major industry challenge in 2022.[2]
  • 62% of bakery professionals identified transportation and logistics costs as a major industry challenge in 2022.[2]
  • 82% of bakers reported finding alternative or duplicate suppliers in 2022.[2]
  • 82% of bakers increased raw-material inventories in the 2022 supply-chain response survey.[2]
  • 55% of bakery professionals identified labor costs as a major industry challenge in 2022.[2]

Profitability in the baking industry

  • 66% of bakery operators identified attracting and retaining a quality workforce as a leading concern in 2025.[2]
  • $18.3 billion was the approximate 2024 revenue generated by U.S. bakery shops.[60]
  • 69% of bakery operators identified labor costs as a leading concern in the 2025 capital-spending survey.[2]
  • 53% of bakers said rising food and ingredient costs affected profitability in 2025.[61]
  • 5%–10% was the typical overall profit-margin range reported for U.S. bakery businesses in 2024.[60]

Financial planning in the baking industry

  • More than one year was the typical advance-planning horizon reported by many baking-equipment investment decision-makers in 2025.[54]
  • 30% of commercial bakers had a very positive outlook for their company in 2026.[55]
  • 53% of commercial bakers had a very positive outlook for their company in 2025.[55]
  • 74% of commercial bakers planned maintenance and replacement-parts spending for 2026.[55]
  • 55% of bakers identified trade uncertainties as a leading business challenge for 2026.[2]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

New product development is measured alongside formulation drivers; 48% of baking professionals cited reducing sugar, sodium, gluten or similar ingredients in 2024.

Product development in the baking industry

  • 48% of surveyed baking professionals cited reducing sugar, sodium, gluten or similar ingredients as a development influence in 2024.[62]
  • 2,413 bakery products were launched in the United States in 2021, the highest annual count during 2018–2022.[21]
  • 79% of surveyed baking professionals cited clean label as an influence on new-product development in 2024.[62]
  • 67% of surveyed commercial baking professionals focused on breakthrough invention in 2024.[2]
  • 41% of surveyed baking professionals reported product-development timelines of six months or less in 2024.[2]

Product lifecycle in the baking industry

  • 12% was the USDA-estimated retail waste rate across bakery products in the United States.[63]
  • About 20% of each bakery batch was wasted when a production line was started, according to bakery-industry interviews.[64]
  • 14% of production became surplus under bread take-back agreements in the Swedish study.[14]
  • Only 2% of Swedish baked-goods surplus was recirculated to the food system.[14]
  • About 180,000 tonnes of baked goods are wasted annually in Sweden.[14]

After-sales in the baking industry

  • More than 200 manufacturer points of sale were served by Europastry in the first half of 2024.[65]
  • 56.1% of Europastry’s net turnover in the first half of 2024 came from retail customers representing more than 19,250 points of sale.[65]
  • More than 19,850 traditional bakery points of sale were served by Europastry in the first half of 2024.[65]
  • 30.5% of Europastry’s net turnover in the first half of 2024 came from foodservice customers representing more than 49,700 points of sale.[65]
  • More than 49,700 foodservice points of sale were served by Europastry in the first half of 2024.[65]

Value proposition in the baking industry

  • More than one-fifth of respondents in the 2024 DACH bakery-loyalty study preferred a bakery or confectionery with a digital customer-loyalty program.[46]
  • 40.8% of DACH bakery-loyalty survey respondents used customer-loyalty programs more frequently after inflation increased.[46]
  • 47.7% of DACH bakery-loyalty survey respondents valued digital programs because they reduce the number of cards in their wallets.[46]
  • 86.9% of DACH bakery-loyalty survey respondents said loyalty programs helped them save money during high inflation.[46]
  • 44% of surveyed United States consumers said brands would retain their business by maintaining quality, including bakery brands.[12]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Environmental reporting and waste diversion are tracked by operator outcomes, including 98% of Grupo Bimbo’s waste diverted from landfills in 2024.

Sustainability in the baking industry

  • Nearly 20% of Flowers Foods’ bakery network used heat-recovery systems in 2025 in the United States.[66]
  • 57% was the reported absolute reduction in De Graaf Bakeries’ scope 1 and 2 emissions from its 2020 baseline by 2024 in the Netherlands.[67]
  • More than half of Flowers Foods’ bakeries exclusively used LED lighting in 2025 in the United States.[66]
  • 98% of Grupo Bimbo’s waste was diverted from landfills in 2024 across its global operations.[22]
  • 73% was the reduction in De Graaf Bakeries’ scope 1 and 2 emissions per kilogram of product from 2020 to 2024 in the Netherlands.[67]

ESG in the baking industry

  • 12% was Mondelēz International’s reduction in end-to-end value-chain greenhouse-gas emissions from 2018 to 2024 globally.[68]
  • 91% of Mondelēz International’s cocoa volume was covered by its Cocoa Life program in 2024 globally.[68]
  • 100% of Mondelēz International’s palm-oil volume was sourced from suppliers aligned with its Palm Oil Action Plan in 2024 globally.[69]
  • 96% of Mondelēz International’s packaging was designed to be recyclable in 2024 globally.[68]
  • 257,000 farmers were registered in Mondelēz International’s Cocoa Life program in 2024 globally.[69]

Ethics in the baking industry

  • $440,000 or more in wage and labor penalties was cited against Dutch Maid Bakery and associated staffing agencies in Massachusetts in 2023.[70]
  • $952,000 was ordered in back wages and damages for 74 employees of Connecticut and New York bakeries after U.S. Department of Labor litigation in 2022.[71]
  • $136,000 was paid by Sweet Cakes by Melissa after an Oregon discrimination case involving a same-sex couple in 2015.[72]
  • 30 wage and labor-law violations were cited against Dutch Maid Bakery and five staffing agencies in Massachusetts in 2023.[70]
  • 74 bakery employees were covered by the $952,000 wage-and-hour settlement entered in 2022 in Connecticut and New York.[71]

CSR in the baking industry

  • 26% of surveyed U.S. bakery operators rated labor availability as a highly significant 2024 challenge.[73]
  • 73% of the U.S. commercial baking sector was represented by the 90 executives surveyed for the 2025 workforce-gap study.[4]
  • 85% of bakery-company respondents reported a challenging manufacturing environment as an employee-retention obstacle in 2025.[2]
  • 78% of U.S. baking companies reported shortages in engineering and maintenance positions in the 2025 commercial-baking workforce study.[4]
  • Nearly 25% of Flowers Foods’ bakeries achieved at least one full year without a lost-time incident in 2025 in the United States.[66]

Circular economy in the baking industry

  • 319,400 tonnes per year was classified as actual food waste in Australia’s bread and bakery sector.[74]
  • 51% of actual food waste in Australia’s bread and bakery sector was landfilled.[74]
  • 44% of potential food waste and loss in Australia’s bread and bakery value chain was prevented from becoming waste.[74]
  • 575,000 tonnes per year of potential food waste and loss were managed across Australia’s bread and bakery value chain.[74]
  • 40% of prevented Australian bread and bakery material was directed to animal feed.[74]

Carbon footprint in the baking industry

  • 75.4 metric tonnes of CO2e emissions were estimated to be avoided annually by a heat-recovery expansion at Flowers Foods’ Lewiston bakery in 2025.[66]
  • 214,837 metric tonnes of market-based scope 1 and scope 2 emissions were reported by Panera Bread in 2023 globally.[75]
  • 9.8% was Flowers Foods’ reduction in manufacturing greenhouse-gas emissions intensity from 2020 to 2025 in the United States.[66]
  • 58% of Panera Bread’s scope 3 emissions came from purchased goods and services in 2023 globally.[75]
  • 90,449 metric tonnes of scope 1 emissions were reported by Panera Bread in 2023 globally.[75]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

International footprints remain visible in logistics and supply coverage, including 64 countries receiving products from Poppies Bakeries in 2026.

Globalization in the baking industry

  • 5.2% was the projected 2023–2028 CAGR for Asia’s baking industry, the highest regional growth rate listed in Grupo Bimbo’s industry outlook.[22]
  • 56% of Europastry’s revenue came from outside Spain in 2024, reflecting the company’s international expansion in frozen bakery products.[31]
  • 64 countries received products from Poppies Bakeries in 2026, supplied by 13 bakeries and more than 1,400 employees across Europe and the United States.[33]
  • 23.1% of the global baking industry’s 2023 market value came from Western Europe, equivalent to US$147.7 billion.[22]
  • 21.0% of the global baking industry’s 2023 market value came from North America, representing US$134.5 billion.[22]

Cultural adaptation in the baking industry

  • 66.9% of annual German bakery sales were generated by 4.8% of bakery companies, indicating strong concentration alongside regional product differentiation.[26]
  • 45.4% of U.S. bakery-product distribution was through supermarkets in 2022, reflecting the importance of adapting products to mainstream retail purchasing habits.[21]
  • 64% of global consumers prioritized indulgence when purchasing cakes and pastries, according to Zeelandia’s consumer survey.[27]
  • 10 bread attributes were evaluated in a German consumer choice experiment covering preferences for superfood ingredients and functional bread products.[26]
  • 3.1% of U.S. bakery-product distribution came through convenience stores in 2022, a channel associated with immediate-consumption and localized product formats.[21]

Supplier management in the baking industry

  • 5.35 dollars per bushel was the 2019 average price of conventionally grown wheat used as a comparison in a bakery sourcing study.[83]
  • 12.20 dollars per bushel was the 2019 average price of organic food-grade wheat, compared with US$5.35 for conventional wheat.[83]
  • 63% of surveyed bakeries with organic wheat sourcing requirements had operated for more than 20 years.[83]
  • 68% of Poppies Bakeries’ key suppliers had signed its Supplier Code of Conduct by 2024.[33]
  • 50% of surveyed organic-oriented bakeries employed more than 20 people, indicating that supplier requirements vary with bakery scale.[83]

Stakeholder management in the baking industry

  • 5,700 employees worked for La Lorraine Bakery Group in 2025 across its international milling and bakery operations.[25]
  • 18 employees worked at Poppies Bakeries’ Hugo Wafels facility in Belgium, showing the different stakeholder scales across production sites.[33]
  • 91 employees worked at Poppies Bakeries’ Dour site, illustrating the local workforce dimension of bakery stakeholder management.[33]
  • 1,400-plus employees worked across Poppies Bakeries’ European and U.S. operations in 2026, forming a major internal stakeholder group.[33]
  • 309 employees worked at Poppies Bakeries’ Laudun doughnut facility in France, according to the company’s site profile.[33]

Distribution channels in the baking industry

  • 5.0406 billion dollars was the value of U.S. bakery retail e-commerce sales in 2022.[21]
  • 6.1% was the compound annual growth rate of U.S. bakery retail e-commerce sales from 2018 to 2022.[21]
  • 88.3% of U.S. bakery-product distribution was through grocery retailers in 2022.[21]
  • 5.0% was the compound annual growth rate of U.S. offline bakery retail sales from 2018 to 2022.[21]
  • 52% of ARYZTA’s 2024 channel revenue came from retail, compared with 19% from quick-service restaurants and 29% from other foodservice.[84]

Key questions about the Baking Industry

How large is the global baking industry in 2024?
The global baking industry generated $638.9 billion in retail sales in 2024.
What is the expected growth rate for the baking industry through 2029?
It is projected to grow at a 4.7% CAGR through 2029 from the 2024 base.
Which companies lead the baking industry?
Rich Products leads Gitnux's 2026 baking ranking with an Overall score of 9.8, with cakes and pastries produced globally, including croissants and Danish pastries. Europastry is the runner-up at 9.5, with revenue growth of 8% and a frozen dough and bakery product focus.
What technology shifts are most visible in baking operations?
Nearly 70% of U.S. commercial baking companies had adopted or planned to adopt AI within 12 months in 2024, and 58% reported increased automation or robotics over the five years to 2025.
How fragmented is manufacturing versus retail in the baking labor mix?
In the United States, bakeries and tortilla manufacturing employed 30% of bakers in 2025, while grocery and specialty food retailers employed 23%, indicating a fragmented mix.
Which bakery categories account for the largest share of sales?
Bread, buns and rolls account for $313.7 billion, or 49.1% of global baked-goods sales in 2024.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Baking Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/baking-industry-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Baking Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/baking-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Baking Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/baking-industry-statistics.

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