Special Reports

RSS

While fresh bread is the largest category in the bakery industry, it has remained relatively flat for the past several years. But several emerging trends have fostered growth, pointing the way toward future potential for the category.

As presented in this annual "State of the Industry: Bakery" analysis, the U.S. bakery industry is responsible for $51.6 billion in annual sales, covering retail products across 10 vital categories: bars, breads, frozen breakfast, buns and rolls, cookies, desserts, pizza, snack cakes, sweet goods and tortillas.

Snack and nutritional bars are not only growing in popularity, but they represent an innovative category that keeps up with trends and is rewarded for its creativity.

The current state of snacks and bakery in foodservice reflects the "have your cake and eat it, too" polarity of today's consumers. We dine out to treat ourselves, yet we still have a nagging sense of responsibility to improved health and wellness.

Over the past century, John B. Sanfilippo & Son, the 2019 'Snack Producer of the Year,' has grown into one of the world's top nut companies, and a strong culture of growth and innovation continues today.

When combined, the grain-based snack and bakery industry in the U.S., as covered in Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, accounts for over $100 billion in annual sales - and that's just at retail.

When Sheila G's Brownie Brittle hit the market in 2011, it redefined the cookie category forever. It's like the brownie’s edges, crispy and full of rich, chocolate flavor, the best part of the brownie. As a bonus, Brownie Brittle is lower in calories than traditional brownies, and is highly snackable.

Snacking is a way of life in America. As Mintel notes in its May 2017 "Snacking Motivations and Attitudes-U.S." report, nearly everyone in America snacks every day. Of the 94 percent of people who snack during the day, half snack two to three times per day.

The tortilla chips market continues to evolve, catering to desires for bold and interestingly spiced products. Millennials, in particular, are craving adventurous and ethnic flavors. As a result, we're starting to see a wider range of new and interesting flavors hitting the market.