Unit sales of bakery products in the U.S. 2024, by category

For the 52 weeks ending April 21, 2024, center store breads was the second best-selling bakery products category in the United States (U.S.) with unit sales amounting to approximately 3.3 billion units. 

The market for bakery products in the U.S.

Among the different bakery product categories in the U.S., center store bread was the best-selling, with sales amounting to a total of more than nine billion U.S. dollars. Cookies were the country’s second-favorite baked product, with sales of over eight billion U.S. dollars. Snack- or granola bars, perimeter cakes, and center store buns and rolls are among the more popular bakery products. The three leading companies within the fresh and frozen bakery product market are Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU), Flowers Foods, and Pepperidge Farm. These companies accounted for a combined share of 54 percent of the overall market size. BBU is the market leader with a market share of almost one-third.

Bakery cafes in the U.S.

The market size of the bakery cafe sector in the U.S. amounts to approximately 13.3 billion U.S. dollars. The market has grown continuously during the last decade. In terms of units, the leading bakery cafe chain is Panera Bread. With 2,121 establishments in the U.S., Panera Bread has more than three times as many establishments as its biggest competitor Einstein Bros. Bagels. The number of employees in the bakery cafe sector in the U.S. is approximately 188.5 thousand.