Convenience and sustainability

Weise also outlined the trend of convenience and its multi-faceted ideology, stating that convenience isn’t always about being fast. Sometimes, it’s about future-proofing.

“Sandwich rolls are a perennial favorite at my house, and they’re not always available, so every time I find them, I buy them,” another shopper said. “I’ll take a few of them out and put the rest in the freezer for later. It’s convenient for me, because I don’t need to come back and look for the bread all the time.”

Convenience and sustainability seem to go hand-in-hand for consumers, with many defining sustainability as sustaining their food for longer.

“For consumers in the bakery, the term sustainability typically means less ‘save the planet’ and more ‘save my leftovers,’” Weise said.

Extending the shelf life of bakery products may encourage more consumers to splurge in an effort to set their pantries up for convenience and, in a way, sustainability.

Seasonal and global flavors

Seasonal flavors drive urgency and sales, with consumers looking for unique and innovative taste experiences. Global flavors are also gaining traction, offering consumers a chance to try flavor profiles they may not have access to in their own regions.

“We see a big movement towards a lot of Latino flavors like guavas or Tres Leches,” said Buddy Valastro, celebrity chef, baker and owner of Carlo’s Bakery. “These flavors have been around, but it’s about educating your consumer and finding out how to market it to your demographic.”

Social media has played a heavy hand in showcasing global flavors to less-than-local audiences.

“Dubai chocolate is on fire right now, and we started to see it everywhere because of social media,” Valastro said. “It starts on social media, and then it trickles down to the mainstream.”

Better-for-you indulgences

Consumers are increasingly interested in bakery items that balance indulgence with health benefits. This includes high-protein options, clean-label ingredients, and products that support gut health and metabolic wellness, especially in response to trends like GLP-1 medications.

“Wellness is still the number two factor behind price,” said Matthew Barry, insight manager at Euromonitor. “People feel they can’t control things in the environment, but they can control what they put in their own bodies. The important thing is really going to be gut health. There’s strong interest in the idea that the microbiome is key to not just digestion, but so many other things.”

When it comes to the rise of GLP-1 medications, the baking industry will need to adapt and adjust to cater to shifting dietary requirements.

“People are going to eat less,” Barry said. “It’s not that they’re not going to eat baked goods anymore, they’re just going to eat them in a different way. As long as the industry adapts to that, there’s no reason to be worried.”

All in all, consumers lead the trends shaping the food industry. By conducting research and listening to shoppers as they contemplate real-time decisions in the grocery aisle, baking companies can achieve success in each category.

“Bakery isn’t just about desserts,” Weise concluded. “It’s about mood; It’s about memory. From nostalgia to the social media craze, indulgence is no longer reserved for special occasions. It’s an everyday escape.”