ORLANDO, FL — “Where are shoppers headed next?” This is a question that plagues most commercial bakers as they revolve R&D around weight loss medications, demands for nutrition and sustainability considerations.
In her presentation, “How Health and Wellness is Changing Consumer Demand for Bakery, Deli and Dairy Products,” during IDDBA 2026, held June 7-9 in Orlando, FL, Colleen McGinnis, senior director, fresh emerging acquisition and partnerships for NielsenIQ, has the answer to this question.
First, to get consumers back in the bakery aisle, brands need to blur the lines between functionality and indulgence without reintroducing compromise. Center store bread can proudly display increased protein while perimeter pastries can be single-serve and decadent. Both options provide consumers with what they’re looking for: the best of both worlds.
“It’s not that consumers are eating less; it’s that they’re being extremely intentional about what they are eating when they do eat,” McGinnis said. “There are opportunities for brands to meet a new unmet need.”
With sugar- and carb-awareness on the rise, bakery products are struggling to reach the health-conscious consumer. The path to overcoming this lies in figuring out how to ratio protein and fiber while still providing taste du jour. McGinnis emphasized that while consumers are intentionally seeking “better-for-you” products, they’re willing to negotiate if a product can’t meet all their qualifications.
“We see that 92 percent of households are buying ‘better’ for products, and then we can see that about half are then purchasing ‘better’ for products in the grocery channel, and that represents about $30 million,” she said. “We’re seeing high fiber as one of the key growing claims in bakery, as well as gluten-free and sugar consciousness.”
Consumers in the bakery department aren’t willing to give up quality when they choose to indulge. They’re simply looking for ways to support their health needs without “overdoing” it in the bakery category.
“It’s about finding that right balance in terms of formulation and being able to deliver on these needs that consumers are looking for but still maintaining that taste and quality profile that they expect from bakery,” McGinnis said.
Consumers haven’t abandoned the bakery segment; they’re just looking for new ways to partake in it. With health-forward R&D and intentional marketing, there is still plenty of time to get consumers back in the bakery aisle.
