Brown, white, seeded, sourdough… whatever your preference, bread is a staple part of the American diet. But just how big is the bread market in the US really? The answer is it’s pretty huge. The bread segment of the US market was valued at $380bn in 2022 and is expected to grow annually by 8.38%. That works out as a per-person volume of 45 pounds of bread each year. While that may seem like a lot of bread, the market in Europe is even bigger. You might immediately think this is due to the French's love of baguettes or thanks to Italian pizzas, but actually, it’s Turkey that is the biggest consumer of bread, with a whopping average of 230 pounds of bread consumed per person on an annual basis. Revenue-wise, China and India dominate the lion's share of the global bread market, which is valued at $66.8bn and $47.28bn, respectively in 2022.
The type of top-selling bread in each market varies from country to country. In the US, it tends to be whole-wheat or multigrain bread, closely followed by white bread. In Turkey, the most popular options are either flatbreads or the traditional ‘somum’ bread, which is pointy, boat-shaped, soft, and white.
As a retailer looking to stock bread for an American audience, you’ll want to know who sells the most bread and why it’s so popular.
Why is bread so popular?
Bread has been credited with being “the most important thing in human history.” Humans have eaten bread in some form since the Neolithic ages when cereals were crushed and mixed with water before being cooked over the fire or left to dry in the sun.
Since then, bread has formed an integral part of every human civilization, from the Ancient Egyptians to the Romans, Vikings, and Victorians.
Bread was used as a form of currency in Egypt, and a means to control the people in the Roman Empire, where the ‘Baker’s Guild’ was formed to regulate and scrutinize its production. The unattainable price of bread was an inciting factor in the French Revolution, and in the 1840s French scientist Louis Pasteur brought us the method of pasteurization, which makes the transport and retail of bread and other products possible to this day.
Perhaps the most recent example of bread’s lasting importance in our lives was shown in the hordes of people who turned to baking bread during the Covid-19 pandemic. Bread was one of the first items to sell out in stores, and people were looking for a sense of purpose and comfort while stuck in their homes.
In the modern world, bread continues to be a staple part of our diets across countries and cultures. Nowadays, we’re more likely to discuss bread in the context of whether or not it is good for you, and you will find differing opinions on the subject depending on who you ask. But it can’t be denied that throughout history, and even today, bread has been a popular and important part of diets, economies, and cultures globally.
Who sells the most bread?
The bread market is dominated by a few staple items, but there is an increasing demand for more variety of wholemeal bread with oats, bran, and seeds to cater to health-conscious consumers, as well as a demand for a greater variety of ethnic bread in the mainstream market.
Let’s have a look at some of the biggest players, both in the States and worldwide.
US market
In the US, the most significant proportion of bread sold is private label. This means it’s sold under the retailer’s brand label but often produced by a third party.
After this, the next largest producer of bread is the United States Bakery based in Portland, Oregon, with an annual revenue of $20.5 billion. This company was founded in 1906 and is where the modern hamburger bun was invented. After all these years, the United States Bakery is still a family-run operation owned by the fourth generation of the original founders.
If that wasn’t enough, in 2006, they broke the Guinness World Record for the longest hot dog bun with an impressive 104 feet, 9.5-inch monster. The company’s distribution covers Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Northern California.
The third biggest retailer of bread in America in 2022 is, surprisingly, Campbell’s Soup. Originally selling canned tomatoes, vegetables, soups, and jellies, after a series of mergers, the company is now one of the largest processed food companies in the US.
Amongst their most popular bread-based products are sandwich bread, swirl bread, farmhouse bread, bagels, and various buns and rolls. This New Jersey-based company is also a global giant, having acquired Danish baked goods company Kelsen Group in 2019.
Other notable US bread brands include Flowers Foods, with a revenue of $4.331 billion, Lewis Bakeries, based in Indiana, with an annual revenue of $800 million, and Pennysylvania-based Bimbo Bakeries, bringing in $785 million each year.
Worldwide market
On a global scale, Nestlé is the biggest bakery company in the world, with annual sales of $89.94 billion in 2021. Its headquarters are based in its native Switzerland, but the company has a huge presence in the United States and beyond.
In the UK, one of the most popular brands is Warburtons, whose profits more than doubled due to increased demand over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. Another family-run business, it was first established by Thomas and Ellen Warburton in 1876 and has been managed by the fifth generation of Warburtons since 1991.
Looking to stock your shelves with the best bread on the market?
If you’re interested in exploring new options for bread retailers or expanding your stock to include health-conscious and sustainable choices, look no further than Buffalo Market!
Buffalo Market is the leading distributor of fast-moving products like bread. Our direct store delivery (DSD) model ensures that shelves are never empty, and our tech-driven approach to analyzing data tells you everything you need to know about sales performance and inventory forecasting.
If you want to learn more about how Buffalo Market uses tech to be the most efficient, transparent, and brand-friendly distributor in the industry, schedule a demo with one of our experts today!
