In general, average daily bread consumption has declined since 1999 according to International Deli-Dairy-Bakery Association’s (IDDBA) “Consumers in the Bakery” report, with average consumption among survey respondents being 1.78 servings a day compared with 3.72 servings per day in 1999. Although daily bread consumption declined from 2004 to 2010, the losses were not as drastic as the losses from 1999 to 2004. Alan Hiebert, education information specialist, IDDBA, speculated that the low-carb trend may be to blame for this decline in bread consumption. Consumers are, however, backing up their interest in whole grains with their dollars.

The number of consumers buying artisan bread from in-store bakeries decreased 8% in the past five years; however, the number of consumers purchasing artisan bread from other sources such as natural/organic supermarkets, supermarket aisles and independent bakeries increased, according to IDDBA’s “Consumer’s in the Bakery” report. The report also shows that of the consumers who shop in the traditional in-store supermarket bakery, 57% buy artisan bread.


According to Mintel International Group’s August 2010 report on in-store bakeries, households with incomes more than $75,000 were more likely to buy from multiple product categories when visiting in-store bakeries — with the highest percentages for Italian or French bread, whole-grain bread and artisan bread — than those in lower-income brackets. The supermarket bread aisle, however, had in-store bakeries beat in 2010, the report said, with 73% of consumers purchasing bread from the supermarket aisle and 25% from the supermarket in-store bakery. Most bread sales in in-store bakeries were down from 2009 except the artisan bread category, which was up 1%. Mintel speculated that these declines are due to the economy.