A bird's eye view of a latte and two slices of cake

Source: Getty Images / lechatnoir

  • Publication date: Monday 29 April 2024
  • Editorial submissions deadline: Friday 15 March 2024
  • Editorial contact: Amy North, amy.north@wrbm.com

Growth is afoot in the out-of-home market as the likes of Greggs, Caffé Nero, and more, expand their estates. But it’s not all smooth sailing – securing sites is becoming an increasingly competitive game, costs from ingredients to wages are rising and recruitment remains a topic of conversation.

This feature will explore all of this and more as it looks to ascertain the state of the out-of-home bakery market and the strategy its top players are utilising to get ahead of the competition.

It will be accompanied by a ranking of the top 75 companies that sell baked goods as a primary element of their food offering in a non-supermarket retail, food-to-go or eat-in format. Businesses in the list include Costa, Subway, Greggs, Cooplands, Birds Bakery and more.

Key areas this article will explore include:

  • How has the out-of-home bakery market, and its key players, performed over the past year?
  • Many of the firms are on the list are looking to expand their estates. Is there a critical mass for coffee shops, bakeries, and cafes in the UK and where is it?
  • What are the key challenges facing operators in this market? And what tactics are firms utilising to overcome them?
  • Which channels, such as delivery, travel, out of town, drive-thru etc, present the most opportunities for growth and why is this? What does this mean for the likes of high streets?
  • How are consumers engaging with the out-of-home bakery market? What are the top occasions and types of businesses they are visiting for, and why?
  • What are firms doing to improve loyalty amongst their customer bases?
  • Costs have been rising across – where are the pinch points in 2024?
  • What impact will the increase in National Living Wage have on these businesses?
  • Looking at NPD, what are some of the top new bakery launches in this market this year? Why have they been so successful?
  • What will the out-of-home market bakery look like in the future?