Waitrose has reported 15% year-on-year growth of in-store bakery (ISB) and patisserie, driven by a ‘little treat’ culture among younger consumers.
The retailer highlighted how consumers aged 35 and under, particularly the Gen Z demographic, are increasingly looking for trend-led bakery innovation in flavour and premium ingredients as well as freshness, convenience, and the ISB shopping experience.
These consumers are buying into Waitrose bakery NPD, it noted, boosting category growth and inspiring limited edition launches ranging from jalapeño breadsticks to cereal milk cookies.
A rotation of seasonal flavours has resulted in a 35% increase in sales of bagged cookies and a 21% increase in sales across Viennoisserie, with purchases attributed to new customers.
A new hybrid sweet treat, the Gingerbread Bun, has recently been unveiled at Waitrose for the festive season along with a Black Forest Danish. The retailer predicts its Pistachio Croissant, still trending after its launch last year, will also fly off the shelves this yuletide. Its Christmas 2025 range included a Cinnamon & Date Snowflake ‘Tear & Share’ Bread and a Christmas Bloomer made with sage, onion and pumpkin seeds.
The popularity of sourdough shows no sign of abating with millennials said to be prioritising the health benefits of the speciality bread. Waitrose responded to a 26% year-on-year increase in sourdough sales by recently expanding its range to include a 1kg loaf, double the size of its standard sourdough.
“For our younger customers, it’s less about the staple loaf and more about moments of joy – a limited-edition flavour, an Instagrammable pastry or a morning croissant on an office day,” commented Waitrose patisserie and ISB buyer Kate Rider. “Driving sales as well as likes, the next generation are opting for the freshness, quality, and experience you can only get from an in-store bakery.”
Helping further accelerate growth of Waitrose ISB is a partnership with Danish bakery chain Ole & Steen to introduce a curated range of pastries at 35 selected stores. These include the Cardamom Bun, Maple & Pecan Social Slice, Chocolate Swirl, Cinnamon Social Slice, and their signature sharing Cinnamon Social Half.
All Waitrose branches, including convenience shops, have an in-store bakery and patisserie, where products are freshly baked in store three times a day. As part of the company’s £1bn investment in new stores and refurbishments, it has been updating the look and feel of the bakery sections to improve customer experience, with the new concepts seen in the John Barnes (northwest London), Maidenhead, and Newbury branches.
Waitrose revealed its best-performing bakery was at its Canary Wharf store, where it launched a Gail’s takeaway outlet in May 2024. Other popular bakery branches include in Cambridge, Salisbury, Cheltenham, Berkhamsted, and Hove. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays are noted as the busiest days for Waitrose bakery as customers trade up and treat themselves towards the end of the week.
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