Bakeries

The US bakery industry has about 2,600 commercial bakeries, with combined annual revenue of $25 billion, and 7,000 small retail bakeries, with $2 billion total revenue. Major companies include Interstate Bakeries and Flowers Foods, plus divisions of companies such as Sara Lee and Nabisco. The commercial side of the industry is highly concentrated: the 50 largest commercial bakers hold more than 80 percent of the market. The retail side of the industry is fragmented: although big companies may operate dozens of bakeries, the typical baker operates just one facility.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is related to eating trends and to the changing structure of the grocery industry. Profitability for individual companies is determined by efficiency of operations. Large companies have scale advantages in procurement, production, and distribution. Small companies can compete by offering specialty goods or superior local distribution services. Despite high automation, the low value of the product produces a fairly modest $150,000 in annual revenue per employee for commercial bakers.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Baking is a low technology business that produces low-priced products from commodity ingredients. Fifty percent of industry volume is from baked breads, mainly white, wheat and rye; 20 percent from rolls, buns, muffins, bagels and croissants; 11 percent from soft cakes; and the rest from pies, pastries, donuts and a variety of sweet goods. Annual US per capita consumption of bread is close to 60 pounds, according to the Wheat Foods Council.

Bread ...