Germany Attitudes towards Bread and Bread Products Consumer Report 2025
2026-01-08T10:01:53+00:00
REP8304A70F_E5F5_4AFE_A4BD_FE30262F4330
2195
190176
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Report
en_GB
Easing inflation helped the German bread market stabilise in 2025. With German bakeries facing a continuous decline in numbers amidst labour shortages, retail has the opportunity to take up shares,…
Germany
Consumer Attitudes
Bread, Bakery and Cakes
simple
Germany Attitudes towards Bread and Bread Products Consumer Report 2025
"Shifting dietary habits are curbing bread consumption, driving brands to enhance indulgence for snacking, boost health to address processing concerns and embrace global influences."
Easing inflation helped the German bread market stabilise in 2025. With German bakeries facing a continuous decline in numbers amidst labour shortages, retail has the opportunity to take up shares, but needs to provide the quality assurance to match.
Younger consumers are turning from traditional mealtime consumption to snacks, leaving bread to raise its indulgence levels and compete with other snacking categories, such as sweet biscuits or crisp bread. Processing concerns further contribute to younger Germans’ slipping consumption, urging brands to focus on natural ingredients and provide sustenance to justify use.
Meanwhile, conventional breads are losing out to international formats amidst increased cultural exchange, leading to crossovers and reframing bread as an accompaniment rather than a meal base.
Nevertheless, bread consumption remains widespread, with bread bringing excitement to meals. Banking on local, artisan heritage can help brands convey quality to sway younger Germans and stay connected to older consumers.
This report looks at the following areas:
Market drivers for bread and bread products, including the impact of Germany’s economy on the market and bakery industry trends
Market sizing, forecast and segmentation of bread, with specialty bread gaining momentum
Usage of bread and bread products, exploring shifting consumption habits with a focus on the snackification of bread
Product features that interest consumers, discussing ingredients from local origin and nutritional demands
Attitudes and behaviours towards bread and bread products, focusing on health concerns and bread’s appeal for indulgence
Trends in launch activity and opportunities for further innovation in the bread and bread product industry
Collapse All
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
Outlook for attitudes towards bread and bread products – Germany
Opportunities
Showcase the story
Harness bread’s versatility
Broaden the base naturally
THE MARKET
Snapshot – market size and forecast
Consumers see light on the economic horizon
Graph 1: producer price indices for agricultural products, by origin, 2020-25
Climate change is cropping volume sales
Bakeries are a dying breed
The age of AI is upon us
Breadmaking is booming
Cultural shifts are changing bread consumption
Market size and forecast
Market growth turns positive for bread and bread products
Graph 2: value market size for bread and bread products, 2020-25
Value sales are going to grow again
Graph 3: retail market value forecast for bread and bread products, 2019-30
Bread’s decline is set to slow in the second half of the 2020s
Graph 4: retail market volume forecast for bread and bread products, 2019-30
Speciality breads rise as others fall
Graph 5: volume retail sales for bread, by type, 2023-25
Private labels extend their lead in volume sales
Graph 6: company volume shares for bread and bread products, 2023-25
THE CONSUMER
Bread stays a staple but a slice smaller
Changing eating habits
Abendbrot is ageing
German youth wants more nutrition
Broader bases make better bread
International interest is rising…
Graph 7: types of bread purchased, 2022-25
…opening the gateway to culinary collaborations
Bread is culturally embedded
Germans still love their loaves
Set up bread for social settings
Graph 8: agreement with “Sharing bread is an important part of social dining occassions”, by lifestage 2025
Graph 9: bread and bread product launches, by branded vs private label, 2020-25
Pretzelification in progress
Croissover episodes have landed
Germans are all about that base
Bread struggles to stay natural
Graph 10: bread and bread product launches with natural claims, by claim, 2020-25
APPENDIX
Report scope/market definition
The market
Forecast methodology
Forecast methodology – fan chart
Market size – value
Market size – volume
Market forecast and prediction intervals – value
Market forecast and prediction intervals – volume
Market segmentation – value
Market segmentation – volume
Company shares – value
Company shares – volume
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology
Repertoire analysis methodology
Germany: generation groups
Other data source methodologies
Mintel Spark
Flavours Landscape: methodology
Abbreviations
A note on language – Germany
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