By Anne Fremaux, Bakery Director, GIRA
Bakery chains are expanding at a fast pace across Europe, with Germany in the lead. While traditional chains are the steadfast dominant presence in this segment, coffee shops, sandwich chains and other business models are also on the rise, with inviting alternatives.
With blurring boundaries between retail and foodservice, and in a growing industrial competitive environment, it is essential to understand which business model will most impact the bakery products distribution and production in the near future. GIRA (Girag & Associates) has just published a new study on the ‘Business Models of Bakery Chains in Europe’, covering the 15 main European countries. Businesses running over 10 outlets are classified as ‘chains’ in the research. Over 400 bakery chains have been counted in this space, totaling about 42,000 outlets, which amount to a total turnover of over EUR 13 bn in 2020 (excluding taxes). Germany sees the highest number of outlets by far, followed by the United Kingdom, France and Poland; but the number of bakery chain outlets is growing rapidly in most European countries.
