Scottish Bakers unveil first ‘Future of Bakery’ report to drive innovation and growth

Scottish Bakers has launched its inaugural ‘Future of Bakery’ report, an exclusive new industry insight resource designed to empower Scotland’s bakery businesses with vital commercial and consumer data.

Developed in partnership with global ingredients supplier Dawn Foods, the dual report spans both sweet and savoury categories and is available exclusively to Scottish Bakers’ members via the organisation’s new digital Insights Hub.

The report aims to provide actionable intelligence on market performance, consumer behaviour, pricing dynamics, and category growth opportunities, equipping businesses with the strategic knowledge to navigate the evolving bakery landscape in 2025 and beyond.

Lesley Cameron, Chief Executive of Scottish Bakers, said: “With shifting consumer priorities, rising costs and an increasingly competitive retail environment, the need for data-driven decision making has never been greater. This report provides our members with the tools to navigate changing shopper behaviours and capitalise on key growth areas.”

The research draws on comprehensive consumer panel data from NIQ, representing 30,000 UK households, as well as bespoke Scottish shopper insights collected by TRKR from more than 500 respondents.

Key findings from the report include:
• Scotland’s sweet bakery market is now valued at £261 million, with spend rising +4.6% year-on-year — outperforming both total bakery (+2.8%) and total grocery (+2.8%) growth in Scotland.
• The savoury bakery category also remains strong, with a +3% year-on-year increase in spend, just behind total grocery growth at +3.4%.
• Bread continues to dominate the category by volume (31%), but the most significant growth is being driven by Bread Rolls, Flatbreads and Sausage Rolls — highlighting clear product development and merchandising opportunities.

According to Cameron, sweet bakery has emerged as a key strategic category for Scottish retailers, offering a significant opportunity to drive footfall and sales:
“Sweet bakery’s growth trajectory signals its importance to Scottish shoppers and positions it as a critical lever for boosting overall store performance.”

The report is part of a wider strategic push from Scottish Bakers to support sustainable business growth, product innovation, and enhanced competitiveness across the bakery sector.

“Our mission is to support our members and the wider bakery sector to thrive,” Cameron added. “These reports reflect our ongoing commitment to equipping members with the knowledge and tools they need to innovate and grow.”

“Our collaboration with Dawn Foods ensures these insights are not only robust, but also highly relevant and actionable for bakers across Scotland.”

The Future of Bakery reports — and the new online Insights Hub — mark a major step forward in enabling Scottish Bakers’ members to stay competitive amid changing market dynamics and consumer expectations.

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Scottish Bakers unveil first ‘Future of Bakery’ report to drive innovation and growth