italiano
Bakery markets are changing rapidly. While countries that traditionally consume high amounts of bread and other similar products are undergoing a change in the product range and a process of concentration, bread, buns and petits fours are becoming increasingly popular among people who until recently consumed non-bakery wheat products.
This is evidence of the fact that globalisation has also affected the bread sector, which is certainly no one-way phenomenon: now European bakers too produce Doughnuts, Bagels, Muffins or unleavened and Arab bread, and the exchange of specialities between regions continues to grow. In large cities it is easy to find bread and confectionery specialities from all over Europe and the rest of the world.
In recent years, bread consumption at home has decreased in almost all European countries, while at the same time out-of-home consumption of bakery products has considerably increased. The cause of this evolution is unquestionably linked to the increasing number of single men and women for whom traditional meals have lost importance, while the organisation of working hours and leisure time have also changed dramatically. The repercussions have also affected the bakery sector. The sale of full loaves is stagnating if not decreasing, whereas new snack products are booming.
In addition to a growing range of filled rolls, the assortment has been supplemented by small meals leading to the development of specific deli areas in stores.
Store fittings often include a sandwich preparation area or small counters to sell quick snacks.
Furthermore, recent years have seen the opening of numerous convenience stores or small retail stores; these new types of local stores are most likely to be successful in residential areas where traditional retail stores have left gaps, or where there is a high concentration of consumers who prefer convenience over inexpensiveness. This concentration process has also involved the bakery sector giving rise to ever larger premises and the growth of existing companies.
In this context, the ramifications of this concentration on production technology are inevitable, since more and more companies are reaching a size that makes technological investment profitable.
In particular, the use of IT is going to lead to the creation of a network that links all company departments, leveraging scale economies and product quality.
Small enterprises too can reap the benefits since they are able to rely on a rationalised production process even for small product amounts, as well as higher flexibility and safety standards.