According to market research group Plimdoll, smaller companies are increasing sales at three times the rate of larger competitors, delivering profitability that is four times as high and showing five times the rate of return on investments when compared to large companies operating in the bakery sector.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Price deflation has hit the profit margins of larger groups, Plimsoll said in a report analysing the top 100 bakery companies. Of the top 100 bakery groups, 21 are losing money, while 46 are making less profit than last year. In the top 100 companies salaries eat up 26% of sales.


Plimsoll’s senior analyst, David Pattison, said: “21 of the bigger companies are displaying symptoms of extreme tiredness. But the big companies are desperate not to miss out on the new profit and growth areas, so they are busy hunting down the emerging firms.”

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact