Waitrose bakery sales have increased by 15% in the past year, driven by a surge in interest from younger customers.
The retailer said it had attracted new customers to the category, including younger shoppers “looking for trend-led innovation in flavour and premium ingredients”.
It added they were tapping into a ‘little treat’ culture, as well as seeking inspiration via social media. This had driven positive responses to NPD within the Waitrose bakery category, such as limited-edition lines like jalapeño breadsticks and cereal milk cookies.
Waitrose said bagged cookie sales were up 35% year on year and its Viennoisserie (sweet pastries) were up 21%.
New products currently being rolled out include a gingerbread bun, a Black Forest Danish and a pistachio croissant.
With its sourdough sales up 26% year on year, Waitrose has also launched a new 1kg loaf, double the size of its standard offering.
“For our younger customers, it’s less about the staple loaf and more about moments of joy – a limited-edition flavour, an Instagrammable pastry or a morning croissant on an office day,” explained Waitrose patisserie and in-store bakery buyer Kate Rider. “Driving sales as well as likes, the next generation are opting for the freshness, quality and experience you can only get from an in-store bakery.”
Waitrose said its best-performing bakery was in Canary Wharf. Additional popular bakery branches include Cambridge, Salisbury, Cheltenham, Berkhamsted and Hove.
This month has also seen the debut of Waitrose’s new partnership with premium Danish craft bakery Ole & Steen. The tie-up sees Waitrose offering an exclusive Ole & Steen range in 35 stores, as well as online. Products include the Cardamom Bun, Maple & Pecan Social Slice, Chocolate Swirl, Cinnamon Social Slice and their signature sharing Cinnamon Social Half.
“With their emphasis on quality, craftsmanship and respect for baking traditions, Ole & Steen complements and elevates our existing patisserie selection,” added Rider. “Driving newness and innovation is a key part of our strategy and we’re confident Ole & Steen will attract even more food-loving customers.”
Ole & Steen UK MD Graham Hollinshead said: “Our founders set out with a simple dream: to make better baked products easily accessible for everyone. Rooted in our proud Danish heritage, we’ve always believed that quality and craft should be shared widely. Partnering with Waitrose is a milestone we’re truly proud of – it allows us to bring our passion for exceptional baking to even more people across the UK.”
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