Bakery

According to the AFFI/IRI numbers, frozen bread and dough sales accounted for $1.3 billion, an increase of $187 million over 2019, for a healthy dollar growth of +17.2%. Frozen desserts made up $792 million in sales, a gain of $119 million with dollar growth of +17.7%. Meanwhile, frozen pies sold $731 million, an increase of $69 million YOY, with dollar growth of +10.5%.

At the peak of pandemic purchasing last March, one of the curiosities as consumers stockpiled comfort foods was the astronomical sales of frozen cookie dough, which at the time was seeing a 570.4% YOY increase, according to IRI. By the end of 2020, NFRA/Nielsen stats show frozen cookie dough had sold $17 million, a YOY gain of 149.4%. That $17 million figure was comprised mostly of chocolate chip cookie dough, which sold $13.5 million—a YOY increase of 191%. This is perhaps the best example to quantify just how far from normal the pandemic drove frozen food sales in 2020.

Significant Events in 2020

• Gonnella transitioned from fresh bread production to a frozen dough business model in February.
• Mondelez purchased Give and Go Prepared Foods for $1.2 billion.
• The Fillo Factory acquired gluten-free frozen bakery brand GeeFree.
• Dawn Foods sold its North American frozen bakery business to Rise Baking Company.
• Sara Lee Frozen Bakery acquired Cyrus O’Leary’s Pies.
• Flowers Foods restructured the company and created separate departments for innovation, cake, and snacking. Flowers also hired Brad Cashaw as chief supply chain officer, and promoted Heeth Varnedoe to chief transformation officer.
• Soozy’s Grain-Free launched frozen plant-based bagels and breads at Whole Foods.
• TOAST-IT debuted frozen Venezuelan arepas in two varieties.