News and Trends

  Waitrose   opened the doors   to its first new convenience store in six years today in Hampton Hill, South West London, marking the upmarket retailer’s 47th Waitrose-operated convenience shop. The new store, which features dedicated areas for ‘dinner for tonight’ and beer and wine, forms part of the grocer’s pledge to open up to 100 new convenience stores over the next five years in a  £1bn investment programme . In August, Waitrose executive director James Bailey said new store openings would represent a shop “tailored to the local area” and designed “in mind of how customers like to shop”. Other features include a fresh bakery area with products such as bread, cookies and croissants, as well as a hot drink station serving the Nero Roasting Company’s americanos, lattes and cappuccinos, with tea available too. The Hampton Hill store is also the first of Waitrose’s convenience sites to feature an on-demand hatch, allowing delivery riders to make collections more eas...

 

  Trends at a Glance Trends are the lifeblood of the baking industry. Tapping into them can drive consumer engagement, create excitement, and unlock opportunities for bakery businesses of all shapes and sizes from plant bakers serving up the nation’s daily bread to artisans crafting beautifully decorated pastries. Trends can be slow to build, in some cases emerging over several years as interest grows, or they can occur more quickly as a result of macroeconomic and geopolitical issues or simply what is drawing audiences in on TikTok. Keeping on top of them is no easy feat. Luckily,  British Baker  has done the hard work for you. We’ve reached out to experts across the baking industry (and some beyond) to understand the key challenges and opportunities facing the sector in 2025. We’ve investigated consumer shopping habits, financial considerations, and the inspiration behind new product development. Notably, while some of the trends in this report complement and build on e...