A recent survey by multimedia destination Bigger Bolder Baking, co-founded by professional chef and cookbook author Gemma Stafford, found home bakers are not deterred by inflation and are baking more than ever.
The survey results indicate home bakers remain committed to baking, doing it even more frequently than before the start of the pandemic. Of the 8,506 bakers who responded to the survey, 63.5% report baking once a week or every day while 84.2% say they cook a minimum of three times a week. Some 72.7% of respondents say they bake as much as or more frequently than they did a few years ago and 43.8% reported that “inflation has not affected my baking habits at all.
“Baking is much more than a hobby or a pastime – it’s an integral part of life for even casual home bakers,” said Kevin Kurtz, CEO and co-founder of Bigger Bolder Baking, which reaches 8 million home bakers each month through its website, YouTube channel and social media platforms. “Home baking is incredibly important to a huge number of people, and they are committed to it despite external pressures like inflation and the cost and availability of ingredients. Our survey points to amazing resilience among home bakers, and a huge desire to bake, to share, and to recommend their favorite recipes and products. As a market segment, home bakers are integral to the entire industry.”
Kurtz also found home bakers are very much part of the “creator economy” as consumers and influencers within their personal spheres. More than 42% report watching between two and six hours of cooking and baking video content a week, primarily on YouTube (62%), while 83% say they sometimes or routinely recommend products and brands with which they have had positive experiences.
Inflation and supply-chain pressures have been global issues in the past months, but only 19.1% of survey respondents report reducing their baking frequency due to higher prices. Nearly 9% say they are “now baking more than ever.” However, the survey found expected budgets for baking supplies and ingredients in the coming year are mostly (30.6%) in the $200-$500 range with only 16% planning to spend more than that and 23% planning to spend less.
“This is the one grain of salt in an otherwise very sweet set of results,” Kurtz said. “There are limits to what home bakers can spend, and baking brands and retailers should be aware that if pricing pressures continue, budgets may go down further.”
Most home bakers (58.5%) say they do their shopping for baking supplies and equipment at online-only retailers, while 19.9% regularly shop at large home goods retailers such as Bed, Bath & Beyond and IKEA. Grocery stores and superstores (Walmart, Target) placed second and third, respectively, to the online retailers.
“Home bakers have an incredibly important place in the home goods industry,” Kurtz said. “We’ve been as surprised as we’ve been delighted to learn just how much bakers share their passion with others, and how substantially they turn online to make their spending choices.”
For more baking insights, read the HomePage News 2023 Consumer Outlook Report.
