Bakery Insolvencies in Germany Rise by 40 Percent

The shift can also be expressed in numbers: According to a current analysis by the market research company YouGov, around 70 percent of the quantities of bread and other baked goods sold now go through food retail. At the same time, representative YouGov surveys show that 46 percent of consumers prefer bread and baked goods from a bakery.

Companies covered by Creditreform's data are those in the economic sector "manufacture of baked goods"—that is, bakeries and confectioneries that bake and sell their own products. In addition to changed shopping behavior, the industry cites further burdens: high energy costs, high personnel costs, rising bureaucratic requirements, and growing price pressure. Bread, rolls, and raw materials such as flour have also become more expensive since 2020.

Data from YouGov and Creditreform

"Viele Verbraucher, auch aus höheren sozialen Schichten, kaufen Backwaren heute an Backstationen im Supermarkt oder beim Discounter, häufig verbunden mit dem Wocheneinkauf," Creditreform stated. Traditional specialty shops are thus losing important walk-in customers.

Henning Funke, Managing Director of the Bäckerinnungsverband West (Bakers' Guild West), however, sees a more nuanced picture for North Rhine-Westphalia. "Wir können nicht bestätigen, dass es in NRW viele Insolvenzen gibt," Funke said. Among the guild's 756 member businesses, there is currently one completed insolvency proceeding and one ongoing proceeding.

Situation in North Rhine-Westphalia

At the same time, Funke points to a level of demand that is providing new impetus: in North Rhine-Westphalia, there are currently as many new bakery openings as there have been for years. As key problems for smaller businesses, he also cites the lack of a successor for business takeovers and increasing bureaucracy.

Nevertheless, Funke expressed confidence: "Das Bäckerhandwerk gibt es seit mehr als 750 Jahren. Wir haben schon mehr als eine Krise überstanden - und wir werden auch diese Krise überstehen," he said. At the same time, he described the current situation with the words: "Dem Bäcker geht es gut in NRW, aber er muss kämpfen."

Voices from the Industry

Sources for the reporting include, among others, the Deutsche Presseagentur (dpa) and a conversation with Henning Funke of the Bäckerinnungsverband West. The radio station WDR5 broadcast a feature titled "Immer mehr Bäckereien melden Insolvenz an" on July 8, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

Overall, the industry points out that the current situation is less a sudden crisis than the result of a longer-term transformation. The shift in purchasing channels, rising costs, and demographic change with a lack of successors are simultaneously presenting the trade with structural challenges.