English
In recent years, China's baking market has continued to expand. The retail market reached a scale of 611.07 billion yuan in 2024, marking an 8.8% year-on-year increase, and is expected to grow to 859.56 billion yuan by 2029. Amidst fierce competition in the baking category, bagels stand out from numerous bakery products due to their core advantages of low oil content, low GI, and high satiety, achieving explosive growth and becoming the "new favorite of carbohydrates" under the trend of healthy consumption, pushing the baking industry into a new stage of competition among segmented categories.
The popularity of bagels is not accidental, but rather a precise fit for the core needs of contemporary consumers. With the increasing awareness of health among residents, "low sugar, low fat, high protein" has become the mainstream demand in baking consumption. The inherent properties of bagels perfectly match this trend - compared to traditional bread with high sugar and oil content, the unique baking process of bagels after being boiled makes them have lower fat content and stronger satiety, making them a "self-discipline artifact" for fitness enthusiasts and a "light breakfast" for working people. Data shows that in 2025, the sales volume of bagels on e-commerce platforms surged by 300% year-on-year, and the search volume for keywords related to "low GI" and "high protein" for whole wheat bagels increased by 40% year-on-year, confirming the strong driving force of health attributes on category growth.
Meanwhile, the overall scale of the industry continues to climb. The market size of bagels has surpassed the 5 billion mark, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of up to 40%. The number of bagel specialty stores nationwide has skyrocketed by 150% in one year, with Beijing and Shanghai, the two first-tier cities, accounting for 60% of the market share. In this wave, leading enterprises represented by Jiangsu Gubai Fen have taken the lead in making layouts. Since 2019, they have focused on the research, development, and production of bagels. With their core technology of frozen baking and a complete industrial system, they have become the core force driving the transition of the bagel category from a "niche internet sensation" to a "mass staple food", leading the industry towards standardized and large-scale development.
