Analysis of bread consumption

Every year, the World Bread Day is held; it is a feast of basic human food and a celebration of the bakery profession. However, according to the Czech Statistical Office, Czechs prefer pastry to bread. While the average person consumed more than 80 kg of bread a year after World War II, its consumption was only half (39.72 kg) in 2016. On the other hand, consumption of wheat pastry increased from 16 kg in 1949 more than three times to 48.3 kg. It is, therefore, undisputed that the consumption of bread is constantly decreasing. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the development of bread consumption in the past few decades and to identify the possible causes of this development.
The analysis uses data from the Czech Statistical Office, from the Association of Bakers, and information obtained by qualitative research. Statistical analysis of the data was complemented by a pilot survey of consumer behaviour on the bread market. The results of the survey include the identification of basic breakpoints in the development of bread consumption and the analysis of their causes. Quantitative analysis was compared with qualitative research focusing on changes in production technology, production management, and changes in consumer behaviour.
The conclusions of the paper include the identification of basic breakpoints in the development of bread consumption and the analysis of their causes. Important factors influencing the consumption of bread are changes in eating habits, a significant increase in the range of wheat pastry products, the entry of whole grain products on the market etc. The price analysis of both bakery products (bread and wheat pastry) showed that the price had a negligible impact on consumption. E.g. since 1995, the price of bread has grown by about 75%, while for the price of ordinary pastry by 115%. Still, the sales of pastry were steadily rising, while the sales of bread fell.