Cookie and Cracker Manufacturers

The 375 cookie and cracker manufacturers in the US produce crackers and biscuits, cookies, wafers, and ice cream cones. The industry is comprised of independent manufacturers that produce and sell their own brands, and contract manufacturers that produce and package products for customers under the customer’s brand(s).

Changing Consumer Diets

Demand for cookies and crackers can change with consumer diets and fads.

Food Safety Regulations

Like other food production operations, cookie and cracker manufacturers are subject to regulations regarding food handling, storage, contamination, allergens, and package labeling.

Jul 20, 2026 - Cookies With Benefits

• The rise of functional foods is creating both opportunities and competitive pressure for cookie manufacturers as consumers increasingly seek snacks that combine indulgence with health benefits. A new startup, Fields Good, founded by the daughter of Mrs. Fields' founder, is selling cookies fortified with protein, fiber, and functional ingredients aimed at supporting focus and sleep, reflecting a growing demand for "permissive indulgence," The New York Times reports, adding the company has raised nearly $2 million in venture funding. Moreover, the consulting firm McKinsey found two-thirds of global consumers are willing to pay about 10% more for healthier snack alternatives. The trend is encouraging manufacturers to reformulate products with added protein, fiber, and other functional ingredients to attract wellness-focused consumers, including those using GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, while maintaining the taste and familiarity of traditional cookies.
• Rising income inequality is reshaping grocery spending patterns, Grocery Dive reports citing findings by NielsenIQ. Higher-income consumers are driving overall grocery growth and tend to spend more on fresh foods, while lower-income shoppers are under financial pressure and shifting spending toward shelf-stable products. For makers of key shelf-stable categories, including cookies and crackers, this divergence creates a mixed outlook. Lower-income consumers’ reliance on shelf-stable goods supports baseline demand. But with these shoppers cutting back on spending overall, including on some pantry staples, volume growth may decline. Meanwhile, higher-income consumers are allocating more spending to fresh categories, potentially reducing demand for packaged snacks in that segment. The result is a bifurcated market, where growth depends on effectively targeting value-conscious consumers while finding ways to remain relevant to higher-income shoppers. Manufacturers may need to adjust pricing, packaging, and marketing strategies to maintain sales across diverging consumer groups.
• Consumers across all income levels are cutting back on discretionary purchases, leading to weaker snack and adult-beverage sales, the interim CEO of Kroger Ron Sargent told The Wall Street Journal. Sargent said the pullback on spending is most pronounced among low- and middle-income households, with those consumers using more coupons, making smaller and more frequent trips to the store, and buying more private-label products. To keep its prices low, Kroger is absorbing higher costs even as wholesale food prices, including for cookies and crackers, continue to rise, Sargent told WSJ. In related news, spending growth by Hispanic households, which account for 15% of consumer spending, has stalled, according to a new report titled The State of Hispanic Spending. The report’s verified purchase data highlight growing financial caution among Hispanic consumers, driven by ongoing economic pressures and political uncertainty.
• Producer prices for cookie and cracker manufacturers remained flat in June compared to a year ago, after rising 3.7% in the previous June-to-June annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Retail cookie prices rose 5.1% year over year in June, while cracker prices rose 3.1% over the same period, according to the June 2026 Consumer Price Index report from the Labor Department. Employment by cookie and cracker manufacturers shrank 4.2% YoY in May, while the average industry wage rose 4.9% over the same period to $23.84 per hour, easing slightly from its peak in February, BLS data show. Wages and producer prices for cookie and cracker makers are currently at or near record high levels.

Industry size & Structure

A typical cookie and cracker manufacturer operates out of a single location, employs 84 workers, and generates about $26 million annually.

• The cookie and cracker manufacturing industry consists of about 375 companies which employ about 31,682 workers and generate around $9.9 billion annually.
• About 89% of firms have just one production facility. About 65 firms are large, employing 100 or more workers each.
• The industry is highly concentrated with the 8 largest firms representing 56% of revenue.
• Customer industries include food distributors, grocery stores, mass merchandisers, drug and discount stores, restaurants, caterers, and snack shops.
• Large companies include Mondelez International (Oreo, Ritz, Nabisco), Kellogg’s (Town House), Campbell Soup Co. (Pepperidge Farms, Snyder’s Lance, Archway) and Nestle (Toll House). Some large manufacturers are highly diversified and produce a wide variety of foods and beverages in addition to cookies and crackers.
• Contract manufacturers include Maker’s Pride (formerly Hearthside Foods), Oakhouse Bakery, and Richmond Baking.