Cookie and Cracker Manufacturers
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 335 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.
Industry size & Structure
Industry Forecast
Cookie and Cracker Manufacturers Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Nov 20, 2023 - Cookie Prices Rising
- The Producer Price Index for cookie and cracker manufacturers, which measures prices before reaching consumers, rose in October compared to a year ago. The year-over-year increase in producer prices for cookies and crackers was less than the rise in consumer prices for these items as measured by the consumer price index. Higher producer prices are helping to offset rising labor costs for the industry. Employment by cookie, cracker, pasta, and tortilla manufacturers increased in September compared to a year ago, while average wages at bakeries and tortilla manufacturers reached a new high.
- Some Oreo lovers suspect the maker of the chocolate creme-filled cookies of skimping on the filling, a charge manufacturer Mondelez denies, The Wall Street Journal reported in November. Oreo – the world’s best-selling cookie – is the latest example of a brand believed to be engaging in shrinkflation – the practice of reducing a product's amount or volume per unit while continuing to offer it at the same price. Distrust of big consumer brand companies has grown as inflation has required consumers to pay the same amount for less. On r/shrinkflation, a Reddit forum where consumers vent about perceived instances of shrinkflation, Oreo fans are complaining about the perceived lack of creme, according to WSJ. “Nowadays it’s barely even a squeeze of filling on the cookies,” wrote one poster. Whether or not the charge is warranted, consumers’ perception that Mondelez is skimping on the creme has the potential to tarnish the iconic Oreo brand.
- Cracker sales are rising with most brands participating in the upward sales trend, according to Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery’s State of the Industry 2023 report. For the 52 weeks ending April 23, the crackers category’s sales increased by 13.5% from the past year, with total sales of $9.2 billion, while unit sales declined by 4% over the same period, according to consumer analytics firm Circana. Better-for-you cracker sales are on the rise compared to a year ago, as consumers, especially younger shoppers, become more health-conscious. Consumers increasingly are choosing organic brands or buying crackers that fill specific dietary needs including gluten-free, vegan, and whole grain varieties, per the report. Cookies and crackers are part of America's snacking routine, with 71% of consumers reporting snacking at least twice a day and nearly half (49%) snacking three or more times per day, per Circana.
- Small businesses are among the most vulnerable to interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, The Wall Street Journal reports. The average rate for a loan from the US Small Business Administration, which historically costs less than a bank loan, has reached double-digits, driving many small firms to borrow less, according to WSJ. Firms with smaller payrolls and valuations are feeling the pinch, with some choosing to prioritize reducing debt rather than growing their business. Moreover, smaller companies are accounting for an increasing share of layoffs this year. US companies with between one and nine employees laid off or fired 341,000 workers in March, more than twice as many as in February, according to data from the Census Bureau’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. That was four times as many as these companies reported in March 2022.
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