Price-sensitive consumers, growing expectations

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2025/8-9.

István Mikos
corporate director
Ceres

“The economic difficulties of recent years – cost increases, inflation and changing consumption habits – have posed major challenges for the baking industry. Consumers are more and more conscious, as they have access to lots of information, so it is now important for brands to offer real value and a good price-quality ratio”,

says István Mikos, corporate director of Ceres.

Food products with lower sodium content are increasingly popular among health-conscious consumers and those following special diets.

What the wallet can manage

Miklós Ostermayer
managing director in Hungary
Lantmannen

“We are focusing primarily on our core products and sales channels, increasing production efficiency and cutting other costs, so that we can keep the burden on our customers as low as possible”,

says Miklós Osztermayer, managing director of Lantmannen in Hungary.

Consumers, who have already been price-sensitive, turned even more conscious and cautious in their purchasing decisions, meaning they only buy what they can afford, so premium products and new items are losing ground.

Klára Ludwig
founder and managing director
Jókenyér

 Klára Ludwig, founder and managing director of JÓkenyér:

“We have tried to make production more efficient and rationalise the manufacturing of products that sell less”.

The company’s experience is that there are two types of consumers: conscious consumers and those who look for cheaper solutions..

Important promotions

Szilárd Kelemen
commercial director
Fornetti Group

Szilárd Kelemen, commercial director of the Fornetti Group:

“The recent period has reinforced the two pillars of our strategy: flexibility and adaptability. Thanks to our rapid reactions, we keep introducing new products and renewing our classic offerings”.

Seasonal promotions are playing an increasingly important role, with consumers consciously seeking affordable, filling alternatives.

Zoltán Matskási
marketing and
business development
director
Pek-Snack

“The economic difficulties of recent years, have brought about major changes. Manufacturers have often been forced to raise prices, while consumers also reacted: price-sensitivity increased and premium products became less important”,

explains Zoltán Matskási, marketing and business development director of Pek-Snack..

Innovative approaches

Sarkadi Katalin
marketingvezető
Abonett

Katalin Sarkadi, head of marketing at Abonett:

“The prices of our products haven’t augmented compared to other product categories or even traditional baked goods. Abonett products are rich in fibre and contain maximum 3-4 ingredients, offering great value for money”.

The company also uses trendy ingredients such as quinoa, lentils and green peas.

István Mikos says they tailor their product development work to evolving consumer needs. The company pays special attention to developing breads that retain their quality.

Miklós Osztermayer adds that the baking industry is extremely innovative, but it must be borne in mind that large-scale production requires big investment. The company mainly operates in the B2B sector, focusing on the HoReCa channel.

Growing portfolios

Melinda Mórocz
head of marketing
JÓkenyér

Melinda Mórocz, head of marketing at JÓkenyér:

“We listen to feedback from our stores and partners, but we concentrate on innovations that are in line with our vision and quality standards. JÓkenyér also thinks in terms of functionality: increasing plant protein and fibre content”.

Szilárd Kelemen says they continuously analyse customer feedback. Currently the focus is on renewing the mini portfolio, developing new types of dough and fillings, expanding the range of fresh sandwiches nationwide and strengthening the vegan offering.

Zoltán Matskási tells that many see growth potential in discounter chains, but in order to stay close to customers, their franchise network remains important. They have long been more than just a bakery supplier to commercial partners; they think in terms of complete business solutions that create value for customers.

Katalin Sarkadi:

”This year we rolled out the Abonett Food service product line, which provides food companies, kitchens, hotels and restaurants with alternative Abonett products in addition to bread.”