IKEA's global survey of 31,339 respondents across 31 markets has quantified a shift that bakers cannot afford to ignore: traditional dining patterns are fragmenting, and with them, the context in which baked goods are consumed.

The data is stark. Just 44% of respondents eat dinner at a kitchen table. Meanwhile, 18% eat on the sofa, 4% in bed and another 4% standing in the kitchen. In the UK, the deviation is more pronounced: 48% eat on the sofa whilst only 31% use a table.

Production implications for grab-and-go formats

For industrial bakeries, these numbers suggest a structural change in product requirements. Bread and baked goods consumed whilst sitting on furniture not designed for dining, or whilst standing, demand different handling characteristics. Crumb control becomes critical. Portability trumps tradition.

The survey identifies time pressure as the dominant obstacle to home cooking on weekdays, particularly among younger demographics. Thirty-eight per cent of Gen Z and 33% of Millennials cite lack of time as a primary barrier. Households with children and urban populations report additional constraints including limited space and inadequate kitchen equipment.

This time scarcity creates demand for products that require minimal preparation and generate minimal mess. A specification that favours pre-portioned, individually wrapped and structurally robust baked goods over products designed for slicing and sharing at table.

Screen presence reshapes consumption patterns

Only 7% of households enforce device-free policies at mealtimes. Fifty-four per cent watch television whilst eating alone and 40% maintain screen usage even when dining with others. This represents a fundamental change in attention during consumption.

Products competing for attention in a screen-dominated environment must deliver sensory impact that registers through distraction. Flavour intensity, textural contrast and aromatic presence become more valuable when visual and cognitive focus is divided.

Geographic variations matter for export strategy

The data reveals significant regional differences. Americans and Hungarians show twice the likelihood of eating in bed compared to other nationalities (9% versus 4%). British consumers are nearly three times more likely than the global average not to own a dining table.

For bakeries serving export markets or operating across multiple territories, these variations translate into divergent product requirements. What succeeds in markets where table dining persists may underperform where sofa and bed consumption dominate.

The timing question

Global average dinner time sits at 6:44pm, but this single figure masks considerable variation. For industrial operations planning production schedules, delivery windows and retail partnerships, understanding local meal timing patterns remains crucial for ensuring product freshness at point of consumption.

The survey's finding that 60% of respondents still value connection through food suggests the traditional role of baked goods in social eating has not vanished, it has relocated and adapted. The challenge for bakeries is matching product formats and characteristics to these new consumption contexts without abandoning the social and cultural associations that drive premium pricing.

As homes contract and dining becomes more mobile, the bakery sector faces a choice: continue optimising for a dining table that fewer consumers use, or redesign for the surfaces where eating actually occurs.