ORLANDO, Fla. — St Pierre brought a new kind of heat to the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association show here, sampling its limited-edition Spicy Brioche Burger Buns, the brand’s first-ever limited-edition product, from its familiar “corner of Paris” stand at booth #4600. But the brand arrived with a sharper strategic focus, too: using data to convince retailers there is far more room to grow the brioche category.
The bakery brand, part of the Bimbo Bakeries USA family, has built a commanding position in branded brioche. Ezra Chaskelson, who joined as general manager for the U.S. market at the end of July 2025, said the brand holds roughly 76 percent share of branded brioche in the United States.
“There’s so much more room to grow,” Chaskelson said.
A category outpacing the rest of bakery
Chaskelson framed brioche as a rare bright spot in a largely flat bakery aisle. He cited brioche growth of about 12 percent compound annual growth rate on units and 15 percent on dollars over the past five years, with no sign of leveling off.
“This has been an area where I’d say a shining performer, offsetting some of the declines in other segments,” he said.
He projected the U.S. brioche category, which he estimated at roughly $650 million to $700 million today, could reach $1 billion within two years. Continued gains in household penetration and awareness, he argued, leave headroom for the entire category rather than St Pierre alone.
Winning with data
A central theme of Chaskelson’s IDDBA conversations was what he called “winning with data.” St Pierre has stood up a U.S. Consumer Excellence Team built around analytics and insights, hiring locally for both syndicated data and a senior analyst role focused on distribution gaps and promotional effectiveness. The brand also taps the broader data infrastructure of parent Grupo Bimbo.
One data point Chaskelson said the brand is taking to retailers concerns space allocation in the in-store bakery. On average, he said, breads occupy under 20 percent of in-store bakery space while delivering about 30 percent of dollars. Sweet baked goods, by contrast, hold more than 80 percent of the space but generate roughly 70 percent of dollars.
“Think about your space allocation,” he said, describing the message to retailers. He noted it is not uncommon to find more than 40 cupcake items alongside only three hamburger bun options in a single department.
Premium holds as mainstream gets squeezed
Chaskelson made the case that premium brioche continues to perform even as shoppers watch costs. The pressure, he said, is falling hardest on the mainstream middle of the category rather than on premium or value.
He pointed to limited overlap between private-label and branded brioche shoppers, and cited one retailer that shifted entirely to private label under a corporate mandate and saw a 35 percent decline in category sales as a result. The takeaway, he said, is finding the right balance so retailers do not lose branded-seeking shoppers to competitors.
Innovation and the Spicy Bun
On the product side, the Spicy Brioche Burger Buns represent a play on the sweet-heat trend that dominated this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo and continues to show up across the show floor in hot honey and similar offerings. Chaskelson tied the launch to younger shoppers seeking new, experiential flavor profiles.
“We’re trying to lean into what that Gen Z consumer is looking for,” he said.
He said the brand is also rethinking its waffle assortment, including a single-serve option that lets retailers merchandise the individually wrapped Belgian waffles outside the traditional multipack, opening cross-category placements alongside fried chicken or in the ice cream aisle. Chaskelson signaled more substantial innovation ahead, describing 2027 as a year the brand wants to “step change” what it brings to market, though he declined to detail products not yet announced.
On protein, the category’s hottest trend, Chaskelson struck a measured note. The brand will continue to evaluate the space, he said, but will not chase a trend at the expense of brand fit and premium quality.
“Is it authentic to St Pierre?” he said. “Do we have the right to be in this space?”
The Paris stand and the Eiffel Tower draw
For all the data talk, Chaskelson credited much of St Pierre’s pull to brand recognition and merchandising. The brand’s Eiffel Tower displays, he said, have become a fixture shoppers notice and miss when they are gone.
He recounted a recent store visit where a department manager described customers complaining when the display was moved. “Where is it gone?” he said, recalling the manager’s account.
At IDDBA, the brand sampled its brioche products, including its best-selling brioche burger bun, alongside the new Spicy Buns and Belgian waffles, and brought its “Eat Avec Respect” media campaign to the stand. St Pierre also hosted a cocktail hour on the stand Monday evening to mark the show.