Peng Yuan currently serves as the Director of Innovation and Baking CenterTM for Lesaffre Greater China, overseeing new product development and technical services. He holds a bachelor's degree in Food Science from Tianjin University and a master's degree in Food Science from Rutgers University in the United States. Previously, Yuan Peng managed application laboratories in New Jersey (USA) and Taicang (China) for Innophos Inc., as well as technical support operations in the Asia-Pacific region. During his tenure as R&D Director at General Mills (China) Investment Co., Ltd., he led product development for the Yoplait yogurt and Wan Chai Ferry brands. Yuan Peng has published several articles in professional journals and served as the President of CNJIFT (central Institute of Food Technologists). With extensive experience in food ingredients and the FMCG industry, he has accumulated profound expertise in product design and evaluation.
Since its launch in 2019, Sam's Club's Swiss Roll has generated over RMB 1 billion in annual sales, contributing 8–10% of monthly revenue per store. At Freshippo, half of the top 50 best-selling items are bakery products. As baked goods thrive in retailers like Sam's and Freshippo, supermarkets are prioritizing bakery upgrades during store revamps. For instance, after remodeling, bakery's share of sales at Yonghui's Jinshan store in Shanghai jumped from 5% to 20%. Once a quiet corner, the bakery section is now a traffic magnet on the retail floor. Behind this boom lies collaboration across suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers. In this session, we'll explore:
- What structural shifts are shaping the bakery category? Why is supermarket bakery booming?
- Beyond value-for-money and health trends, what consumer preferences are driving sales?
- As supermarkets undergo upgrades, how should bakery offerings evolve in response?
- From ingredient sourcing to R&D to in-store execution — how can full-chain innovation be achieved in supermarket bakery?