In recent years, with the continuous heating up of the global consumer market, cake refrigerators, as core equipment for cake storage and display, are entering a golden period of rapid growth. From professional display in commercial bakeries to exquisite storage in household scenarios, the market demand for cake refrigerators is constantly subdivided, regional penetration is deepening, technological innovation is accelerating iteration, and they have the characteristics of unique application and differentiation. The following analyzes the development trend of the cake refrigerator market in 2025 from three dimensions: market size, consumer groups, and technological trends.According to the calculation by the Red Meal Industry Research Institute, the scale of the baking market is expected to reach 116 billion yuan in 2025. As of May 2025, the number of baking stores nationwide has reached 338,000, and the demand for cake cabinets has increased by 60%.
Market Size and Regional Distribution: East China Leads, Sinking Market Becomes New Growth Pole
The expansion trajectory of the cake refrigerator market reflects the consumption dominance of economically developed regions and also demonstrates the huge potential of the sinking market.
In terms of market size, benefiting from the chain expansion of bakeries, the popularization of home baking scenarios, and the increase in dessert consumption frequency, the cake refrigerator market has maintained double-digit growth in recent years. Referring to the growth rhythm of the baking industry chain, the scale of China’s cake refrigerator market is expected to exceed 9 billion yuan in 2025, achieving a doubling growth compared with 2020. This growth not only comes from the equipment renewal demand in the commercial market but also from the rapid increase in household small cake refrigerators. With the popularity of homemade cakes and desserts, consumers’ demand for “freshly made, stored immediately, and eaten fresh” has promoted the rise of the household market.
In terms of regional distribution, East China leads the country with a 38% market share, becoming the core region for cake refrigerator consumption. This region has a mature baking industry (such as the density of chain baking brands in Shanghai and Hangzhou ranking among the top in the country), residents have a high frequency of dessert consumption, and the demand for upgrading commercial cake refrigerators is strong. At the same time, the concept of exquisite life among families in East China is prominent, and the penetration rate of household small cake refrigerators is 15 percentage points higher than the national average.
The sinking market (third- and fourth-tier cities and counties) shows stronger growth momentum, with sales growth expected to reach 22% in 2025, far exceeding the 8% in first-tier cities. Behind this is the rapid expansion of bakeries in the sinking market. The “tea + baking” model driven by brands such as Mixue Bingcheng and Guming has sunk, spawning a large number of equipment demands for small and medium-sized bakeries. At the same time, county residents’ pursuit of ceremonial consumption has upgraded, and the storage demand for birthday cakes and homemade desserts has promoted the popularization of household cake refrigerators. The sinking of e-commerce channels and the improvement of the logistics system have enabled cost-effective household models to quickly reach these regions.
At the global market level, European and American countries have a mature commercial cake refrigerator market due to their long-standing baking culture, but the growth is slowing down. Emerging markets represented by China and Southeast Asia, relying on consumption upgrading and the expansion of the baking industry, are becoming the main growth points of global cake refrigerator demand. It is expected that China’s cake refrigerator market will account for 28% of the global market in 2025, an increase of 10 percentage points compared with 2020.
Consumer Groups and Product Positioning: Scene Segmentation Drives Product Diversification
The consumer groups of cake refrigerators show obvious scene differentiation characteristics. The demand differences between commercial and household markets have promoted the refinement of product positioning and full coverage of price ranges.
Commercial market: professional demand-oriented, emphasizing both function and display
Chain bakeries and dessert workshops are the core users of commercial cake refrigerators. Such groups have strict requirements on the capacity, temperature control accuracy, and display effect of the equipment. For example, high-end chain brands tend to choose cake refrigerators with frost-free air-cooled systems (temperature control error ≤ ±1℃) to ensure that cream cakes, mousses, and other desserts do not deteriorate at the optimal storage temperature of 2-8℃. At the same time, the anti-fog design of transparent glass doors and the color temperature adjustment of internal LED lighting (4000K warm white light makes desserts more colorful) have become key to enhancing product attractiveness. The price of such commercial equipment is mostly 5,000-20,000 yuan. Foreign brands occupy the high-end market with technological advantages, while domestic brands win with cost performance among small and medium-sized merchants.
Household market: miniaturization and intelligence rise
Household users’ demands focus on “small capacity, easy operation, and high appearance”. Small cake refrigerators with a capacity of 50-100L have become mainstream, which can be embedded in kitchen cabinets or placed in the living room to meet the daily dessert storage needs of 3-5 person families. The improvement of health awareness makes household users pay more attention to material safety, and products using food-grade 304 stainless steel inner tanks and fluorine-free refrigeration technology are more popular. In terms of price, household cake refrigerators show a gradient distribution: basic models (800-1500 yuan) meet simple refrigeration needs; mid-to-high-end models (2000-5000 yuan) are equipped with intelligent temperature control (mobile APP remote temperature adjustment), humidity adjustment (to prevent cakes from drying out) and other functions, with significant growth.
Full coverage of price ranges and scene adaptation
The market has everything from simple refrigerated display cabinets for mobile vendors (less than 1,000 yuan) to customized models for five-star hotel dessert stations (unit price exceeding 50,000 yuan), covering all scene needs from low-end to high-end. This diversified positioning makes cake refrigerators not only storage equipment but also “display business cards” for bakeries and “life aesthetic items” for families.
Technological Innovation and Future Trends: Intelligence, Environmental Protection, and Scene Integration
Technological innovation is the core engine for the continuous growth of the cake refrigerator market. Future products will make breakthroughs in intelligence, environmental performance, and scene adaptability.
Accelerated penetration of intelligence
It is expected that by 2030, the market penetration rate of intelligent cake refrigerators will exceed 60%. At present, commercial intelligent cake refrigerators have achieved “three modernizations”: intelligent temperature control (real-time monitoring of internal temperature through sensors, automatic adjustment when the deviation exceeds 0.5℃), energy consumption visualization (APP real-time display of power consumption to optimize operating costs), and inventory warning (identifying cake inventory through cameras to remind replenishment). Household models are upgrading to “lazy-friendly” ones, such as voice-controlled temperature adjustment and automatic matching of storage modes according to cake types (such as chiffon cakes requiring low humidity and mousses requiring constant low temperature), reducing the threshold for use.
Environmental protection and energy-saving design become standard
With the advancement of the “dual carbon” policy and the deepening of green consumption concepts, the environmental protection attributes of cake refrigerators have become increasingly important. Manufacturers have begun to use environmentally friendly refrigerants (such as R290 natural working fluid, with a GWP value close to 0) to replace traditional Freon. By optimizing compressor performance and insulation materials (vacuum insulation panels), energy consumption has been reduced by more than 20%. Some high-end models also have a “night energy-saving mode”, which automatically reduces refrigeration power, suitable for bakeries during non-business hours, saving more than 300 degrees of electricity per year.
Multifunction and scene integration expand boundaries
Modern cake refrigerators are breaking through the single storage function and evolving towards the integration of “storage + display + interaction”. Commercial models have added interactive screens to display cake raw material information and production processes, enhancing consumer trust. Household models are designed with detachable partitions to accommodate the storage of various ingredients such as cakes, fruits, and cheeses. Some models even integrate a small ice-making function, adapting to summer dessert scenarios. Data shows that cake refrigerators with more than 2 scene functions have a 40% increase in users’ repurchase Will.
Long-term positive trend in production capacity and demand
With the expansion of the baking industry, the production capacity and demand of cake refrigerators will continue to grow. It is expected that China’s total production capacity of cake refrigerators will reach 18 million units in 2025 (65% for commercial use and 35% for household use), with a demand of 15 million units; by 2030, the production capacity is expected to increase to 28 million units, with a demand of 25 million units, and the global market share will exceed 35%. The synchronous growth of production capacity and demand means that industry competition will focus on technological differentiation and scene innovation. Whoever can accurately capture the Subdivided needs of the commercial and household markets will take the lead in the growth dividend.
The cake refrigerator market in 2025 is standing at the intersection of consumption upgrading and technological innovation. From quality consumption in East China to the popularization wave in the sinking market, from the professional upgrading of commercial equipment to the scene-based innovation of household products, cake refrigerators are no longer simple “refrigeration tools” but “infrastructure” for the development of the baking industry and “standard items” for family quality life. In the future, with the in-depth application of intelligent and environmentally friendly technologies and the continuous expansion of baking consumption scenarios, the cake refrigerator market will usher in a broader growth space.
Post time: Sep-04-2025 Views: