Croissant Trends and the Pâtissiers of Paris, Tokyo, Seoul — 2026-09-10
The global pastry landscape continues to evolve with significant retail rebranding in South Korea and high-profile new openings in Tokyo's major transit hubs. While major award ceremonies concluded earlier in the year, current developments focus on commercial expansion and the integration of artisanal bakery concepts into mainstream convenience and department store venues.
Croissant Trends and the Pâtissiers of Paris, Tokyo, Seoul — 2026-09-10
Top developments
Tokyo’s Grandsta Tokyo Unveils Major Bakery Renovation for September 16 Opening
As part of a significant infrastructure update, the "Marunouchi Slope Area" inside Tokyo Station’s Grandsta Tokyo is set to reopen as the "Underground Marunouchi Gate Area" on September 16, 2026. The renovation introduces five highly anticipated food shops, including new concepts from popular brands like Salcara and Ronpoing, aiming to capture commuter traffic with premium pastry offerings. This development highlights the continued strategy of integrating high-quality, queue-worthy bakery brands into Japan’s busiest transit hubs to maximize footfall.
Seoul’s Convenience Giant CU Rebrands Bakery Brand "BAKE405"
In a move to streamline its product portfolio, BGF Retail’s convenience store chain CU announced on September 3, 2026, that it is rebranding its dedicated bakery brand from "BAKEHOUSE405" to simply "BAKE405." Launched in August 2023, the brand will undergo a name simplification and a complete package redesign to enhance brand recognition among younger consumers. This shift reflects the ongoing trend of South Korean convenience stores elevating their in-house bakery sections to compete directly with standalone artisanal cafés.
Upcoming "Forest Bread Market" Festival Announced in South Korea
South Korean media has begun promoting the upcoming "Forest Bread Market" (Supsook Bbang Sijang), scheduled to take place next month at the Elysian Gangchon Resort. Organizers anticipate drawing over 100 famous bakeries and dessert companies to the event, leveraging the massive popularity of previous iterations which attracted 25,000 visitors in a single day during the May edition. This festival serves as a key industry gathering point for showcasing new bakery trends and products in the Korean market.
Local view
Japan: Elle Japan reports that the September 16 reopening of the Grandsta Tokyo area is expected to create immediate queues ("gyoretsu"), emphasizing the high consumer demand for new, experiential food spaces within station complexes. The outlet notes that these new entries are designed to compete with established department store underground food halls (depachika) by offering fresh, made-to-order pastry experiences.
South Korea: Youth Daily covers the strategic rebranding by CU, noting that the simplification of "BAKEHOUSE405" to "BAKE405" aims to make the brand more accessible and memorable. The coverage suggests this is part of a broader effort by major retailers to refresh their image and packaging aesthetics to align with current minimalist design trends preferred by Gen Z and Millennial shoppers.
Context & numbers
- Opening Date: The Grandsta Tokyo "Underground Marunouchi Gate Area" officially opens on September 16, 2026.
- Rebranding Timeline: CU’s "BAKEHOUSE405" was originally launched in August 2023 and is undergoing its first major rebrand three years later.
- Festival Attendance: Previous editions of the Forest Bread Market have recorded attendance figures as high as 25,000 people per day, indicating strong market interest in large-scale bakery events.
On the radar
- Grandsta Tokyo Reopening (Sept 16): Monitor initial sales data and queue lengths at the newly opened Salcara and Ronpoing branches in Tokyo Station to gauge consumer reception of the new layout.
- Forest Bread Market (October): Watch for announcements regarding specific participating brands and ticket sales for the upcoming festival at Elysian Gangchon Resort.
- CU Package Rollout: Track the rollout speed of the new "BAKE405" packaging across CU stores in South Korea to assess consumer feedback on the visual refresh.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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