Mexicans are celebrating the Day of the Dead this week but Mexican bakeries are celebrating Hollywood movies.

Sales of pan de muerto, the “bread of the dead” that is traditional fare at this time of year, are experiencing a boost thanks to Hollywood productions related to the annual Day of the Dead celebrations, say bakery industry representatives.

The movies are last year’s Coco, a Disney Pixar production set around the November traditions, and the 2015 James Bond film Spectre.

Bakeries expect a 4% increase in sales after seeing a 25% drop last year.

The president of a national bakery industry organization said it was expecting sales of just over 30 million loaves of pan de muerto between October 30 and November 2, representing revenue of close to 1.6 billion pesos (US $77.5 million).

Lecaroz, a national chain of 200 bakeries, expects its sales in October and November to jump by 10% over last year. It explained that there is greater demand for pan de muerto as well as other products such as mantemuerto, a pan de muerto made in the form of a cupcake.

“The star for bakeries is the rosca de reyes [kings’ cake], representing 30% of their yearly sales, followed by pan de muerto, which can reach 15%. Daily bread sales represent the rest of their income,” said Berenice Pérez Badillo.

The president of an association of small business owners reported that six out of every 10 tienditas, or mom-and-pop stores, usually sell bread provided by established bakeries, including pan de muerto.

National retailer Soriana expects to sell four million loaves of “dead bread” in its markets with the largest demand, which include the states of Nuevo León, Mexico City, México, Jalisco and Baja California.

Source: El Financiero (sp)