Good (fresh) bread only lasts a day or two around my house, because it’s amazing and delicious and everyone just eats it.
Average commercial everyday bread is going to sit around longer because it’s waiting on someone to feel like making a sandwich, or feel like having toast. It’s basically a pantry staple hanging out, waiting to get used. The fridge is fine for that.
EDIT I see your edit - I think culture/lifestyle is also playing a fair part here as well. I’ve spent most of my life living in a rural area where nothing is walkable, so trips to the grocery store were once a week. If I lived in a place I could just walk down the street to a bakery and grab a fresh loaf, that would be different. But just because I don’t live in a walkable place doesn’t mean I’ve never had good bread.
Good (fresh) bread only lasts a day or two around my house, because it’s amazing and delicious and everyone just eats it.
Average commercial everyday bread is going to sit around longer because it’s waiting on someone to feel like making a sandwich, or feel like having toast. It’s basically a pantry staple hanging out, waiting to get used. The fridge is fine for that.
EDIT I see your edit - I think culture/lifestyle is also playing a fair part here as well. I’ve spent most of my life living in a rural area where nothing is walkable, so trips to the grocery store were once a week. If I lived in a place I could just walk down the street to a bakery and grab a fresh loaf, that would be different. But just because I don’t live in a walkable place doesn’t mean I’ve never had good bread.
Science backs you up.
Regular white bread without additives lasts about 24h before going stale. Wonderbread goes longer. Refrigerating any bread ruins it in short order.