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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington , D.C. 20549 FORM 10 - K ( Mark One ) ☑ ☐ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended January 2 , 2021 OR TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from Commission file number 1-16247 to FLOWERS FOODS , INC . ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) Georgia ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) 1919 Flowers Circle Thomasville , Georgia ( Address of principal executive offices ) 58-2582379 ( IRS Employer Identification No. ) 31757 ( Zip Code ) Title of each class Common Stock , $ 0.01 par value Registrant's telephone number , including area code : ( 229 ) 226-9110 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Trading Symbol FLO Name of each exchange on which registered NYSE Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None Yes ☑No ☐ Yes ☐ No ☑ Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( § 232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes No ☐ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , smaller reporting company , or an emerging growth company . See the definitions of " large accelerated filer , " " accelerated filer , " " smaller reporting company , " and " emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . Large accelerated filer Non - accelerated filer Emerging growth company ☐ ☐ Accelerated filer Smaller reporting company ☐ ☐ If an emerging growth company , indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act ) . Yes No ☑ The aggregate market value of the voting and non - voting common equity held by non - affiliates of the registrant , based on the closing price of the shares of common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on July 11 , 2020 , was $ 4,504,364,713 . The number of shares of the registrant's Common Stock outstanding as of February 18 , 2021 was 211,699,835 . DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the registrant's Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held May 27 , 2021 , which is expected to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about April 13 , 2021 , have been incorporated by reference into Part III , Items 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 of this Annual Report on Form 10 - K .