NEW Gluten-Free Buying Guide

As part of the wider free-from category, the gluten-free market grew by 12.7% in 2020, according to Nielsen data, and the overall category is now worth over £3bn. Although some of this growth can be attributed to a 17.6% spike in sales during the first lockdown, as panic buying led shoppers to turn towards the free-from aisles, it indicates that the gluten-free market continues to grow strongly and should remain a key focus in-store.

The category is benefitting hugely from the now widely recognised link between gut health and overall wellbeing. Even if consumers don’t have a medical reason for cutting out gluten, such as coeliac disease, gluten-sensitivity, a wheat allergy, or IBS, research suggests that reducing gluten consumption can be beneficial for bloating and overall gut health, which in turn has an impact on immune health and mood, and this is driving more and more wellness-savvy consumers to turn towards gluten-free products.

This expansion in the appeal of gluten-free is helping to drive product innovation, taste, and quality as gluten-free manufacturers are starting to look at reducing the fat and sugar content in their products whilst increasing the nutritional profile and taste to appeal to the ‘lifestyle’ consumers. There has also been more convergence with other ‘trends’ in the health and wellness industry such as organic, vegan, and sustainability.

With 97% of households regularly purchasing products marked as free-from, conventional brands have also started to tap into this more mainstream appeal, launching gluten-free variations of their top-selling products, creating a gluten-free fixture that offers customers more variation, choice, and price points than ever before.

This updated version of our Gluten-Free Buying Guide offers a one-stop-shop for the broadest and most innovative range for your customers’ gluten-free needs. We’ve also included an overview of the latest market data and trends from industry expert, Amisa, with some great gluten-free recipe ideas too.

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