Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Free-from sales growth has been supported by new users
- Further investment on the cards
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- Figure 1: Value retail sales of free-from foods in the UK, 2010-20
- Gluten-free market enjoys a virtuous circle
- Free-from diets continue to attract media attention
- NHS limits gluten-free prescriptions
- Lack of growth of 16-34s limits support to sales
- Companies, brands and innovation
- Alpro is the leading brand in the free-from market
- Genius takes top position in gluten-free
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- Figure 2: Leading brands’ shares in the UK retail free-from foods market, by value, 2014/15*
- Market attracts mainstream players
- Adspend continues to rise
- Low/no/reduced allergen claims leapt ahead in 2014
- The consumer
- Two in five have a household member avoiding particular ingredients
- One in three people buy or eat free-from
- Feelgood image drives free-from uptake
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- Figure 3: Reasons for eating free-from foods, September 2015
- Price remains a key barrier
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- Figure 4: Non-users’ attitudes towards free-from foods, September 2015
- Scope to encourage free-from users to trade up
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- Figure 5: Users' attitudes towards free-from foods, September 2015
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Importance of health credentials
- The facts
- The implications
- Price remains a key barrier
- The facts
- The implications
- Scope to encourage free-from users to trade up
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- New users support growth in the free-from market
- Further investment on the cards
- Gluten-free market enjoys a virtuous circle
- Free-from diets continue to attract media attention
- NHS limits gluten-free prescriptions
- Lack of growth of 16-34s limits support to sales
Market Size and Forecast
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- Free-from sales grow helped by new users
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- Figure 6: Value retail sales of free-from foods in the UK, 2010-20
- Further investment on the cards
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- Figure 7: Value retail sales of free-from foods in the UK, 2010-20
Segment Performance
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- Gluten-free market enjoys a virtuous circle
- Dairy-free in rude health
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- Figure 8: UK retail value sales of free-from food and drink, by segment, 2013-15
Market Drivers
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- Free-from diets continue to attract media attention
- NHS limits gluten-free prescriptions
- Long-term rise in people with food allergies
- Lack of growth of 16-34s limits support to sales
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- Figure 9: Recent and projected trends in population growth, by age, 2010-15 and 2015-20
- Growing availability of free-from products supports growth
- Big food producers entering the market
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Alpro extends its lead in the market
- Genius takes top position in gluten-free
- Recent entrants enjoy rapid growth
- Adspend continues to rise
- L/N/R allergen claims leapt ahead in 2014
- Health claims remain rare
Market Share
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- Alpro retains an unassailable lead
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- Figure 10: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK retail free-from foods market, by value, 2013/14 and 2014/15
- Genius takes top position in gluten-free
- Mainstream brands enter the free-from market…
- …and recent entrants have enjoyed strong growth
- Acquisitions continue in the market
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Advertising spending on free-from foods continues to grow
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- Figure 11: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on free-from foods, by top advertisers, 2011-15
- Alpro remains top advertiser
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- Figure 12: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on free-from foods, by top 10 brands, 2014
- Big boys entering gluten-free market
- Small producers rely on other marketing
- NMR methodology
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- L/N/R allergen claims leap ahead in food in 2014
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- Figure 13: L/N/R allergen, lactose and gluten-free claims of all new food product launches, 2011-15
- M&S and Asda extend ranges
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- Figure 14: New food product launches with L/N/R allergen claims, by top 10 brands, 2011-15
- L/N/R allergen claims are most prominent in baby food
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- Figure 15: L/N/R allergen claims’ share of new food product launches, by category, 2011-15
- Health claims remain rare
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- Figure 16: New food product launches with L/N/R allergen claims, by top claims, 2011-15
- Premium positioning still niche
- Jump in L/N/R allergen claims in drinks in 2014
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- Figure 17: L/N/R allergen, lactose- and gluten-free claims of all new drink product launches, 2011-15
- Figure 18: New drink product launches with L/N/R allergen claims, by category, 2011-15
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- Figure 19: New drink product launches with gluten-free claims, by category, 2011-15
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Two in five households avoid a food
- Many buy free-from products without a food avoidance
- Many on an exclusion diet don’t buy free-from
- Feelgood image drives free-from uptake
- Price remains a key barrier
- Evidence of cynicism among non-users
- Scope to encourage free-from users to trade up
- Product recalls are a turn-off
- The importance of health credentials
Avoidance of Foods/Ingredients
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- Two in five report food avoidance
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- Figure 20: Types of food/ingredients avoided, September 2015
- Lactose/dairy and gluten/wheat are avoided the most
Types of Free-from Foods Eaten and Bought
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- One in three eat or buy free-from
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- Figure 21: Types of free-from foods bought and eaten, September 2015
- Many people buy gluten-free with no gluten avoidance…
- …and the same is true of dairy substitutes
- Many food avoiders do not buy substitutes
- Key free-from customers – young, affluent Londoners
Reasons for Eating Free-from Foods
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- Feelgood image drives free-from uptake
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- Figure 22: Reasons for eating free-from foods, September 2015
- Scope to position dairy alternatives as offering variety
Non-users’ Attitudes towards Free-from Foods
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- Price remains a key barrier
- Few non-users see free-from as benefiting non-sufferers
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- Figure 23: Non-users’ attitudes towards free-from foods, September 2015
- Few non-users doubt free-from products’ taste
- In-store visibility does little to drive interest
Users’ Attitudes towards Free-from Foods
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- Scope to encourage free-from users to trade up
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- Figure 24: Users' attitudes towards free-from foods, September 2015
- The effect of product recalls
- High trust in regulatory checks
- The importance of health credentials
Appendix <hyperlink url="http://reports.mintel.com/display/753175/">– Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information</hyperlink>
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Fan chart forecast
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- Figure 25: Best- and worst-case forecast, value retail sales of free-from foods, 2015-20
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