Supermarket Perimeter - September 2022 - 22

Bakery
Gluten-free
BY JENNIFER BARNETT-FOX
STRONG PREDICTIONS OF CONTINUING CATEGORY GROWTH
demonstrate that gluten-free bakery is solidly standing the test of time.
A decade or even five years ago, few could have predicted the staying
power of the gluten-free market. With a four-year dollar CAGR of 19.4%
and a four-year unit CAGR of 17.9%, gluten-free is here for the duration.
Dollar sales in the category registered $468,463,767, up from
$395,870,584, a $73,593,183 dollar sales change versus a year ago, and a
18.6% dollar sales change, according to IRI International, Chicago.
Growth of gluten-free has been at ~5% in the past five years, which
overperforms baked goods, according to JP Frossard, vice president,
consumer foods RaboResearch, Rabobank Group, Atlanta and Chicago.
While center store accounts for the majority of gluten-free unit sales,
perimeter is growing, accounting for 29.2% of units.
In the Perimeter, Alyssa's Cookies and Healthy Oatmeal Bites, Jupiter,
Fla., are showing growth of +22.2% versus a year ago. The cookies
contain 100% all-natural ingredients and are free of hydrogenated oils,
margarine, additives and preservatives.
" Anything the perimeter can do to help consumers understand
nutritional aspects could help improve its growth of gluten-free sales, "
said Tim Grzenbinski, client insights principal, dairy and bakery, IRI.
" There is an impetus for preventative wellness and the trend is going to
stick. Look to create messaging around better-for-you and health and
wellness and make it convenient. "
Strong legion
The bakers who found inspiration in their personal and family
connections to celiac disease and gluten intolerance are largely
responsible for the category's ongoing growth. This personal
commitment to create a product for oneself, one's family or a friend
continues to strike a nerve among the 1%, or 3 million, Americans who
have celiac disease - those for whom keeping gluten-free isn't a choice.
The category is also buoyed by the estimated 13%, or roughly 40
million Americans, who experience issues related to gluten-intolerance.
Consumers making lifestyle choices linked to health perceptions are
helping to drive growth in the category, according to Courtney LeDrew,
marketing manager, Cargill, Minneapolis. The company's most recent
IngredientTracker proprietary consumer research found 9% of survey
respondents say they follow a gluten-free diet, up two points from the
previous year.
Fifty-percent of consumers claim to choose gluten-free foods at
least some of the time, confirming that many consumers are eating
gluten-free by choice, according to proprietary research from Denverbased
Ardent Mills. IRI found 49% are choosing more better-for-you
products than they did a year ago, and 33% are eating healthy to combat
pandemic-related over-indulgences.
Gen X and Boomer shoppers account for the majority of gluten-free
bakery sales (65%), while younger Millennials offer the fastest growth in
the category, up 34.4% versus a year ago. The growth should not come
as a surprise as Millennials prioritize health and wellness, using online
information to find the healthiest food, according to Grzebinski.
" Consumers are adapting their lifestyle and dietary patterns in pursuit
of their individual perception of health and wellness, " said Matthew
Schueller, director of marketing insights and analytics, Ardent Mills. " Food
manufacturers have responded to these lifestyle and dietary patterns and
the gluten-free category as a whole has grown exponentially as a result. "
Ardent Mills
gluten-free
chocolate cake
22 - SEPTEMBER 2022
supermarketperimeter.com
ARDENT MILLS, IULIIA METKALOVA - SOCK.ADOBE.COM
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - September 2022

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