What Matters Most to Gluten-Free Shoppers? Taste!

PRLog (Press Release) - Mar 03, 2009 -
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa : According to a recent survey, gluten-free shoppers are dissatisfied with the quality of gluten-free foods available in retail stores.

The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America (GIG), in partnership with TastesLikeRealFood.com, conducted the survey of gluten-free shoppers to better understand what they would like to see from retailers and manufacturers.

Gluten-free shoppers actively seek new products that taste better, and half of gluten-free shoppers estimated that over 30% of their monthly grocery budget is spent on gluten-free foods.  

Category growth is being driven by consumer necessity, not by product quality.  Gluten-free shoppers are quite dissatisfied with the taste of gluten-free products on the market.  Of the product categories surveyed, pasta is the only one with a reasonable level of customer satisfaction.  In fact, the level of dissatisfaction is so high that nearly 70% say that they can bake products better than a manufacturer or retailer.

When asked, 71% of respondents agreed with the statement “it’s hard to find good-tasting gluten-free foods.”  79% agreed that they “have wasted a lot of money on gluten-free foods that didn’t taste good.”

Cynthia Kupper, Executive director of GIG, said that “quite simply, people with gluten intolerance want more choices and better foods in their diet. We interviewed over 700 gluten-free shoppers nationwide to understand who these unique consumers are, and how their decisions and buying choices have changed during over the years. What factors impact their decisions? What role does labeling play? What can you, as a retailer or manufacturer, do to gain their confidence and loyalty?”

Ms. Kupper added that “more than 5% of the U.S. population, or over 15 million people, are seeking gluten-free foods to cope with gluten intolerance.  This is a significant market.”
“The gluten-free industry is exploding right now,” said Jenny Bosking, President of TastesLikeRealFood.com. “In October 2008 Nutrition Business Journal reported gluten-free foods as the fastest growing grocery category, with sales up more than 18% per year. Packaged Facts data show that sales hit nearly $700 million in 2006.

Datamonitor reports that more than 1,300 new gluten-free food and beverage products were launched in the United States in 2007, up from 944 new products in 2006. And, as of September 2008, 987 new gluten-free products had been rolled out in the United States.”
Retailers and manufacturers who are interested in the complete results of the survey can contact Steve Bosking at TastesLikeRealFood.com.  His e-mail address is sbosking@TastesLikeRealFood.com.

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