Understanding the FreeFrom consumer Louise Vacher, Consulting Director, YouGov
Methodology 15-minute online survey conducted among YouGov panellists. Fieldwork was undertaken in August 2015. Research was conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1328 UK adults. A boost was included to ensure we had robust numbers for key consumer groups including: - Wheat/Gluten intolerant or allergic - Dairy intolerant or allergic - Free from buyers - Parents with children with food intolerances/allergies
Understanding the potential market
Our research has highlighted two key audiences for FreeFrom foods... Those with a food allergy or intolerance and coeliacs (or living with a sufferer) Those choosing to cut down gluten, dairy or other foods 4
A quarter of UK households are affected by food sensitivities Nearly 1 in 5 (17%) of the UK population consider themselves to have a food allergy or intolerance 6% have a food allergy 12% have a food intolerance 1% are coeliac 76% of sensitivities are suspected rather than diagnosed A quarter of UK households include at least one allergy or intolerance sufferer 5 Base: Total natrep sample (1328) S1. Do you suffer from any food allergies or intolerances? Please select all that apply. householdq2. And which, if any, of these people in your household have a food allergy or intolerance? Please select all that apply.
10% of the population are cutting down gluten, while a further 8% would like to Don t know what this is 14% Completely avoid it Prefer to eat foods 2% 2% without it Try to limit amount 6% 10% of the population are cutting down on gluten 63% Not trying to cut down 8% 4% Would like to cut down Have previously cut down, but don t any more 14% of parents are cutting down the amount of gluten they give their kids 6 Base: Total natrep sample (1328) / Parents (402) Q3B_1. Thinking about the following types of ingredients, which of these statements best describes your own eating habits? Q3_child_1. Thinking about the following types of ingredients, which of these statements best describes the foods you buy or prepare for your child(ren)?
And 1 in 5 are cutting down dairy or would like to Don t know what this is 11% Completely avoid it 2% 3% Prefer to eat foods without it 7% Try to limit amount 13% of the population are cutting down on dairy/lactose 65% Not trying to cut down 7% 4% Would like to cut down Have previously cut down, but don t any more 15% of parents are cutting down the amount of dairy/lactose they give their kids 7 Base: Total natrep sample (1328) / Parents (402) Q3B_2. Thinking about the following types of ingredients, which of these statements best describes your own eating habits? Q3_child_2. Thinking about the following types of ingredients, which of these statements best describes the foods you buy or prepare for your child(ren)?
Most of those looking to cut down gluten/dairy do not have a sensitivity Those cutting down on gluten Those cutting down on dairy Sensitivity to gluten 30% 4% Child has sensitivity to gluten Sensitivity to dairy 25% 6% Child has sensitivity to dairy 66% No sensitivity to gluten 2/3 of those cutting out gluten do not have a sensitivity to it 69% No sensitivity to dairy >7 in 10 of those cutting out dairy/lactose do not have a sensitivity to it 8 Base: Cutting down on gluten / dairy or lactose (138 / 166)
This all adds up to.. 13% of adults either have a gluten sensitivity or are trying to cut down on gluten An additional 7% would like to reduce the amount of gluten they eat 13% of adults either have a dairy/lactose sensitivity or are trying to cut down on dairy An additional 6% would like to reduce the amount of dairy they eat 9
Perceived health benefits are a key reason for cutting down gluten consumption Reasons for cutting down gluten Generally healthier/better for you Make me/my child feel less tired Tried cutting down and seen benefits To help me/others lose weight Someone I know had good experience 8% 6% 12% 15% 13% 24% 23% 35% 38% Unnecessary ingredient Recommendations from a health professional Recommendations from friends/family It helps my/child s mood Thought I/child/someone else may be intolerant Better for environment/ethical 12% 10% 6% 8% 9% 7% 11% 6% 14% 5% 12% 20% Adults Parents 10 Base: Cutting down on gluten but don t have gluten sensitivity (231) / Limiting amount given to children (45) Q4. Why are you cutting out or down the amount of gluten you eat? / Q4_child. Why are you cutting out or down the amount of gluten you give your child(ren)?
as they are for dairy Reasons for cutting down dairy Generally healthier/better for you To help me/others lose weight Tried cutting down and feel better Better for environment/ethical Make me/my child feel less tired Recommendations from a health professional Thought I/child/someone else may be intolerant Prefer the taste of dairy free products Unnecessary ingredient It helps my/child s mood Recommendations from friends/family 11% 10% 9% 8% 8% 9% 7% 1% 6% 6% 0% 5% 0 3% 14% 4% 11% 22% 22% 30% 27% 26% Adults Parents 11 Base: Cutting down on dairy/lactose but don t have dairy/lactose sensitivity (251) / Limiting amount given to children (41) Q4_dairy. Why are you cutting out or down the amount of dairy/lactose you eat? / Q4_child_dairy. Why are you cutting out or down the amount of dairy/lactose you give your child(ren)?
What do consumers see as the health benefits of cutting out gluten/dairy? Less fattening Bad for you Less processed Lower in sugar No nutritional benefits Lower in fat Less intensively farmed Lower in salt 33% 37% 24% 21% 21% 28% 21% 19% 17% 8% 17% 38% 12% 21% 11% 17% 12 Base: Cutting down on gluten or dairy/lactose because it is unhealthy (92 / 83) Q5_healthy. You said you are trying to cut down on these ingredients, either for yourself or your children because it is generally healthier/better to do so. In which of these ways do you think it is healthier/better for you?
FreeFrom foods
A quarter of those who are cutting down are not aware of FreeFrom foods Awareness and purchasing of FreeFrom foods Bought Might buy in future Aware, but not likely to buy in future 28% Total population 25% 16% 22% 16% Allergy/ intolerance sufferers 45% Unaware 31% 27% 10% Cutting down on gluten 40% 17% 26% 13% Cutting down on dairy 38% 23% 23% 14 Base: Total Nat Rep sample (1328) / Allergy/intolerance suffers (242) / Cutting down on gluten (245) / Cutting down on dairy (261) FF1. Before taking this survey, how aware, if at all, were you of FreeFrom branded foods? FF3new_3. Which of the statements below best describes your attitude towards 'Free From' foods?
Children s products offer potential 39% of parents buy specially designed FreeFrom products compared to 28% last year 31% of parents have to send their children to school with a packed lunch due to their allergies/intolerances but 48% of parents agree there are not enough allergy/intolerance products specially designed for children 15 Base: Parents of children with allergies in household (includes boost) (115) T1_Children. And which, if any, of the following describes how you tend to manage the child/children s food allergies or intolerances? Please select all that apply. C1. You mentioned earlier that your child(ren) suffer(s) from a food allergy or intolerance. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree, to what extent do you agree with the following statements about managing your child s allergies
Point of sale is the main route into discovering FreeFrom How heard of FreeFrom foods I saw them in a supermarket (in store) 57% 76% Someone I know told me about them I saw them in a health food or specialist food shop I read about them in an article I saw them on a supermarket s website I saw them advertised Saw them offered in restaurants/cafes etc I heard/read about celebrities using them 11% 4% 6% 4% 7% 4% 23% 20% 19% 16% 20% 11% Doctor/other health professional mentioned them 1% 4% 16 Base: Aware of FreeFrom foods (964) FFnew_1. How did you FIRST become aware of 'Free From' foods? Fnew_2. Where else have you heard or seen of 'Free From' foods?
Gluten Free products bought Bread 59% Sweet biscuits 31% Savoury biscuits 21% Pasta 43% Flour 26% Cereals 21% 3.4 categories bought on average Sweet bakery 38% Cereal bars 24% Other bakery 19% Desserts 15% Confectionery 13% Ready meals 12% 17 Base: Bought Gluten-free products (193) FFnew_8. Thinking about the gluten free foods you have bought from a grocery store, in which of these categories have you bought gluten free products?
Dairy/lactose free products bought 2.8 categories bought on average Milk 68% Cheese 40% Yoghurt 35% Desserts 33% Bakery 30% Spreads 29% Confectionery 23% Cream 20% Kids cheese products 7% 18 Base: Bought Dairy/lactose-free products (142) FFnew_11. Thinking about the dairy/lactose 'Free From' ranges you have bought from a grocery store, which of these categories have you bought dairy/lactose free products?
Who is buying, or might buy, FreeFrom foods? 56% Have bought 31% 13% Have an allergy/intolerance Don t have allergy/ intolerance but live with sufferer No sufferers in household 19% 10% Might buy in future 71% Purchasers and considerers over-index on being female and 25-34 19 Base: Have bought FreeFrom foods (348) / Might buy in future (194)
Those cutting down gluten and dairy represent good potential for FreeFrom Buying fewer FreeFrom products than 6 months ago Buying more FreeFrom products than 6 months ago Total population 16% 17% Allergy/intolerance sufferers 14% 24% Cutting down gluten 16% 30% Cutting down dairy 16% 35% 20 Base: Have bought FreeFrom foods (348) / Allergy/intolerance sufferers who have bought FreeFrom foods (119) / Cutting down on gluten/dairy and have bought FreeFrom foods (111) / (104) FF1_B. And how, if at all, have your purchase habits changed over the last 6 months?
Aside from medical need, consumers buy FreeFrom foods to give them a try or because they think they are healthier Reasons for buying FreeFrom foods A third overall buy due to a diagnosed or suspected sensitivity in the household Those with an allergy/intolerance sufferer in the household Those without an allergy/ intolerance sufferer in the household Tried cutting out/down and feel better 18% 4% Saw products and thought they looked worth trying 16% 17% Generally healthier/better for you 14% 13% Recommendations from friends/family 12% 4% Recommendations from health professional 9% 4% To make me feel less tired 9% 3% Someone in my h/hold has poor health /thought it might help Someone I know has cut down and has felt better so I thought I d give it a try Someone else in my household is cutting it out 6% 6% 9% 4% 5% 8% Mainly buying for visitors Other 12% 24% 21 Base: Those with a sufferer in their household who have bought Free From foods (166) /Those without any sufferer in their household who have bought Free From foods (182) FF2_D. You said you have purchased 'Free From' products in the past. Which, if any, of the following explains why you purchase/(d) 'Free From' products? Please select all that apply.
What is thought to be healthier about FreeFrom? Gluten/dairy poor nutrition 54% Less processed 52% Gluten has no nutritional benefits 24% Gluten is bad for you 22% Dairy/lactose is bad for you 22% Dairy/lactose has no nutritional benefits 12% Less processed 39% Organic 14% Made from less intensively farmed crops/animals 13% Nutritional benefits 51% Less fattening 22% Lower in fat 28% Lower in sugar 25% More vitamins/nutrients 10% Higher in protein 9% Lower in salt 8% Less fattening 22% 22 Base: Buy FreeFrom foods because think it s healthier/better for you (47) FFnew_14. You said you buy 'Free From' foods because they are generally healthier/better for you. In which of these ways do you think it is healthier/better for you?
How big a barrier are concerns about health? Non-purchasers who have an allergy/ intolerance: reasons for not buying Don t need Avoid foods I m intolerant of 33% Cook from scratch 22% Cost 21% Taste 13% Range None for my allergy 14% Limited range 13% Not in my supermarket 10% Healthiness Concern about ingredients 3% Unhealthy 1% Reasons for buying fewer FreeFrom foods than 6 months ago Cost 30% Don t need 23% Taste 10% It s a fad 5% Healthiness Concern about ingredients 5% Fattening 5% Unhealthy 1% Healthy free from foods seem to be non existent. We are trying to heal our bodies, not load them with genetically modified chemicals and bathe them in sugar and trans fats 23 Base: Have an allergy/intolerance sufferer in household but don t buy FreeFrom foods (126) / Buying fewer FreeFrom foods than 6 months ago (55) FF2_F_2. You said you have a food allergy or intolerance but have never bought any Free From products. Why is this? Please select all that apply. / B1B. You said earlier you are buying fewer 'Free From' foods. Why is this?
Cost, choice and availability are more of a concern than healthiness Rating of gluten / dairy free products Poor Excellent/Good Healthiness 8% 43% 8% 47% Quality 8% 42% 7% 52% Availability where I usually shop 16% 38% 26% 36% Taste 20% 30% 10% 49% Choice of different products 28% 22% 31% 23% Availability of own label options 39% 19% 48% 16% Choice of different brands 34% 15% 42% 19% Value for money 44% 14% 29% 28% Availability at convenience/smaller shops 64% 8% 55% 9% 24 Base: Have bought gluten free products (193) / dairy/lactose free products (142) FFnew_10_1. Thinking about the gluten/dairy/lactose 'Free From' ranges that are available across the categories you buy, how would you rate them on each of the following aspects?
While many appreciate FreeFrom costs more to produce, there is resistance to a price premium of more than 5% FreeFrom foods are. 59% More expensive 0% 38% Haven t noticed Cheaper Producing FreeFrom foods costs. 53% More Less 2% 16% Same 30% Don t know Reasonable to charge for FreeFrom. 1% 3% 15% 26% 40% More than 20% more 20% more 10% more 5% more No more 25 Base: All aware of FreeFrom foods (964) FFnew_5. Which of these best describes your view of the price of 'Free From' foods? / FFnew_6. Which of these best describes your view of the cost of producing 'Free From' foods for the manufacturer/producer? / FFnew_7. And which of these best describes your view of 'Free From' foods, even if you are not personally interested in buying them?
Considerations There is a significant opportunity for FreeFrom 1 in 5 of the population either have a sensitivity to gluten or dairy/lactose, are trying to cut down on their consumption or would like to Lifestylers looking to cut down represent a source of likely growth With most potential FreeFrom buyers not having a medical need, the perceived health benefits are a key inducement to buy Many are introduced to the category by seeing them in-store and giving them a try At present, only a minority have concerns about the nutritional profile of FreeFrom, with cost, taste and availability more major barriers but the category needs to work to enhance the health benefits to retain the lifestyler audience 26