Ireland Free-From Food Market Report 2020
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Report Summary
Providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date information and analysis of the Ireland Free-From Foods Market, including the behaviours, preferences and habits of the consumer.
Irish consumers are spending significantly more time at home and with that, we are seeing greater exploration of food and drink. While some are turning towards healthy foods, others are indulging, but both behaviours appear to be benefitting the free-from category, with 38% of NI and 37% of RoI consumers agreeing that COVID-19 has seen them eat/drink more free-from foods, and over half of IoI consumers agreeing they have been trying more different types of free-from in the last six months. For these reasons, the free-from category is booming in 2020 with sales for the IoI market increasing by 12% between 2019 and 2020, up from 8% growth in the previous year. The sales trajectory is expected to continue on its growth path as NPD within free-from foods expands and consumers face greater choice.
Read on to find out more or take a look at all of our Ireland market research.
Quickly understand
- The impact of COVID-19 on consumer behaviour and free-from food and drink.
- The impact of Brexit on the availability and labelling of free-from foods.
- The highly processed image of free-from foods needs to be addressed.
- The opportunities and threats of promoting plant-based vs vegan claims on free-from foods.
Covered in this report
Brands featured: M&S, Morrisons, Tesco, Alpro, Sainsbury’s, Moo free, Marlow Foods, The Foodie Market, Shaken Other, Actimel, Koko Original, Sproud and more.
Expert analysis from a specialist in the field
Written by Emma McGeown, a leading analyst in the Food & Drink sector, her extensive knowledge delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.
The free-from category has experienced exceptional growth in recent years and 2020 was no different. More time spent at home coupled with the closure of foodservice and the bulk-buying behaviours witnessed during the beginning of the pandemic all resulted in increased demand for free-from foods.
Emma McGeown
Food and Drink Analyst
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- COVID-19: Market context
- Issues covered in this Report
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- The market
- Sales forecast for a boost in 2020
- Figure 1: Estimated market value of free-from food and drink, NI and RoI, 2015-25
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- Figure 2: Expected impact of COVID-19 on free-from foods, short, medium and long term, 17 December 2020
- Brexit casts concerns around pricing and shortages
- Who’s innovating?
- The consumer
- Dairy most likely to be avoided
- Figure 3: Agreement with statements related to free-from foods and COVID-19, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Consumers more likely to buy than eat free-from foods
- Figure 4: Types of free-from food and drink consumers have bought or eaten for themselves in the last six months, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Almost four in ten are eating more free-from foods during the pandemic
- Figure 5: Agreement with statements related to free-from foods and COVID-19, NI and RoI, November 2020
- What we think
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The Market – Key Takeaways
- Free-from sales gets a boost in 2020
- Food prices decreasing
- Fears around shortages and labelling after Brexit
- Free-from sales gets a boost in 2020
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Market Sizes & Forecast
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- Short-, medium- and long-term impact on the industry
- Figure 6: Expected impact of COVID-19 on free-from foods, short, medium and long term, 17 December 2020
- Free-from foods see a boost as a result of the pandemic
- Figure 7: Estimated market value of free-from food and drink, NI and RoI, 2015-25
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- Figure 8: Index growth of free-from food and drink, NI and RoI, 2015-25
- Lessons learned from the last recession
- Figure 9: Index growth of free-from food and drink, NI and RoI, 2009-13
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Market Drivers
- Food price rises in UK but falls in RoI
- Figure 10: Consumer price index of food and non-alcoholic beverages, UK (including NI), September 2018-October 2020
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- Figure 11: Consumer price index of food, RoI, September 2018-October 2020
- Brexit will present challenges to food supply chains
- Brexit creates uncertainty surrounding free-from labelling
- Figure 12: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘I worry that allergy labelling will become less reliable after Brexit’, by presence of child/ren in the household, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Consumer sentiment takes a hit due to COVID-19
- Figure 13: Consumer agreement with the question: ‘How has your financial situation changed since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in your country?’, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Food price rises in UK but falls in RoI
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Companies and Innovations – Key Takeaways
- Steady growth shown across free-from foods claims
- Ethical claims on the rise amongst gluten-free foods
- Supermarkets innovating in the free-from aisle
- Steady growth shown across free-from foods claims
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Who’s Innovating?
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- Free-from claims show steady growth
- Figure 14: Number of free-from food and drink products, by selected claims, UK and Ireland 2015-20*,
- Tesco leading in dairy-free products
- Figure 15: New dairy-free product food and drink launches, by company, UK and Ireland, 2015-20*
- Supermarkets investing in meat-free ranges too
- Figure 16: New meat alternative products, food launches, by company, UK and Ireland, 2015-20*
- Ethical claims grow in gluten-free launches
- Figure 17: New gluten-free food product launches, by claims, UK and Ireland, 2015-20*
- Supermarkets recognised for innovation in free-from foods
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The Consumer – Key Takeaways
- Almost four in ten are eating more free-from foods during the pandemic
- Dairy most likely to be avoided
- Perceptions were overall negative with most free-from diets
- Almost four in ten are eating more free-from foods during the pandemic
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COVID-19 and Consumer Behaviours
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- Over half of Irish consumers are experimenting with free-from foods
- Figure 18: Agreement with statements related to free-from foods and COVID-19, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Men experimenting more with free-from foods
- Figure 19: Agreement with the statement ‘I have been trying more different types of free-from in the last six months’, by gender, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Limited stocks an issue during the pandemic
- Figure 20: Agreement with the statement ‘since the start of the COVID-19/coronavirus outbreak, I am stocking up on groceries/other supplies’, IoI, March-November 2020
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- Figure 21: Agreement with the statement ‘COVID-19 has made it difficult to find some free-from foods’ and ‘COVID-19 has seen me eat/drink more free-from foods’, NI and RoI, November 2020
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Ingredients Avoided and Why?
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- Dairy most likely to be avoided
- Figure 22: Types of food/ingredients avoided, by reason (eg because they/a member of household has a confirmed or suspected allergy/intolerance, as part of a healthy lifestyle etc), NI and RoI, November 2020
- Avoidance due to an allergy more likely in dairy
- Figure 23: Types of food/ingredients avoided, due to a confirmed or suspected allergy/intolerance, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Dairy more likely to be avoided for health reasons
- Figure 24: Types of food/ingredients avoided due to health lifestyle choices, NI and RoI, November 2020
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- Figure 25: Consumers who associated ‘nutritious’ with the select diets, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Soya avoided for other reasons
- Figure 26: Types of food/ingredients avoided due to other reasons (eg ethical, vegetarian, don’t like), NI and RoI, November 2020
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Free-from Products Bought and Eaten
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- Irish consumers more likely to buy/eat gluten-free
- Figure 27: Types of free-from food and drink consumers have bought or eaten for themselves in the last six months, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Dairy substitutes more popular among RoI women
- Figure 28: Consumers who have bought and/or eaten dairy/dairy-free substitutes (eg soya milk) in the last six months, by gender, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Similar percentage buying and eating meat substitutes
- Figure 29: Consumers who have bought and/or eaten meat-free substitutes in the last six months, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Gluten-free more likely to be bought by affluent consumers
- Figure 30: Consumers who have bought and/or eaten gluten-free food and drink in the last six months, by affluency, NI and RoI, November 2020
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Free-from Food Behaviours
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- Nutrition concerns surround free-from foods
- Figure 31: Agreement with statements relating to free-from food, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Hybrid free-from products find a market
- Figure 32: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘I would be interested in trying foods that are ‘reduced’ ingredients rather than being completely free-from (eg reduced dairy rather than no dairy)’, by social class, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Sustainable packaging sought after
- Figure 33: Agreement with the statement ‘I think free-from foods should use more recyclable packaging’, NI and RoI, November 2020
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Qualities Associated with Select Diets
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- Gluten-free seen as having limited options
- Figure 34: Qualities associated with gluten-free diets, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Low-carb associated with weight management
- Figure 35: Qualities associated with low-carb diets, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Dairy-free associated with environmentally friendly
- Figure 36: Qualities associated with dairy-free diets, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Plant-based diets associated with natural qualities
- Figure 37: Qualities associated with plant-based diets, NI and RoI, November 2020
- Vegan diets score lower than plant-based in key areas
- Figure 38: Qualities associated with vegan diets, NI and RoI, November 2020
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Data sources
- Abbreviations
- Data sources
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