Funny, all those years Oprah spent in the spotlight and nowadays she’s perhaps best known for reciting those three little words, “I love bread.” Unfortunately people with Celiac Disease disagree with you, Oprah – because we CAN’T eat bread. At least not the soft, fluffy and flavorful kind that some of us remember from days long past, that is, pre-diagnosis. Unless we make it from scratch, we must rely on packaged gluten-free bread.
But there’s a lot of bad gluten-free bread out there. It’s dry. It’s crumbly. It’s hard. We might as well be eating dirt or cardboard. Although I’ve never tried either, I can only imagine it’s probably similar to eating a slice of the typical packaged gluten-free bread. (Note: I’m trying really hard here not to name names!)
Increasingly, however, a whole new breed of gluten-free breads are finding their way into the bread aisle. Very recently, I learned of two new brands hitting store shelves: Kroger and Sam’s Choice by Walmart. Yes, that’s right. Both Kroger and Walmart have introduced their own private label brand of shelf-stable gluten-free bread, which is merchandised right in the “regular” bread aisle.
Kroger brand gluten-free bread
I first heard of Kroger’s gluten-free bread at the Columbus area Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest a few weeks ago. The bread comes in two varieties: 7 grain and white. An 18-ounce loaf retails for $4.99, quite a deal when compared with the name brands. While the company rep said it’s currently available in stores, I haven’t yet found it in my local Kroger.
Consumers are giving Kroger gluten-free bread rave reviews, though, based on some comments gleaned from social media:
- “Found it in TN and is the best GF bread out there! Hope it is in our state!” May 17, 2017
- “I agree – best GF bread I have EVER eaten!” May 5, 2017
- “Your Kroger gluten free white is the best gluten free bread I’ve found. A store manager told me he thought you are discontinuing it. How terrible. Do you realize that it is the best bread for diabetics because it is made with sorghum flour which digests much more slowly than any wheat?” Nov 18, 2016
Walmart’s Sam’s Choice gluten-free bread
Walmart is on the market with its own store brand gluten-free bread under the Sam’s Choice label. The selection includes multigrain and classic white. An 18-ounce loaf is priced at $5.48, making it a bit more expensive than the Kroger brand of the same size. Similar to Kroger, the bread is merchandised in the regular bread aisle.
Based on 17 reviews on Walmart.com, Sam’s Choice multigrain gluten-free bread appears to be a winner. The product has a 4.5 average star rating, receiving 5 stars from 14 out of 17 shoppers! I bought a loaf of the multigrain and, based on the great reviews, can’t wait to try.
GF Retail Take
- Gluten-free brand marketers must protect their turf as some of the nation’s top retailers not only ramp up gluten-free offerings but also add and expand gluten-free store brand alternatives.
- Manufacturers and competitive retailers alike must keep a watchful eye on moves made by Walmart and Kroger. After all, they are the nation’s two biggest grocers and could easily become a force to reckon with in the gluten free retail space.
- The favorable price/value proposition associated with private label goods compared with name brand equivalents (NBE) could be enough to entice consumers not only to trial gluten-free store brands but perhaps make a more permanent switch.
For more perspectives on gluten-free private labels, download the full report (PDF) available here: GLUTEN FREE Retail Intelligence, January 2016