I live in a small town in New Mexico, so my primary shopping option is the local Walmart right here in my hometown. Fortunately for me, the Walmart here carries a great selection of gluten-free products. This hasn’t always been the case. There was a time several years ago, when the only gluten-free food I could find were gluten-free products that were already gluten free—such as some Progresso soups. I had a sense that if/once Walmart did adopt a more active gluten-free posture, they would do a good job, and fortunately, they did because not too long after, more and more gluten-free options began to appear, and a whole gluten-free section became available as well. Now, my local Walmart has a wonderful variety of gluten-free options.
In addition to the gluten-free section, gluten-free food can be found in other locations throughout the store. For example, gluten-free flour is found not only in the gluten-free section, but also with the other baking products in the regular baking aisle. The same goes with other gluten-free baking such as cake and brownie mixes. There are some found in the gluten-free section, but others found in the baking aisle. Some pasta is found in the gluten-free section, but other pasta is found in the pasta section. Since I shop at the same store on a regular basis, I’ve become familiar aisle-by-aisle, with where I can find gluten-free products, which makes my shopping time more efficient.
From what I can see, gluten-free products are not placed uniformly throughout Walmart stores. Sometimes, when I’m traveling and shopping at a Walmart that’s unfamiliar to me, I discover that what gluten-free products are available in one store, may not necessarily be available in another. How much gluten-free is available in each store, and where they are placed on shelves in each store, I suppose must have some input by local managers. I sometimes do my grocery shopping at a Kroger-based store in a town nearby and I’ve discovered that their gluten-free product placement and availability can vary from store-to-store, so I suppose that local managers must have some input into what gluten-free products the store will carry, and where they are displayed.
Because of my deep-seated gratitude for companies who produce gluten-free products, and stores that offer them for sale, as much as my budget will allow, I try to purchase gluten-free as often as I can, to help the local store manager know that there is a viable market for the gluten-free products that they carry and that it can be profitable for them to do so. When my budget allows—aside from the gluten-free staples that I buy practically each shopping trip (such as bread) — I try to purchase one additional gluten-free product that I haven’t tried before. I do this because I love trying new gluten-free things, but also, I do so as sort of my own personal way of letting my local store know that I’m here, and that I need these products and that I’m willing to purchase them, when I can.
I’ve heard it said that if you don’t find gluten-free products where you shop locally, that it’s a good idea to ask your store managers to carry items.
Sometimes, when I am in the nearby city of Albuquerque, I head to stores where I don’t usually get to shop such as Trader Joe’s, Natural Grocers, Whole Foods, and others to see what additional fun things I can find. I’m hardly ever disappointed.
What about you, where do you shop for gluten-free food? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.
