The Co-op joins the likes of Waitrose, Tesco, Greggs and Subway with new plant-based product range, Gro, as it looks to capitalize on the budding meat-free market. Co-op, which describes the launch as the “largest ever product roll-out of own-brand vegan products by a supermarket”, is positioning the brand for convenience shoppers, offering plant-based options from breakfast to dinner. Earlier this week Asda also unveiled the launch of 48 vegan products starting at £1.50, pitching it as cheaper than any of its competitors.
According to the supermarket’s Ethical Consumerism report, the vegan food market is now worth £1bn, up from £452m in 1999. Over the past year, sales of the Co-op’s vegetarian products have risen by more than 12%, with non-dairy milk alternatives up by 14%.
2019 was Waitrose’s biggest Christmas to date for vegan food, with sales up by 40% year on year, while Tesco, which launched its plant-based brand Plant Chef last September, has also seen demand for vegan foods rise by 40%. These launches are quite timely as Veganuary continues to gain momentum and trigger shoppers into trying new products; whilst priming new opportunities for brands and retailers to drive occasions for consumption, not only in January, but for the rest of the year.
Contributed by: Laurence Poichot, Integer London
Image Source: Unsplash
