Plant based meat alternatives drop in sales when merchandised next to meat

In a recent trial undertaken by Asda to ‘nudge’ consumers to try out plant-based alternatives when they are in the meat products aisle, sales of plant based products actually decreased in sales by 30%.

Sales performance was much better when products were merchandised in a dedicated plant based fixture.  When able to make direct price comparisons between meat and plant-based versions of similar products, shoppers were reluctant to buy meat alternatives.  The results of this experiment also showed a worse sales performance in stores in more deprived areas, where price pressures are more keenly felt.

In another concerning development for fresh vegetables, data from Veg Power, a not-for-profit alliance aiming to increase vegetable consumption, indicates that vegetable consumption has decreased in the UK by 7.5% over the last year.

A YouGov survey reports that 26% of people are buying fewer fresh vegetables, increasing to 49% in lower income groups because of price increases, and concerns are rising on the health impacts of this trend.