Tesco has revealed that sales of vegan products in its stores have surged this month, supported by the launch of a new plant-based meal promotion.
Its Wicked Kitchen plant-based range has seen sales more than double during Veganuary after a Meal Deal offered shoppers a main for two, a side and a dessert for £8.
The most popular plant-based foods bought at Tesco this month included:
- Chilled dairy alternative milk drinks – up by more than 100% on last Veganuary
- Vegan pasta and Vegetable Soups – up by nearly 140%
- Vegan cooked meat alternatives – up by nearly 40%
- Vegan chilled desserts – up by more than 40%
Tesco’s head of plant-based food innovation Derek Sarno commented: “In the last year we have concentrated on making the best quality plant-based food even more accessible for shoppers by lowering prices.
“The Wicked Kitchen Meal Deal, which is an amazing offer for folks that want to try plant-based for the first time, launched this Veganuary and is testament to that.
“The amount of choice these days is mouth-watering and almost every category within supermarkets now has plant-based options, making it easier than ever for those considering or switching to embracing more Meat-Free days of the week.”
Meanwhile, in the other major lifestyle switch this month, Dry January, Tesco saw its customers buying 15% more low or no alcohol beer, cider, wine and spirits than they did a year ago.
Tesco highlighted that it saw record demand for low and no alcohol beer and cider (+30% year-on-year) as well as strong demand for sparkling wine (+40%).
Low and no alcohol products that proved popular during Dry January included Nozeco Spumante Alcohol Free (+200%), Gordons 0.0% (sales contributed to more than a third of all no and low alcohol spirit sales), and craft lager Lucky Saint (+100%).
Tesco’s Category Buying Manager for Beer and Cider Marianne Aitken said: “Interestingly, this year it was low and no beer and cider which saw the highest demand – a reversal on Dry January 2021 when wine and spirit alternatives were the most popular.
“Those high sales were encouraged by the huge popularity of Lucky Saint craft lager and also the exclusive listing of Corona Cero at our stores.”
NAM Implications:
- Apart from trying a Tesco plant-based meal deal…
- …why not compare your offering with these sub-categories, item by item?
- And perhaps discover some opportunity gaps in the process?
