Lidl Netherlands today revealed plans to display the top four best-selling meat options alongside meat products in the refrigerator. The strategy has already been adopted in some markets, such as Spain, with strategic positioning aimed at encouraging flexible consumers to choose plant-based options more frequently.
It is important to note that initially not all meat substitutes will be next to meat. The focus will be on vegan ground beef, vegetarian chicken nuggets, vegan schnitzel and veggie burgers.
The development follows Lidl’s much-publicised news from February that the German discounter will pursue a plant-forward strategy for 2025, focusing on reducing the number of animal-based products on offer and increasing its range of plant proteins. Christoph Graf, the company’s chief buyer, said at the time that there was “no alternative” to the move; That as a human species, we must live within planetary boundaries and this can only be achieved with fewer animal products. He added that a change is “without alternative because there is no second planet.”
Why it works
In the United States, Kroger tested the placement of plant-based products in the meat aisle in 2019, the trial was held in collaboration with the Plant-Based Foods Association, to assess how the placement affected sales of both types of protein. Based sales rose an average of 23% (up to 32% in the Midwest), demonstrating that when it’s made easier, meat eaters will follow the lead and purchase meat alternatives, often out of curiosity and other times for health and environmental reasons.
After a three-month trial period, Lidl will evaluate the impact of this new system. Wageningen University & Research will oversee the trial, which will take place in 70 of the 440 Lidl stores. According to researcher Monique van der Meer, previous studies of a similar nature have shown a positive effect on sales of meat alternatives in Europe.
50 by 30
Lidl has set a target of at least 50 percent of its protein sales to be plant-based by 2030. Currently, 38 percent of its protein offerings are plant-based, with the remaining 62 percent comprised of animal proteins. Additionally, consumers will quickly notice that meat alternatives are often more budget-friendly than animal meat.
Chantal Goenee from Lidl explains, “Our aim is to make consumers realize how easy and delicious it can be to go meatless for a day, every now and then, thereby reducing our impact on the climate.”
Here you can read our 2020 deep dive into the concept of a protein aisle to include both animal and plant proteins.