US supermarket giant Kroger is trialing a plant-based protein section in the meat aisles of selected stores.
The trial, which will run for 20 weeks, will take place in 60 locations across Indiana, Illinois, and Denver this fall.
The store has partnered with the Plant Based Food Association to launch the initiative, which believes more people will buy plant meat if it is placed near animal meat – and says the test will ‘put data to the theory’.
‘Innovative and exciting’
“We are thrilled to partner with Kroger on this innovative and exciting project. Plant-based meat sales have been increasing dramatically year over year, even while most of them are placed where only the most dedicated consumers are likely to find and purchase them,” said Julie Emmett, senior director of retail partnerships for the Plant Based Foods Association.
“We are confident that this test will demonstrate that plant-based meat sales will increase even more when consumers have easier access to them.
“We applaud Kroger for taking the lead on plant-based meat merchandising, and we are confident that the outcome will be a win for retailers, suppliers, and especially for consumers.”
‘Rich insight’
“We’re excited to team up with the Plant Based Foods Association to study this category,” added Marcellus Harris, assistant commodity manager in the meat department for Kroger.
“The test, which emerged from our partnership with PBFA, will allow us to unearth rich insight regarding how to best merchandise the category and connect with consumers.”