Appeal to open-omnivores and flexitarians this holiday season
The festive season presents a golden opportunity for brands to tap into the growing interest in plant-based products. With the focus on multiple-dish holiday feasts businesses and marketers should take the opportunity to enhance plant-based sales during this lucrative period.
In this article, we’ll explore the festive food landscape and share strategies for optimising plant-based sales at this time of year.
The holiday food landscape
Plant-based foods are no longer niche. In 2023, the plant-based food market was estimated to have reached USD 11.2 billion, and it is expected to grow to USD 35.9 billion by 2033.1 As Christmas is the most important holiday for over two billion people across more than 160 countries, the financial stakes for plant-based foods during this season are high: the average European family budgets EUR 132 for Christmas food, with Italians spending up to EUR 220, the highest in the region.2
While traditional foods remain central to these celebrations, many consumers now choose plant-based alternatives or incorporate plant-based dishes into their Christmas dinners, reflecting an increasing shift towards flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diets.
The popularity of plant-based Christmas products is rising. Let’s take the UK as an example. Tesco’s Annual Christmas Report highlights that 27% of UK households will serve or prioritise vegetarian or plant-based options this year. For some, this is because they’ll be hosting veggies or vegans, while others simply enjoy plant-based food or want a meat-free alternative for their event.3 In addition, one in four British households plan to serve alternatives to turkey this Christmas, with individuals between the ages of 26 and 35 the most likely to do so.4 Although it is not clear if these alternatives are plant-based, this nevertheless presents a significant market opportunity that businesses can tap into.
“We know that a number of customers are choosing plant-based diets and we’re seeing an increase in desire for Christmas centrepieces that are meat-free.” 5
Brands and retailers like This, Tofurky, La Fauxmagerie, Tesco, and Aldi have responded by launching innovative options like no-turkey crowns, plant-based hams, nut roasts, and festive ‘cheese’ hampers. These offerings reflect consumers’ desire for taste, affordability, and familiarity while aligning with the season’s indulgent traditions, making Christmas an ideal time for brands and retailers to invest in standout offerings.
Appeal to meat-eaters and flexitarians this Christmas
Actionable insights
Optimise product offerings: The holidays present an excellent opportunity to expand plant-based product lines with a focus on high-demand categories:
- Meat alternatives: With sales up by 3.9% across six European countries (2022-2023),6 plant-based meat is still a core product for the holiday season. Options like plant-based turkey, sausages, and chicken substitutes can anchor December product line-ups, festive menus or product bundles.
- Plant-forward products: While many consumers still enjoy meat alternatives, the plant-based industry is seeing a shift towards wholefood-inspired products. Additional research from Tesco UK echos this.7 According to the retailer, veg-led foods featuring ingredients like vegetables, seeds, nuts, and pulses are drawing in shoppers. Create festive products that put wholefoods front and centre, but still offer the familiarity and indulgence you’d expect at Christmas (think creamy mushroom wellingtons and delicious nut roasts).
- Side dishes and desserts: Festive meals aren’t complete without an array of side dishes, for example, Kartoffelpuffer in Germany, Yorkshire puddings in the UK, or gratin dauphinoise in France. Add ready-made (chilled or frozen) plant-based side dishes to your Christmas line-up so that consumers can pick and choose which dishes they want to enjoy plant-based, or to enable them to have a completely plant-based meal, should they wish. Consider desserts, too! Tap into the festive theme of indulgence but leverage the rising health trend that’s pushing many consumers to try plant-based food. It’s an ideal sector to innovate with appealing plant-based options.
- Plant-based milk: A leading category representing 35% of plant-based sales,8 the per capita consumption of milk alternatives in the EU has nearly doubled in the last five years.9 Continue to leverage the popularity of plant-based milk and use Christmas to add limited festive flavours to your range, such as egg-nog-flavoured oat milk, or spiced orange chocolate soya milk.
- Plant-based cheese: Cheese is enjoyed in abundance at Christmas, be it part of a festive dish, with bread, or on a cheese board. In ProVeg’s recent Smart Protein Project survey, a quarter of respondents said they would like to be able to buy more plant-based cheese.10 Respond to this demand with familiar and delicious plant-based cheese tailored for the holiday season.
Celebrate regional traditions: Create indulgent, traditional centrepieces tailored to holiday preferences in various regions. For instance, a plant-based ham could be a hit in Finland, a ‘bratwurst’ in Germany, or BBQ-friendly options in Australia.
Leverage seasonal campaigns: Use festive packaging, recipes, and discounts to appeal to consumers. Joint promotions with caterers or event planners can showcase plant-based options at holiday events, increasing visibility.
Expand e-commerce: E-commerce growth in plant-based sales continues to accelerate. Optimise product listings with search-friendly keywords like ‘vegan Christmas dinner’ and create exclusive online bundles to attract digital shoppers.
Collaborate with and empower partners: Collaborate with other businesses like caterers, retailers, restaurants, and event planners to showcase plant-based options at holiday events. Support them with marketing tools, digital assets, and in-store materials, and launch cross-promotional campaigns. Providing these resources and using this strategy ensures your products are effectively promoted and accessible to consumers.
Highlight taste, price, and familiarity: Consumers prioritise taste and price when choosing plant-based options for festive meals. Align your offerings to meet traditional flavours while achieving price parity with animal-based alternatives.
Leverage the health trend: While good health intentions can falter at Christmas time, health is a strong driver of the plant-based market and a leading trend in the food industry. Use product packaging and brand communications to highlight the health advantages of your plant-based products and show consumers that plant-based products can often offer healthier indulgence.
Share success stories: Leverage the power of social media to showcase testimonials or case studies from satisfied customers or partners to build trust and inspire adoption. Stories of how plant-based options enhance holiday meals resonate with consumers and businesses alike.
Stay ahead of trends: Track relevant market trends to anticipate consumer demands (and meet them). For instance, the surge in plant-based cream sales in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK (+24% between 2022 and 2023 to EUR 138 million11) suggests a heightened interest in this sector. With cream a popular accompaniment to festive desserts, it’s a sector to watch during the festive season.
Festive strategy
The holiday season represents a lucrative opportunity for food businesses to capitalise on the growing popularity of plant-based products. By aligning festive strategies with consumer preferences, businesses can boost plant-based sales, enhance brand reputation, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
From innovation in product line-ups to tailored marketing and co-promotions, the key to boosting plant-based Christmas sales lies in understanding and responding to the diverse needs of the holiday market.
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References
- Plant-based food market, (2024). Future Market Insights. Available at: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/plant-based-food-market. Accessed 2024-12-02.
- Europe: Christmas food budget by country (2019). Statista. Available at https://www.statista.com/statistics/475503/christmas-food-budget-europe-by-country. Accessed 2022-11-21.
- Christmas trends report, (2024) Tesco. Available at: https://www.tescoplc.com/media/4japnjuq/christmas-trends-report-2024_v6.pdf. Accessed 2024-12-04.
- Carving connections at Christmas, (2024). Global Knives. Available at: https://www.globalknives.uk/blog/carving-connections-at-christmas/. Accessed 2024-12-03.
- Christmas trends report, (2024) Tesco. Available at: https://www.tescoplc.com/media/4japnjuq/christmas-trends-report-2024_v6.pdf. Accessed 2024-12-04.
- European plant-based sales data, (2024). GFI. Available at: https://gfieurope.org/plant-based-sales-data-2023/#plant-based-meat. Accessed 2024-12-02.
- Brits shelves New Year’s resolutions, (2024). Tesco. Available at: Brits shelve New Year’s resolutions today, but are committed to eating veg all year round. Accessed: 2024-12-05.
- Plant-based food statistics, (2024). Strategic Market Research. Available at: https://www.strategicmarketresearch.com/blogs/plant-based-food-statistics Accessed 2024-12-02.
- Plant-based milk and dairy alternatives in Eureop, (2024). Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/topics/10162/milk-and-dairy-alternatives-in-europe/#topicOverview. Accessed: 2024-12-02.
- Evolving appetites: an in depth look at Eureopean attitudes to plant-based foods, (2023). Available at: https://proveg.org/report/evolving-appetites-an-in-depth-look-at-european-attitudes-towards-plant-based-eating/. Accessed: 2024-11-20.
- European plant-based sales data, (2024). GFI. Available at: https://gfieurope.org/plant-based-sales-data-2023/#plant-based-meat. Accessed 2024-12-02.
