Why the next phase of plant-based retail success is about activation, not availability

New report shows how retailers can unlock commercial growth by turning availability into stronger shopper engagement 

The UK plant-based market isn’t disappearing; it’s evolving. For much of the past decade, success in plant-based retail was measured by availability. Retailers expanded their ranges, launched innovative new products, and increased shelf space. Today, shoppers have more choice than ever before.

Yet as attention has increasingly focused on slowing sales in parts of the meat alternatives category, an important question has emerged… Why hasn’t increased availability translated into resilient growth at scale? 

ProVeg’s latest report, Blueprint for Plant-Based Commercial Growth: Realizing the Commercial Opportunity in Protein Diversification, conducted with Planeatry Alliance, suggests the industry may be looking in the wrong place for answers. While continued investment in new products, shelf space, and distribution remains important, the next phase of growth will be unlocked by retailers that help shoppers discover, understand and repeatedly buy the products already on shelves. 

Drawing on market data, in-store audits and conversations with retailers and industry stakeholders, the report identifies where commercial momentum still exists and where growth is being constrained. It sets out a practical activation roadmap that shows how stronger execution across multiple retail levers can convert availability into sustained category performance. 

The category is evolving, not disappearing

Much of the current debate treats plant-based as though it were a single category moving in one direction. The report finds that the reality is considerably more nuanced; plant-based should not be viewed as a single category moving in one direction.

While some meat alternatives face headwinds, other segments of the plant-based category continue to demonstrate resilience and growth. Dairy alternatives, for example, grew by 2.2% to £812.3 million between 2024 and 2025. Ingredient-led proteins are also showing strong momentum, with tofu recording 15.3% value growth and 25.2% volume growth over the same period. Tesco recently reported a 12% increase in sales of tofu, tempeh, and seitan, while Tiba Tempeh achieved 736% year-on-year retail sales growth.

These figures suggest that the plant-based market is evolving rather than disappearing. The challenge for retailers is no longer whether opportunity exists, but where it exists and how to unlock it.

Distribution has outpaced activation

The retail industry has made significant progress in expanding plant-based availability. However, according to the report, availability alone does not guarantee performance.

Store audits found widespread distribution of plant-based products across UK supermarkets, but a less consistent approach to signposting, shopper communication, meal inspiration, and category navigation. Even the highest-performing retailer achieved under half of the total activation potential assessed in the research.  

Rather than highlighting a weakness, these findings reveal the scale of commercial opportunity available to retailers. As the category matures, execution is becoming a more important driver of growth than simply expanding availability. The Blueprint introduces a five-stage activation journey – stocked, signposted, shoppable, sold, and scaled – showing that listing products is only the first step. Long-term growth depends on creating retail environments that help shoppers discover, understand, and confidently choose plant-based products.

What dairy alternatives can teach the wider category

One of the clearest lessons comes from dairy alternatives. The report suggests that dairy alternatives continue to perform well because they have become embedded in everyday shopping habits. Consumers understand where to find them, how to use them and how they fit naturally into meals and routines.

Growth is strongest where plant-based products feel familiar, relevant, useful, and easy to buy. This insight matters because shoppers increasingly purchase plant-based and plant-rich options around meal occasions, protein needs, convenience, and value rather than around a specific ‘plant-based’ identity. Retail strategies that reflect those motivations and activate consumers are likely to outperform those that continue to treat plant-based as a standalone category.

Ingredient-led proteins such as tofu, tempeh, beans, and pulses illustrate this particularly well. These products align closely with current consumer priorities around protein, fiber, value, and recognizable ingredients. Yet they remain under-activated relative to their commercial potential when they are treated as niche ‘alternative’ products. Retailers can do more to connect them to meal occasions, improve merchandising, and communicate their nutritional and culinary benefits. The growth signals are already there; the opportunity now is to support mainstream discovery and repeat purchase through more effective retail execution. 

Better activation drives better commercial outcomes

The Blueprint identifies practical ‘growth plays’ that retailers can implement across every stage of the shopper journey. These include improving fixture navigation, integrating plant-based products into meal occasions, creating smarter product adjacencies, using loyalty schemes and digital platforms to encourage repeat purchase, and embedding protein diversification into wider category planning.

The research also suggests that price promotions alone are unlikely to deliver sustained growth. While temporary discounts can encourage trial, long-term category performance depends equally on building shopper confidence through quality, value, usage inspiration and repeat purchase.

Retailers across Europe are already showing what’s possible 

Examples from across Europe demonstrate that strategic activation can deliver measurable commercial results.

Lidl GB exceeded its plant-based own-label sales target, achieving 694% sales growth. Tesco continues to grow demand across multiple plant-based categories, including whole-food proteins. Carrefour France surpassed its plant-based sales target through supplier collaboration, while Lidl Germany achieved more than a 30% increase in plant-based sales within six months after introducing price parity between plant-based and animal products.

Together, these examples show that protein diversification is becoming a commercial growth strategy as well as a sustainability opportunity.

Download the Blueprint

The conversation around plant-based has become increasingly focused on whether the category is growing or slowing. A more useful question is how retailers can convert emerging growth opportunities into sustained category performance.

The report suggests that continued investment in availability still matters, but it is no longer sufficient on its own. The next phase of growth will depend on how effectively retailers help shoppers discover, choose and repeatedly buy the products already on shelves.

As retailers respond to changing consumer expectations, affordability pressures and supply chain volatility, protein diversification is becoming an increasingly important commercial consideration. Unlocking its full potential will require stronger retail execution, more targeted category strategies, and retail environments that make plant-based products easier to find, understand and enjoy.

The good news is that this does not require starting from scratch. Blueprint for Plant-Based Commercial Growth provides retailers with practical, evidence-based recommendations and activation levers to strengthen category performance and support shoppers to turn interest into routine purchasing behavior. 

Download the full Blueprint to explore the evidence, retailer case studies and practical activation framework for turning availability into long-term commercial growth. Get in touch with our team to discuss the findings in more detail and get support: [email protected].