Beyond Meat, Inc. (NASDAQ: BYND), a leader in plant-based meat, today announced significant product distribution expansion within thousands of European retail locations this spring.
As Beyond Meat has grown its retail presence in the region, the European plant-based foods market has seen aggressive growth with sales increasing by 49% over the last two years. Beyond Meat’s commitment to making products utilizing simple, plant-based ingredients has enabled the brand to rapidly expand product distribution throughout the continent. Beyond Meat products are available at approximately 122,000 retail and foodservice outlets in over 80 countries worldwide.
In April, Sainsbury’s is nearly doubling its distribution of the Beyond Burger® nationwide. This follows the launch of Beyond Sausage® in Sainsbury stores this past January. Waitrose also recently launched the Beyond Burger and Beyond Sausage. Between these two retailers, Beyond Meat is entering about 450 new retail stores throughout the UK market.
Across the rest of Europe, Beyond Meat is expanding its product offerings in over 1,000 new German retail stores and approximately 1,140 new retail stores in Austria. In the first quarter of 2021, Beyond Mince® became available for the first time in the Netherlands and Switzerland, at stores across the country.
With the recent development of Beyond Meat’s European product innovation Beyond Mince, the company continues its retail expansion focus in additional countries such as France, Spain, Belgium, Italy and more at prominent retailers such as Casino Group, Carrefour, Esselunga and Delhaize.
“These new and expanded retail partnerships in the UK serve as strong proof points that Europe’s appetite for plant-based meat and Beyond Meat products in particular is on the rise,” said Chuck Muth, Chief Growth Officer, Beyond Meat. “We know our customers are looking for alternative protein options that taste great, and due to consumer demand we’ve been able to grow rapidly to make plant-based meat options that are better for the planet and more accessible to all.”
In June 2020, Beyond Meat announced the opening of its first co-manufacturing facility in Europe in partnership with Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat in Zoeterwoude, as well as the acquisition of the company’s first manufacturing facility in Enschede, underscoring the company’s commitment to serving its global markets. The Enschede facility will work together with the Zandbergen co-manufacturing facility to allow for end-to-end manufacturing capabilities in Europe. Together, the facilities will increase the speed, scale and efficiency with which Beyond Meat can produce and distribute its latest product innovations to its retail and foodservice customers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The move comes as part of Beyond Meat’s effort to meet consumers’ growing demand for delicious, nutritious and sustainable, plant-based meat. Notably, the results of the University of Michigan’s 2018 LCA which showed that the original growing food companies in the United States, and the number 1 A-brand burger sold in the UK, is offering a portfolio of revolutionary plant-based meats. Founded in 2009, Beyond Meat products are designed to have the same taste and texture as animal-based meat while offering certain environmental benefits. Beyond Meat’s brand commitment, Eat What You Love™, represents a strong belief that there is a better way to feed our future and that the positive choices we all make, no matter how small, can help us move towards the kind of future we want. By shifting from animal-based meat to plant-based meat, we can help address concerns related to resource conservation and animal welfare. As of December 31, 2020, Beyond Meat had products available at approximately 122,000 retail and foodservice outlets in over 80 countries worldwide. Visit www.BeyondMeat.com and follow @BeyondMeatEU, #BeyondBurger and #GoBeyond on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and @BeyondMeatOfficial on TikTok.