Amazon Fresh is cashing in on the growing appetite for plant-based products.
The subsidiary of e-commerce giant Amazon has launched a new “budget-friendly” range of meatless and dairy-free products, including meatballs, patties, nuggets, and almond milk. The line, called Fresh Plant-Based, is available online and in-store at its growing empire of futuristic supermarkets.
When you shop at Amazon Fresh—which has bricks and mortar locations in an increasing number of states including Maryland, California, Illinois, and Pennsylvania—you don’t have to visit a till to pay for your goods. Instead, you can download Amazon’s app Dash Cart and simply walk out when you’re finished.
With its technology-led model, Amazon Fresh is all about shaping the future of shopping. So it’s no surprise the company has now launched its own line of plant-based products. More and more, consumers are opting to reduce the number of animal products they buy. A 2020 report by market research firm Packaged Facts found that 36 percent of Americans identify as flexitarian. And it’s these people who are driving up demand for more meatless ranges.
Amazon Fresh responds to more demand for vegan meat options
“Despite use of plant-based meat-alternative or dairy-alternative products being highest among those following vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian diets, omnivores and flexitarians make up the lion’s share of consumers who eat these products due to their sheer numbers,” said Jennifer Mapes-Christ, a food and beverage publisher for Packaged Facts, when the report was published.
She added: “This reveals that both the current and addressable market for plant-based products depends on omnivores and flexitarians using more of these products.”
Amazon Fresh is by no means alone in responding to this demand. From Burger King to IHOP to Kroger, plant-based items are becoming the norm. Recently, the latter, which is the US’s biggest supermarket chain, revealed it was working with plant-based meat giant Impossible Foods to develop new products for its Home Chef brand.
According to Amazon Fresh, its new plant-based range is already receiving rave reviews. To celebrate the launch, it’s offering all of its new meat alternatives at 20 percent off for the rest of the month.
