OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of these two studies is to evaluate attitudes, behaviors and consumption habits of consumers in Canada and the US with regard to plant-based meat products, in particular, focusing on:
- Current consumption patterns and trends
- Category purchase triggers and purchasing habits
- Pricing expectations and likely response to a reduction in price
- Demand drivers and barriers
- Importance of product attributes and claims
- Consumer experience with brands they’ve used
- Brand awareness, usage and purchase intent
- Brand associations
METHODOLOGY:
- The studies were conducted online in English (and French in Quebec)
- Sample size: Canada N=1,001; US N=1,000
- All respondents are: resident in Canada and the US respectively; 18 years or older; primarily, or jointly responsible for grocery purchases
- The samples are demographically balanced by gender, age and region within each country
- Fieldwork was completed in July, 2021 and the reports were published in August, 2021
- Approximately 60% of respondents are current consumers of plant-based meat product/s or are open to the idea of eating plant-based meat. The remaining 40% are either non-users or ex-users
Table of Contents
SECTION 1 OVERVIEW
Study details, notices and table of contents
- Notices
- Overview
- Sample structure
- Sig test markers
- Table of contents
SECTION 2 WHO IS THE CONSUMER?
Demographic profiles of users and non-users
- Section summary
- Category awareness
- Category purchase behaviour
- Category consumption habits among users
- Predisposition towards plant-based meat by region
- Demographic profile summary - user vs non-user
SECTION 3 PREFERENCES AND PRACTICES
Dietary preferences, practices and consumption behaviour
- Section summary
- Dietary preferences
- Incidence of dietary practices among consumers
- Meat consumption habits
- Reasons for eating less meat
SECTION 4 PURCHASE TRIGGERS AND FAVOURED FORMATS
Factors prompting category trial and most preferred formats
- Section summary
- Initial purchase triggers
- Appeal of different product formats
- Appeal of different kinds of meat equivalent
- Plant-based meat consumption trend
- Influence of price on the purchase decision
- Price elasticity of demand
SECTION 5 BEHAVIOURAL DRIVERS AND BARRIERS
Behavioural factors that promote or inhibit purchase
- Section summary
- All respondents
- Users
- Potential users
- Ex-users
- Non-users
- Differing perspectives of users and non-users
- Demographic variation in drivers and barriers
SECTION 6 WHAT DRIVES THE USER EXPERIENCE?
What consumers look for and what they experience
- Section summary
- User experience drivers overall
- Driver analysis takeaways
- Driver profile summary
- Driver profiles by age
- Driver profiles of users and ex-users
SECTION 7 BRAND AWARENESS AND USAGE
Consumer awareness and usage of available brands
- Section summary
- Unprompted brand awareness
- Prompted awareness and usage
- Prompted awareness by age
SECTION 8 BRAND PERCEPTIONS
How consumers rate the brands they know and what they associate with them
- Section summary
- Overall brand rating
- Net promoter scores
- Detailed evaluation of the user experience
- Brand associations
SECTION 9 OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
Summary of key findings and their implications
- Consolidation of findings with observations and conclusions
- Four global trends influencing consumer receptiveness
- Three pillars of success
- One factor especially critical to implementation
SECTION 10 APPENDIX
Supplementary tables and contact details
- Tables relating to Section 2:
- Category awareness
- Category purchase behaviour
- Plant-based meat consumption frequency
- Tables relating to Section 3:
- Dietary preferences
- Dietary practices
- Meat consumption frequency
- Meat consumption trend
- Reasons for a decline in meat consumption
- Tables relating to Section 4:
- Initial purchase triggers (category)
- Category consumption trend
- Effect of price on the purchase decision
- Price elasticity
- Table relating to Section 5:
- Attribute classification summary - all segments
- Table relating to Section 6:
- Attribute classification summary - all segments
- Contact details
Executive Summary
In North America, the plant-based meat category is no longer being driven solely by vegetarian demand and is stimulating interest in a far broader base of consumers than the vegetarian spectrum alone. Although most North Americans still eat meat multiple times per week, many are currently eating it less than before or have stopped eating meat altogether. Health concerns are the most prominent driver in the reduction of meat consumption, but cost, animal welfare and global warming also feature prominently.
Demographically, the consumer’s attitude towards plant-based meat varies largely according to age and region while some differences are also observed in relation to education and employment status.
Consumer opinion about plant-based meat is still in the formative stage due to the newness of the category. So far, trial has been driven largely by curiosity while convenience also seems to have played a role. Purchase drivers and barriers vary significantly between category users and non-users. Prominent considerations include the degree of similarity to real meat, health considerations as well as environmental and animal welfare concerns.
Each report evaluates twenty-two attributes that have the potential to affect the consumer experience, falling into four distinct categories: table stakes, key drivers, hidden drivers and ‘nice-to-haves’. This analysis highlights significant variation in the way different groups (for example users and ex-users) relate to the category.
Together, the reports include user assessments of twenty-five brands of plant-based meat currently available in Canada and the US, including Beyond Meat, Morningstar Farms, Gardein, Yves, President’s Choice and Impossible, among others. Overall user ratings and Net Promoter Scores are provided for all 25 brands. Perceptual maps indicating the extent to which consumers associate fifteen distinct attributes with the most prominent brands are also included.
When the study’s findings are distilled in context with relevant global tends, three main criteria for success are identified. These, along with a fourth, ‘enabling’ factor, provide brand managers with clear direction on how to gain and defend a dominant position in the market for their brands.
Companies Mentioned
- Alpha Foods
- Amy’s Kitchen
- Beyond Meat
- Boca
- Field Roast
- Gardein
- Garden Gourmet
- Good Catch
- Hodo
- Impossible Foods
- Incogmeato
- Lightlife
- Meatless Farm
- Modern Meat
- Morningstar Farms
- Nuggs
- Ozo
- President's Choice
- Quorn
- Raised & Rooted
- Sol Cuisine
- Sweet Earth
- The Very Good Butchers
- Yves
- Zoglo’s
