Lidl Belgium has announced it is permanently cutting the prices of its plant-based protein products from May 15, after a recent study conducted by iVox on behalf of the retailer found that 42% of Belgians would purchase more vegetarian and vegan foods if they were cheaper.
The change will create price parity between all Lidl plant-based protein products and their animal equivalents, making plant-based foods more accessible to consumers. This is part of a wider strategy by Lidl Belgium to encourage a shift towards sustainable proteins.
Additionally, the retailer aims to double sales of plant-based protein products by 2030, and will expand its range to make 20% of protein sources plant-based by 2030. This will involve launching a variety of legumes, seeds, and alternative protein products. The retailer will also work to increase the share of its dairy alternatives to 10%.
European price parity trend
The news is part of a growing trend towards price parity between plant-based and animal-based products in European retail. Lidl has previously cut the prices of plant-based foods in Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Hungary; other retailers that have adopted a similar strategy include Dutch chain Jumbo, Austria’s BILLA, Germany’s Kaufland, and Denmark’s Salling Group.
Lidl’s plant-based brand, Vemondo, currently has around 23 permanent products in Belgium, with additional ones available during promotional weeks. The announcement of the price drop comes after a survey conducted last year found that 11% of Belgians do not eat meat; another 31% described themselves as flexitarian.
“Proteins are essential for our well-being, whether they are of animal or vegetable origin,” said Ines Verschaeve, Project Manager for CSR Purchasing at Lidl Belgium. “Vegetable proteins have a positive impact on both people and the environment. By lowering the prices of the plant-based alternatives to the same level as the animal variant, we want the customer to be able to choose a plant-based alternative more easily.”
