Vegetable substitutes become cheaper
Published: Wednesday, Nov 1st 2023, 10:21
Updated At: Thursday, Nov 2nd 2023, 00:54
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Plant-based substitutes have become less expensive in recent years. In some cases, they are even cheaper than the animal original. However, there are still big differences for some products.
At the discount supermarket chain Lidl in Germany, vegan substitutes now only cost as much as the animal-based original. Previously, customers usually had to dig deeper into their pockets for plant-based mince or burger patties. According to media reports, the discounter has reduced the prices for the vegi products by an average of 20 percent. Lidl wants to use this to drive sales of its vegan range.
Customers are used to paying more for substitute products than for the original. In Switzerland, too. When the hyped veggie burger Beyond Meat was launched in this country four years ago, consumers had to pay eight francs for two patties. Today, the wheat-based patties cost two francs less. The alternative product has become competitive.
Own brands partly cheaper
There are currently no plans to cut prices in the Swiss retail sector as there are at Lidl Germany. And there are no figures for a nationwide price comparison. However, a look at the store counters shows that some substitute products have come closer to the price of the original. For example, Coop charges 1.48 francs per 100 grams for the vegan Prix-Garantie Geschnetzelte. At 1.49, the pork schnitzel from the cheap line costs slightly more.
The situation is similar with the competition: Aldi Suisse charges 1.24 Swiss francs per 100 grams for its vegan mince. The beef mince is over 30 centimes more expensive. And at Migros, the own-brand vegi burger is practically the same price as the beef burger.
"In recent years, retailers have increasingly invested in their own brands for vegan alternative products," says Sarah Moser, managing director of the Vegan Society of Switzerland. She says this has led to a wider range of products and more competitive prices. "However, the price difference between vegan alternative products of well-known brands and the animal originals is still there."
Big differences in milk alternatives
With branded products, retailers have less leeway because manufacturers set the prices. One example is the milk alternative from Alpro, a Danone subsidiary: The oat-based product costs 3.50 francs per liter at Coop. That is more than twice as much as the own-brand cow's milk. At 3.25 Swiss francs, the Coop brand's oat drink also costs significantly more than the animal-based original. There are also price differences among the competition.
"Due to the lower manufacturing volumes compared to other private label products, the prices of our plant-based substitute products are basically characterized by higher manufacturing, production and development costs," Coop says in justification. However, the company has already lowered the prices of numerous substitute products and will continue to do so in the future. That's the sound of it at the other retailers, too.
If a product is cheaper, that doesn't automatically mean it sells better anyway, Lidl says. "First and foremost, our customers decide on the basis of quality," says a spokeswoman. Texture and taste, for example, are decisive for the success of a product - and not the price alone.
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