Current consumer shift towards plant-based products is linked to Tesco’s recent move to closing its meat, fish and deli counters in another 317 stores, an industry analyst has suggested.
According to Ana Purcaroiu from GlobalData, with 62 percent of people actively trying to reduce red meat, or eat it in moderation— and 65 percent reporting the same for dairy, Tesco’s divesting of its deli counters made sense.
Tesco said on Tuesday (1) that it was shutting the counters at the shops with the “lowest demand” amid changes in customer habits. The retailer stated that it will “repurpose” the space with affected staff offered alternative roles in the business.
“People will increasingly base their choice of retailer on the availability of plant-based products, with the younger generations leading the trend. GlobalData’s survey also revealed that 21 percent of UK millennials claim that the availability of special dietary products is the most influential factor when deciding where to do their grocery shopping,” reports quoted Purcaroiu as saying.
“Tesco has a growing number of high-quality items in its plant-based ranges – the Wicked Kitchen collection, for example – which should be in its favour.
"Perhaps Tesco could have kept the counters open but tempted-in the younger generations with vegetarian and vegan alternatives, or offered custom-weight meats and meat alternatives to their delivery and online offerings.
"Either way, striking the right balance is crucial when adapting to evolving trends.”
