Supermarkets' vegetarian offers stagnating as meat specials rise: Wakker Dier

After years of growth, the number of vegetarian offers at Dutch supermarkets has stagnated since 2021. At the same time, the number of promotions on meat increased by 9 percent in the past year, Wakker Dier reported after its annual study.

“Almost everyone agrees that we should eat less meat. But as long as supermarkets continue to push meat, they make it difficult for consumers,” said Collin Molenaar of Wakker Dier, an organization focused on promoting animal rights in the food chain.

This year, supermarkets had 3,016 special offers on vegetarian products, compared to 3,012 in 2022. The number of specials on meat products, on the other hand, increased from 8,802 last year to 9,619 this year.

There were significant differences between the different supermarket chains. Albert Heijn had the biggest share of vegetarian offers at 33 percent of all its promotions, followed by Lidl with 28 percent and DekaMarkt with 27 percent. Aldi is at the bottom of the list. Only 12 percent of Aldi’s promotions this year were vegetarian.

Regarding meat promotions, Coop, Lidl, and DekaMarkt had fewer offers than in the same period last year. The number of meat specials increased at Jumbo, Hoogvliet, Picnic, and Plus.

According to WakkerDier, supermarkets play a crucial role in the protein transition as the biggest meat seller in the Netherlands. They have also promised to work towards a ratio of 60 percent vegetable- and 40 percent meat proteins through the Central Food Bureau. Special offers play a significant role in the transition, as they influence what consumers buy. But Lidl is currently the only supermarket with a concrete goal to have at least half of its specials be vegetarian by 2025.