Dutch supermarkets triple meat discounts before Christmas as vegetarian deals fall

Dutch supermarkets sharply ramped up meat discounts ahead of Christmas. At the same time, vegetarian promotions continue to decline, steering shoppers toward what animal welfare group Wakker Dier describes as a “meat fest,” according to a new analysis released Monday.

In the run-up to Christmas, supermarkets offer more than three times as many meat promotions as in an average week, Wakker Dier said, while advertising roughly 10 times as many meat deals as vegetarian ones. At the same time, the share of vegetarian offers in Christmas promotions has fallen for the third year in a row.

The organization said meat promotions have peaked around Christmas for years, but vegetarian offers continue to lag and are now declining. In 2023, one in seven holiday promotions was vegetarian. That has dropped to one in 11 this year. "This is a concerning trend," expressed Anne Hilhorst from Wakker Dier. “Apparently, supermarkets increasingly throw their principles overboard during the holidays.”

According to Wakker Dier, supermarket promotions strongly influence what customers buy and could also be used to encourage plant-based choices instead of animal products.

“Meat discounts drive up sales,” Hilhorst said. “While supermarkets have actually promised to reduce meat sales drastically.” The organization is calling on supermarkets to stop offering meat discounts altogether and meet their own targets for reducing meat sales.